Total War Arena combines the gameplay of a Total War game with that of World of Tanks. But does that work? Jürgen took a closer look at the latest game from Wargaming and Creative Assembly at Gamescom 2017. Read here whether it’s worth it.
The Total War series of games is mainly known for the following things:
- Complex strategy, turn-based on the world map, real-time in battles
- Accurately portrayed historical settings such as the Middle Ages in Europe or Japan, antiquity, or the colonial era
- Extensive unit lists
- Long sandbox campaigns
What one does not expect from a game with “Total War” in the name is a free-to-play online game in the style of World of Tanks, where you engage in brief skirmishes with dozens of other players. But that is exactly what Total War Arena is.
Total War Arena: What is it really about?
Unlike the major Total War games like Rome II or Empire, Total War Arena is not a grand strategy game, but an online game where 10 players on a team face off against an equally sized opposing team. Each player chooses one of currently three factions before the battle begins. There are:
- Romans, who primarily score with infantry and artillery
- Greeks, who rely on strong but immobile hoplites
- Barbarians (currently Germans and Celts), who excel with light units and high mobility
Each faction has several leaders, from which you also choose one. The commanders are historical figures such as Germanicus, Julius Caesar, King Leonidas of Sparta, or the Celtic chieftains Vercingetorix and Boudica. Each leader has their own special skills, such as a particularly strong infantry attack or improved artillery.
Total War Arena: The Units – From Legionnaires to War Dogs
In addition to the leader, you can assemble a squad of three units, which are divided into 10 levels, called “tiers.” At Tier 1, you face unwashed barbarian scum, Roman militias, and poorly armed citizens. If you fight often with a unit, it gains experience points and you can finally unlock the next tier.
With each tier, the troops become stronger and better, so at the mid-levels you уже get usable troops like Legionnaires, tribal warriors, and hoplites. In the end, there are really tough soldiers like the famous Spartan Royal Guard. Especially cool: You can further upgrade your existing troops, for example with better helmets or stronger weapons.
Each unit is also assigned to a type. There are:
- Infantry in various forms, from light skirmishers to heavy hoplites, who are particularly good at holding positions.
- Cavalry, which is particularly mobile and performs devastating flank attacks.
- Archers who fight from a distance and can hide well.
- Artillery, which fires devastating volleys from a distance and thus puts even well-fortified units in distress.
Additionally, there are all sorts of special gimmicks, such as the new war dogs of the barbarians. If you have these martial dogs with you, you can send them against the enemy before an attack to break formations and make them vulnerable for later attacks.
Total War Arena – A Celebration for Team Players
Once you have chosen your units, the battle can begin. Together with your 9 teammates, there are 30 units per team in play (which means about 3,000 men!) and you must wipe out the opponent or seize their base. For all this to succeed, you must feel like part of a large army and not like a single fighter.
It’s useless if you charge blindly ahead with your cavalry only to be ambushed by a better-coordinated opponent. This mistake was made by an enemy in our test game at Gamescom 2017, who completely overlooked that we had plenty of archers and our own cavalry hidden, allowing us to take a valuable unit from the enemy with little effort.
Total War Arena – Gameplay for Multitaskers
To avoid making such a mistake yourself, you must always keep an overview. Not only of your own three troops but also all the other 27 units in the team and the currently visible enemies.
So if you have a problem with multitasking, you should better keep your hands off Total War Arena, because unlike in the previous games in the series, you cannot conveniently activate the pause function and study the battlefield in peace.
Total War Arena rewards daring, attention, and tactical skill.
In terms of controls, Total War Arena plays like a typical Total War game. Your units march to where you click and attack opponents if necessary. It is also important in which direction they look. A thick phalanx is of no use if the opponent attacks your hoplites from the back. However, if he attacks from the front, the long spears effectively diminish the first row of enemies.
Total War Arena: Closed Beta Nights Already in September
If you want to get a picture of Total War Arena, you can play as much as you want starting September 1st for eight weeks.
Here you can sign up for the Closed Beta of Total War Arena.
Jürgen’s Conclusion on Total War Arena
I love Total War and I love World of Tanks and similar games. Therefore, Total War Arena should actually appeal to me a lot. And it does, I love the setting of antiquity and I look forward to leveling my wild barbarians and sturdy hoplites until I can eventually play 300 (the Thermopylae map is already available).
But then I dread the wildly assembled random matches, in which I have to struggle with 9 other clowns who all think they are the new Caesar but are only fit to be straggling Varus (whose nemesis Arminius is also available).
The colossal chaos that arises when 30 uncoordinated troops flounder aimlessly on the battlefield seems quite frustrating to me. Even the worst chaos rounds in World of Tanks should be harmless compared to that. On the other hand, Total War Arena could be a lot of fun with a well-rehearsed team. So I should probably start drumming up support for the game with my pals.
Also interesting: Total War Arena: Free2Play spin-off is an addition, not a replacement
