Total War: Warhammer III – Tides of Torment Review

Total War: Warhammer III – Tides of Torment review

For a person who has a shortage of like-minded local friends and even less time to draw armies, the Total War: Warhammer series has become a real find. No need to clean the countertop or drown it in plastic. And I don't know about you, but my board gaming sessions have never been accompanied by videos on the big screen. Total War: Warhammer III has become the pinnacle of the series. In addition to the significant free 7.0 update, Creative Assembly has released Waves of tormentthe latest (and several times delayed) DLC for Total War: Warhammer III.

Free for everyone… Literally

Sometimes it seems like there are two groups of gamers. Some people Really in Warhammer Total War, and then there's everyone else, the gamers, who get misty-eyed by statements like “Lokheer Fellhart can now teleport to any of his Black Arks.” Overall, the new DLC is aimed at the former group, but update 7.0 has something for everyone. including more casual players.

First, there are the usual bug fixes and balance changes, most of which I haven't had time to delve into yet. The DLC includes three new legendary lords: Sealord Aislinn for the High Elves, Dechala the Forsaken for Slaanesh, and Seil the Unfaithful for Norsca. The Mask of Slaanesh, with an interesting and ironic set of dance bonuses, is distributed free of charge with update 7.0. It should be noted that each of the Legendary Lords and their campaign can be purchased separately. Not in Slaanesh? Don't worry.

Norsca has seen some major changes, including 12 new hunting additions to the Monstrous Arcanum. Wulfrik the Wanderer also gains the ability to teleport his fleet to any discovered port. I probably spent the most time with the new legendary Slaanesh. Very fun.

Both High Elves and Dark Elves are given some attention and new mechanics are being added (or more accurately, old ones are being reworked). Changes have been made to the abilities of each faction's Legendary Lords. The key concept appears to be added complexity, similar to Norsca's greatly expanded tech tree. This particularly applies to new content.

Trio of pain

While the new Legendary Lords and their factions can be integrated into the Reign of Chaos campaign, it is likely that most players will use them in the Immortal Empires campaign and one-off skirmishes. I've always found this to be the best way to learn new content.

As with all Total War games, politics plays an important role in Total War: Warhammer III. For example, Aislinn does not have a home base on Terra Firma, instead taking command from her dragon ships. He conquers new territories and uses them on trade routes and as political currency.

Sale the Unbeliever combines combat and diplomacy, and playing him well also means understanding his push-pull system. First, he can build Chaos Towers, each of which brings him closer to absolute magical power. However, if the towers are captured by the enemy, they will lose some progress. It also uses a complex mechanic called Manipulation, which results in a multi-pass ripple effect on enemies.

While Aislinn is measured and diplomatic, and Sayle is level-headed in his approach, Dechala is pure Slaanesh aggression. She builds Pleasure Palaces, which not only generate units. but increase the currency/power called Decadence. She can spend Blight on a mechanic called Tormentor's Tribute, which includes a variety of buffs and debuffs.

Be true to your school

Whether you're playing as Slaanesh, Norsca or the High Elves – any of dozens of other factions and races – Total War: Warhammer 3 continues to be visually impressive. All new units and legendary lords look great in battle. Nearly four years after its release, the series may be in need of a graphical update, but the graphics fit the Games Workshop aesthetic nicely.

Tides of Torment has been delayed due to technical issues and has been plagued by constant reports of mission bugs and other issues. I didn't experience any of these issues, but I also didn't spend dozens of hours in the game. I feel like I'm just getting started.

Tides of Torment is not the largest package in the history of Total War: Warhammer. However, longtime players will enjoy the added content and new Lords. Even without spending any money, the 7.0 update and the free Mask of Slaanesh could be enough to bring legacy players back into the game. Total War: Warhammer III has never been a casual game, and the new content adds even more challenge, mostly in a good way.

***PC code provided by publisher for review***