14 DAY TRIAL // Our Incoming 2015 series focuses on the most important game launches of the next 12 months and next up we talk about Total War: Attila.
What we know
Total War: Attila is a direct historical sequel to Rome II and moves players to the end of the Roman era of domination, when the mighty empire is finding it hard to survive and to thrive, as around it a number of barbarian tribes are moving into Europe, with the powerful Huns snapping at their own heels.
The dual strategy structure of the series will be kept: a campaign layer which is turn-based and allows players to manage cities, choose how to develop their armies and deal with diplomacy and espionage, and a tactical battle element that moves in real time and features a variety of units clashing in everything from open terrain to urban areas.
The decline of the Roman Empire means that the bright take on history of the previous titles will be replaced by a focus on the consequences that a combination of warfare, climate change and corruption can have on political entities.
Fear and fire will both be powerful forces on the battlefield, with more focus on how low morale can make even big armies unable to stand up to their enemies.
As always, The Creative Assembly is also promising better Artificial Intelligence for Total War: Attila.
On the campaign map, the political and the diplomatic options are enhanced and features like the family tree are re-introduced to enhance the overall level of immersion.
Total War: Attila will be out in the middle of February on the PC and The Creative Assembly is also working on two spin-offs based on the series which are also set to be offered this year, called Arena and Battles Kingdom.
Why it matters
Total War: Attila needs to be a return to form for The Creative Assembly, because Rome II had issues on launch and only became a solid title when the Emperor Edition version came out earlier this year.
Fans of the series want to get a strategy experience that allows them to re-write history, while also giving them a solid challenge when it comes to tactical combat.
The Creative Assembly seems to be focusing on making Attila a solid platform for expansions, with a downloadable content pack already associated with the title’s pre-orders, and it will be interesting to see how the audience deals with such a system in the long term.
