However, Total War Attila does have its problems, still chief among them is the vast amount of micromanagement. Even assassinating a faction’s leader would oftentimes force my rival to back down, which never EVER gets old. Razing settlements to finally calm your borders. Subjugating smaller factions and creating buffer states. Making deals with separatists to attack your rival. When it all comes together right, it feels like you are truly playing history. Finally, the game does a sort of Civilization V thing where it will remind you of available options left you can do, such as leveling up a general or promoting a governor, something that Rome 2 desperately needed. Even the auto-resolve makes sense now, as percentages have been eliminated and player judgment matters. More of these and more variety in future titles would be welcome. There are frequent missions that pop up letting you decide certain events and see the outcome play out. The politics system now feels more accessible and is no longer a totally forgettable factor as it was in Rome 2. It is admittedly shallow and cumbersome, but a definite improvement. The skill tree harkens back to Shogun 2 in an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ sort of way. It helps that many of Rome 2’s systems have been streamlined here. How you deal with a conquered settlement on the strategic map to even which types of arrows you select for you archers somehow feels more pertinent whereas in Rome 2 they felt burdensome and unnecessary. In fact, Total War Attila has made the previous micromanagement problems with Rome 2 feel more useful. Either in horde mode or in traditional settlement mode, you really are tested by your tactical and overall strategic judgment. Attack too late and you may find yourself running out of cities to ransack and your coffers depleted and not enough men to stop them. Attack too soon though and you will be overwhelmed with enemies. Though buildings will generate revenue, sacking cities is where you will receive the heavy gold. Mobility is Horde Mode's greatest strength and greatest weakness. Another disadvantage is that should you decide to settle down in a city, but then need to pack up and leave again, be it due to finances or encroaching enemies, your horde buildings reset and you will have to rebuild them from scratch. On the other hand, it leaves you more vulnerable to foes. It is a fresh mechanic to just move your civilization wherever and creates great opportunities for raids and ransacking settlements. There are advantages and disadvantages of course. For certain factions, should you feel that the enemy is encroaching and you cannot stop them, you can elect to uproot and take your civilization on the road. makes better and more sensible decisions and alliances and puppet states have more worth.Ī new and very fun mechanic is the horde mode. I can actually have on the ground battles where I am challenged but never cheated and the unit pathfinding is less frustrating. Its judgments on and off the battlefield feel less dumb.
It feels and runs smoother. The interface, especially for the political and skill systems, has been given an overhaul, and most notably, the AI is better.
For the barbarian and nomadic factions, staying mobile is key and settling down is out of the cards till you find safer pastures.Ĭompared to Rome 2, Total War Attila plays much better. For the Romans especially, you cannot defend everything and you will quickly see your once vast empire squeezed just to keep the coffers in the black and the enemy off your tail. Total War Attila is about careful judgment and the willingness to make tough decisions. One misjudged declaration of war can create a domino effect that sends the numerous barbarians to your gates and overwhelm you. Not just from the numerous factions available, but also the urge to try again and see if you cannot beat the odds, and believe me, the odds are heavily stacked against you. Playing through the various factions creates a spectacular amount of replay value.