Seek the nightmares

Time certainly flies on the internet. It already feels like a week between Creative Assembly's announcement that Total War: Warhammer II's pre-order DLC would be for the first game and this reveal. When I ?went to check on m?y original post, I see it was only two days ago! The hell happened?!

Anyway, fans of barbarians and Norse mythology will be happy to hear that the Norsca are joining the fr?ay. The reveal trailer doesn't really show off much of what the race looks like in-game, but you do get to listen to a narrator who sounds a lot like Chris Hemsworth and see a mammoth. There could be worse ways to introduce new playable characters.

The Norscan army will be available to download first in Warhammer I, starting on August 10, 2017, before later coming to Warhammer II. You can nab it for free by pre-ordering Warhammer II or buying it within the first week of release, after which it will be $10. This DLC will include two playable factions, new Lord and Hero type units, a "massive" roster ??of new units and the ability to play ??as them on combined campaign map in the upcoming sequel. Sounds nifty.

A new Total War: Warhammer trailer introduces the barbaric Norscans [PC Gamer]

The post Total War: Warhammer II’s pre-order race is barbaric appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring on the Green Knight

Next up for Total Warhammer players is the game's biggest free update yet.

On Tuesday, February 28, the sprawling strategy title gets the Bretonnia Race Pack DLC, which grants access to the group in the Grand Campaign and expands its roster for custom skirmishes.

I hope you didn't watch this trailer in a dark room, because if so, the toxic-green knight may have melted your eyeballs. If your vision is still in working order, the DLC's Steam listing is packed with details.

Fun fact: Bretonnia isn't just ??the name of a faction -- it's also what I'm going to start calling Brett. If you don't hear from me again in the next 24 hour??s, assume that he did not take this goof very well.

Total War: Warhammer - Bretonnia [Steam]

The post Free Bretonnia DLC tou??ches down in Total War: Warh?ammer next week appeared first on Destructoid.

Waaagh!

I first got into Warhammer around 2001. I had briefly heard of the Games Workshop-led Fantasy property from some of my friends as the inspiration for the Warcraft series, but never really connected with it until I started to play the 40K edition of the tabletop game. Along with my Chaos Space Marine, Dark Eldar, Blood Angel, and Ork armies, I began to investigate the less sci-fi oriented Fantasy arm, much to the chagrin of my gaming group.

Yep, no one wanted to "downgrade" to a less popular, slightly older version without Space Marines. Thankfully, the Fantasy line lives on with games like Total War: Warhammer.

Total War: Warhammer (PC)
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega
Released: May 24, 2016
MSRP: $59.99

You've seen humans, orcs, dwarves, and vampires duke it out many times before, but Warhammer has been around for so long (since 1983) that it's actually influenced many post-T??olkien fantasy realms. It's a bastion of lore -- a well so deep that you could throw a coin in it and never hear the bottom. Loading screens are chocked full of quotes from various codices, novels, and apocryphas, without feeling too daunting or esoteric for newcomers.

True to form, the Total War-style campaign is the draw here, which meshes well with the already existing universe. But it's important to note that unlike every other Total title, which draws upon real events, there were a number of liberties that Creative Assembly could take to create a more interesting experience that doesn't feel like a knockoff of their other efforts. Warcraft III-esque he?roes change the landscape of battle for one, as do magical spells and flying units. It has a more cinematic feel to ??it both in terms of the bombastic cutscenes and gameplay.

All of these elements don't negate the tactical depth of the engine though. Players will still have to carefully plot out each unit's movement on a giant open map, taking calculated risks to ensure that their economy doesn't implode or an enemy doesn't take a key stronghold. I wouldn't say the engine is quite as stunning as Shogun 2 (??it's a bit more grounded in grimdarkness, lacking the beautiful artistic feel of its predecessor), but on a higher-end rig you can really see the individual detail in every single unit, even when zoomed in.

Tactical prowess is still paramount despite the flair, so don't think this is a ?neutered version of the game. This still includes speccing into, and choo?sing individual technology trees (which offer reprieves like cheaper recruitment costs), maintaining your army's upkeep costs and income, and maintaining alliances through diplomacy or trade. The campaign itself is really open-ended, as you can basically amass an entire army and rule through sheer force of will, or opt for a more cautious route.

What's really cool about the particular factions in Warhammer is that each one feels wholly different fr??om one another. You don't need to be a historian (what makes Parthia differnet from Carthage in a previous game for example) to be able to discern the differences between certain factions or armor types -- no, the nuances are incredibly obvious and gamey, in a good way.

Humans are relatively middle of the?? road, but Dwarves have superior artillery and access to rune wares instead of magic, Greeskins (Orks) thrive in pure numbers with very little technology and not trade options, and the Vampire Counts excel with magic use and have more elite, centralized units. Dwarves and Greenskins can also access underground tunnels called the "Underway."

The more I played the more depth I uncovered though ??beyond these nominal changes. Humans can't capture territory unless it's from rival humans or Vampire Counts, which forces players to pick and choose their battles. Greeskins on the other hand are subject to the "Waaagh!" mechanic that grants bonuses for attacking rapidly. If sieged, Dwarves will have to respond in turn due to the "grudge" modifier, and Vampire Counts can plague areas they claim. Despite the fact that there's only four armies at launch, all of them are fun to play and lead to completely different campaigns.

At the heart of Total War is the actual... war, and the tried and true real-time combat still works well in tandem with the turn-based overworld. For the uninitiated, the Total War games tend to focus on more intimate battles rather than the sprawling base-building affairs in titles like StarCraft, which often come down to the wire if you aren't fully prepared going into a skirmish. Manipulating units with control groups or a good old fashioned mouse click is still a cinch, and your job is to mostly move units where they need to go rather than micromanage their abilities. The overhead tactical camera? and power to pause a battle to?? get your bearings offer more than enough control.

Even after playing through every campaign, I'm still good fo?r months on end when it comes to stuff to do. There are 37 quest missions to complete, and roughly 50 maps available for custom matches, where you can experiment with whatever units or army you wish at any given time. Skirmish mode is also hefty, complete with multiplayer that actually has access?? to a server list and an option for LAN play on top of the usual matchmaking mechanic.

There is a caveat however. The build I was given wasn't the most stable, and while it hasn't been as buggy as Rome II on my end, it's not nearly as reliable as Attila was at launch. The developer has a day-one patch planned which we'll continue to cover and investigate, but for now, I did encounter the occasional crash (usually when fiddling with the UI outside of a battle) or hiccup. And while it's not factored into this review, more content, both free and paid is coming. After relenting due to fan outcry the entire Chaos army (complete with its own campaign) will be added as a free update afte??r launch, and more ??factions (Skaven, please) will be available as DLC.

Outside of Shogun 2, Total War: Warhammer is my favorite Total game to date. Developing this project must have been a massive undertaking, because it somehow manages to not sacrifice the core tenets of the series while staying true to the ever-expanding source material of the Warhammer universe. After ??nearly two decades of historical battles, having the chance to command a magical undead army is a breath of fresh air.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. Our review was originally published on May 19, 2016.]}

The post Review: Total War: Warhammer appeared first on Destructoid.

Dwarves use runes instead

It feels like forever ago that Total War: Warhammer was announced (nearly four years), but it's nearly here, and set to release next week. For those of you who have been following along, here's a great detailed overview of how magic works in the ga??me, which is one of the newest mechanics for the series alongside of heroes.

Some spells are pretty standard (fire and brimstone type stuff), and others are really out there, drawing upon the strong lore of the Warhammer Fantasy line. Expect our review before launch.

The post Total War: Warhammer brings magic to Creative Assembly’s storied series appeared first on Destructoid.

As seen in this Empire campaign

Creative Assembly is giving us another glimpse at the particulars of Total War: Warhammer. Just like the Greenskins walkthrough before it??, this video drops us partway into a campaign, albeit with the Empire. It's seven minutes long, but th??at feels like no time at all for a game of this scope.

Aside from the Legendary Lords, who are taken directly from lore, you?'ll have the option to rename all of your characters. You totally? should. The more ridiculous, the better.

Assuming they keep it up with the??se clips, I hope the Vampire Counts are next.

The post You can rename your dudes in Total War: Warhammer appeared first on Destructoid.

For PC gamers, who else?

Mmm.. smells good. Pumpkin spices in the air. Orange decorations adorn public places. Yep, Fallout 4 is coming. Over at GMG they launched a new weekend 22% off code, discounting the aforementioned post-apocalyptic title (which has recently gone gold) along with a few other goodies such as Street Fighter V to $46.80.

In the case of SFV, the latest beta is live as of writing and if you want in on?? the action, pre-orders do include access to all beta phases till the game's Spring 2016 release. Matchmaking is apparently a bit slow but the game is looking sweet on the PC. Beta en?ds Sunday 4PM Pacific, so if you don't have time this weekend we'd just wait on it as the deal will come around again.

Console deals? Only thing you'll want to note is this PS4 deal from Groupon for ??$313.49. Its not a bad price, but if you can play the waiting game, we'll see what retailers have to offer in terms of bundles for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Update 10/30: Added latest coupon code below for FO4 and removed some expired deals.

Top Weekend Deals

Use Coupon Code: NWYEAR-20PERC-WTHGMG

• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $48  (list $60)
• Fallout 4: Season Pass (Steam) — $24  (list price $30)
• Total War: Warhammer (Steam) — $48  (list price $60)
• Street Fighter V (Steam) — $48  (list $60)
  
• The Witcher III: Hearts Of Stone (PC DLC) — $8  (list price $10)

Recent Releases

• 10/23: Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns — $39.99  (list price $50)
• 10/23: Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (Steam) — $22.50  (list price $30)
• 10/23: RPG Maker MV (Steam) — $56.16  (list price $80)
• 10/21: Coast Guard (Steam) — $14.32  (list price $20)
• 10/20: Sword Coast Legends (Steam) — $31.20  (list price $40)
• 10/20: Tales of Zestiria (Steam) — $37.50  (list price $50)

Upcoming Releases

• 10/27: Halo 5: Guardians + $10 Xbox Gift Card (Xbox One) — $59.99
• 11/03: Anno 2205 (Uplay) — $38.21  (list $60)
• 11/06: Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Steam) — $43.80  (list price $60)
• 11/10: Fallout 4 Gold Ed. + Socks + Season Pass (XOne, PS4) — $84.99  (list $90)
• 11/17: Star Wars: Battlefront (Origin) — $45  (list $60)
• 12/10: RollerCoaster Tycoon World (Steam) — $26.02  (list $50)

PC Deals

• Grand Theft Auto V + $500K GTA Online Cash — $32.69  (list price $70)
• Blood Bowl 2 (Steam) — $32.78  (list price $45)
• Dying Light (Steam) — $27.72  (list price $60)
• Galactic Civilizations III (Steam) — $25  (list price $50)
• Tales from the Borderlands — $12.49  (list price $25)
• Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Steam) — $8.78  (list price $15)
• Titan Souls (Steam) — $5.85  (list price $15)
• The Banner Saga (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $20)
• Hatoful Boyfriend (Steam) — $3.90  (list price $10)

Console Deals

• Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Gold — $34.50  (list price $60)
• Xbox One + Kinect (Refurb) — $274.99  (list price $400)
• PlayStation 4 + Last of Us Remastered — $313.49  <- use code VISA5
• Skylanders SuperChargers Starter (PS4/PS3, XOne/360, Wii U) — $49.99  (list $75)
• The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (Xbox One) — $31.35  (list price $55)
• FIFA 16 (Xbox One/360, PS4/PS3) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Dying Light (PS4 - Europe Only) — 40% Off

Laptop Deals

• 17.3" Lenovo Y700-17 i7?-6700HQ, 16GB, 1TB +128GB, GTX 960M — $1,149  (list $1,650)
• 15.6" Lenovo Y700-15? i7-6700HQ Skylake, 8GB, GTX 960M — $1,129  (list $1,380)
• 15.6" HP Gaming Laptop, Qu??ad i5-6300HQ Skylake, GTX 950M — $719.99  (list $900)

HDTV Deals

• 50" Samsung 4K Smart LED Ultra HDTV — $649.99  (list price $1,350) <- what!?
• 40" Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV — $549.99  (list price $830)

Storage Deals

• Seagate 4TB 3.5" Hard Drive — $109.99  (list price $180)
• Silicon Power S60 2.5" 240GB SSD — $67.99  (list price $80)
• OCZ Arc 100 SSD 2.5" 240GB — $59.99  (list price $110)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales from certain retailers help support Destructoid.

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Heigh-ho! It's off to war we go

Back at E3 2015, I got a special sneak peek at the upcoming Total War: Warhammer. The pre-alpha footage we were shown featured an intense battle between the Empire and Greenskins, and each side brought their largest weapons and fiercest foes to the brawl. From griffon riders to the shaman's summon giant arachnids, Total War is taking advantage of the new setting. With decades of lore to pull from, Creative Assembly aims to move away from the series' historical settings to the ridiculously epic high-fantasy genre. But that doesn't mean the tried-and-true gameplay that focuses on empire creation and intense battles has faltered. In many ways, Warhammer is looking to become the most refined and detailed Total War yet.

In order to give people an idea of the scope they have in mind for their upcoming title, the developers invited Destructoid out to go hands-on with Total War: Warhammer, in addition to experiencing the first gameplay with the Dwarven faction. Working closely with ??Game Workshops, the developers had c??ountless texts and data to work from in order to make a title worthy of both brands.

The developers have been keeping things pretty close to the vest when it comes Warhammer. While we've already seen the Empire and Greenskin armies in action, they've been very hesitant to share any details about the Dwarf and Vampire factions. As each army will have its own unique sett??ings, politics, and overall feel from one another, Creative Assembly wanted to make sure it nailed its approach before showing it off to? the world.

Our session focused primarily on one of the earlier skirmishes in the Dwarven campaign. During the Ambush at the Thunderfalls Pass, the faction's underground networks have been breached by the Greenskins, and it must drive them out in order to keep its most secure and valuable asset in Dwarf hands. Unlike the other Total War titles, Warhammer has deeper ties to a general narrative during the campaigns. While you'll still have plenty of leeway into how you build the factions up, there will be several moments in the faction's plot that will affects several key characters from Warhammer lore, but will als?o change the course of your campaign.

For the Dwarven faction, a great empire lies underground and they've built a network of tunnels to travel vast distances, transport supplies, and surprise enemies forces from beneath the earth. From underground skirmishes, to using the tunnels for trade during nation-building, the burly and stout faction will use the subterranean realm to strengthen? its empire and debilitate foes. But given how valuable of a resource these tunnels have been to the Dwarfs, it's no surprise the other factions would want to take it for themselves.

The Ambush at Thunderfalls Pass served as a great opener to not only the new field of war, but also to see how Warhammer made the transition to Total War. Despite the tonal shift and massive change in setting, battles should be quite familiar to those who've sunk hundreds of hours into the RTS series. Players control various types of ranged and melee units to engage the enemy and complete objectives. Along with a brand new mechanic called the Grudge system, which adds dynamic challenges based on how effective your attacks and strategies are against the opposition, the battle mechanics have evolved in this entry. With the fantasy aesthetic in full swing, the developers have gotten creative in implementing the classic Warhammer archetypes and lore into the Total War gameplay.

Each faction possesses its own unique Hero classes, who are not only important to the faction's narrative, but also provide special skills and abilities to battles -- and many hardcore Warhammer fans will undoubtedly recognize a few of them. During this battle, the Dwarven units were accomp?anied by High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer, the ruler ?of the Dwarven capital city, who wielded a enchanted tome that allowed him to buff nearby units. Another Hero character with the army was Thane, a melee champion that was at his best when rushing into the thick of it. In addition to the large number of units, the hero characters add a lot of nuance to battles, as their special skills can seriously make or break a battle at critical moments.

During one moment, a remote melee unit of Slayers was getting pummeled by Greenskins, but moving Thane close enough to their position allowed the Slayers to become imbued with his special melee buff which boosted their abilities and slaughtered their foes. It's important to remember that each faction always has ways to deal with the opposition, but you'll have to stay on your toes in order to keep one step ahead of the enemy. I was fortunate enough to test out the same map on two separate difficulty modes, Norm??al and Hard, and each skirmish field will have varying difficulties to spice things up. Hard mode makes your opposition far more aggressive and cunning, which will be a welcome option for those who want their battle knowledge to be put to the test.

But of course, the thing that interests Warhammer fans the most are the faction characters. During this skirmish, we were given access to a number of unique classes from the Dwarven faction, with many more yet to be unveiled. Just as you would expect, each unit has its own special strengths and weaknesses, and they're at their best when combining efforts with different classes. From Dwarf Warriors, Longbeards with Great Weapons, Slayers, Iron Drakes (flamethrower units), Quarrelers and Thunder??ers (both ranged), Siege Weapons, and even Gyrocopters -- the Dwarfs' knowledge of tech and terrain are their greatest asset, and it totally comes out in the combat style and strategies they employ.

I was impressed with the rich detail and visuals during the battle. With the awe-inspiring setting, and the detailed characters and animations, I had a lot of fun just watching the action unfold. Just like in previous titles, you can change camera and get much closer to the action with cinematic camera angles and wide-shots of the battlefield. It can't be stated enough at how much of a looker this game is. I spent a good amount of time just staring at the detail of Thorgrim's character model, which showed his throne being carried Dwarf servants. The developers nailed the visual aesthetic, and when Warhammer fans aren't winning battles, they'll be geeking out?? over the details of the world and its characters in-game.

As the members of Creative Assembly stated during our session, Total War: Warhammer still has a ways to go during its development, but it's looking sharp at this point. The action was fluid, and the visuals were very impressive. The high-fantasy setting shines within the Total War brand, and with the core gameplay of the nation building still yet to be seen, more of the Warhammer universe will become unveiled in the coming months. I'm still looking forward to the day they reveal the Vampire faction, which the devs claim are very different fr?om the others, ??but until then, the Dwarfs have got plenty of firepower and brute force to stand up against whatever comes their way.

The post Total War: Warhammer’s Dwarven faction shakes up the battlefield appeared first on Destructoid.

Attention to fluff

As a general rule, I've enjoyed most of the Total War games over the years, and Warhammer looks like it's going to be great. As a fan of the tabletop game (mostly 40K though) it seems like a lot of the fluff has been incorpo?rated into the upcoming title, which you can see above in the "Axe and Hammer" video, focusing on the dwarf army.

Developer? Creative Assembly is teasing an upcoming trailer focusing on the dwarves "soon" if you're keen on checking out more gameplay.

The post Total War: Warhammer is coming along nicely appeared first on Destructoid.

Or just watch this grand battle

Alongside this non-gameplay video for Total War: Warhammer, Creative Assembly has explained how it's going to label promotional materi?als for the strategy game going forward. I was happy to see the s??tudio talk about this stuff and wanted to highlight it as a good practice worth emulating.

Today's rel??ease is an "in-engine cinematic trailer." It sports some custom animations "to help [Creative Assembly] e?xplain what's going on," as well as post-processing effects like motion blur and enhanced depth of field. "Not features you'll see in the game, but in these cinematic trailers we're trying to create atmosphere and tell a story. These techniques help us do that."

The studio intends to label all footage of Total War: Warhammer as either gameplay, in-engine cinematic, in-game cinematic, cinematic trailer, or livestream. Read up on that here.

Looking ahead, there's going to be a developer walkthrough video, "The Battle of Black Fire Pass," on July 30, 2015. Until then, join me in marveling at Karl Franz' elabo??rate armor.

The post ?Creative Assembly has a good video-labeling policy for Total War: Warhammer appeared first on Destructoid.

Creative Assembly changes the scenery

The Total War series is known for its focus on intense real-time combat and simulation-based nation-building gameplay. As one of the more historical games, the series has garnered a lot of respect from fans and many critics alike. But now, the folks at Creative Assembly are set to try something brand new for the series. I attended a Total War event last year where they showed off the first teaser for Total War: Warhammer. But plans changed, and they decided to hold off the announcement till the Spring. And here we are --we've now got a brand new Total War title in the works, and it's set to ?become a unique entry in the series.

The developers see this as a big departure for the series, as it will allow them to offer some more creative additions to the tried-and-true gameplay the series is known for, and I came away pretty blown away by their brief taste of what Warhammer is like with the Total War treatment. With its rich fantasy setting, and decades of lore to draw from, TW: Warhammer is set to be the m?ost ??ambitious entry of the series.

Moving away from the historical settings of Rome and Attila, the Warhammer lore opens things up considerably for some intense and incredibly over the top action. Set in the high-fantasy universe, players will be able to choose one of four factions (Empire, Greenskins, Dwarves, and Vampyre) and build their nations, either through diplomacy, economics, or the raw might of their military forces. When t??hings come to blows, each faction possesses its own unique s??tyle of combat and tactics that the opposing armies will have to deal with.

The combat mechanics during battles have been greatly expanded. Units can utilize more moves and abilities from close range attacks to long-range tactics through magic or muskets. Along with the Hero characters, whic??h can be leveled up and imbued with new skills to boost their units, players will be able to summon monsters and other creations to help their armies in a pinch. During one battle between the Empire and Greenskins, one of summoned a massive spider known as Arcanarok, which spawned mini-spiders that mowed down enemy units. I was very impressed with the sense of scale and the pace. I'm interested in seeing more of what the units can do once developed further.

Rest assured, the nation-building gameplay from past titles is still present in Warhammer. But naturally, how each of the factions will go about expanding its civilization will vary. As each faction possesses its own unique culture, traditional diplomacy and negotiation may not be as effective as the swing of an ax, and some factions will be more focused on engagements than ?others. For the Empire, it'll have the traditional and more civilized routes for expansion with politics, trade, and economics as its biggest tools. But when it comes to showing off military might, the Empire will utilize its siege cannons and Demi-grifs to lay waste to invaders.

For the Greenskins (Orcs), players will have to use brute force and cunning to expand their own empire. As Orcs don't really have much interest for diplomacy and the political aspects of nation-building, they choose the more direct approach to get what they want. While they possess the standard warrior and shaman classes, the latt?er who can utilize spells to summon giant constructs to stomp their foes, they also make use of kamikaze goblins that use leather wings to fly into enemy units. Launching catapults, they can be manually aimed while in flight for precision targeting.

While the title is in pre-alpha, and the build we saw was hands-off, I was incredibly impressed with what I saw. The new visual aesthetic and a rich setting offers so much potential for what the Total War series can do within the fantasy genre. As you can spend countless hours with just one faction, building them up and taking down opposing forces, I'm very interested in seeing how much lore they can fit into this title. Though Creative Assembly was very hesit?ant to share any details about the Dwarf and Vampyre factions, it was very clear in stating that all of the factions will be very developed and possess their own unique cultures that will alter how they functi?on on the world stage.

It's still a ways off, but the folks at Creative Assembly are on track with developing something unique. Obviously, it's quite a departure for what the series has done before, but it's still very much a Total War title through and through.

The post Total War: Warhammer changes the game of war appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't let us down

Some folks were invited to see Total War: Warhammer. We were not.

But thanks to the power of the Internet, we can a??ll share in the absurd spectacle. I sincerely hope Creative Assembly works its magic here. The premise alone is the stuff of dreams.

I am curious what the DLC situation will be like for this ga??me. "Extensi??ve," probably.

The post Okay, Total War: Warhammer looks awesome appeared first on Destructoid.