Total War is a game of huge sweeping battles and grand campaigns. In amongst the constant bloodshed and diplomacy you act as ruler, commanding units on field while also engaged in the realm’s politics, colluding against your enemies. Compared to some of the PC strategy titles I’ve played, Total War is not only far more polished but easier to grasp. That said, its moderate complexity and sheer scale have always prevented the team at Creative Assembly from sailing their flagship into the uncharted waters of console development.
That’s not to say the studio hasn’t attempted to bridge that gap in past. With a heavy focus on action and single character control, Spartan: Total Warrior was launched in 2005 to generally positive reviews. Then, three years later, Viking: Battle for Asgard touched down on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, fondly remembered for its visceral, large scale skirmishes.
Still, even with the technical leap between generations, Total War (and the strategy genre in general) isn’t ready to transition between platforms. It comes as no surprise then, that Creative Assembly would target mobiles and tablets for their latest spin-off.
Although playable on Steam, Total War Battles: Kingdom will feel more familiar to mobile gamers than fans of the time-hopping franchise. Despite similarities, the raw essence of Total War has been boiled down and distilled into something a little more appropriate for casual users and the free-to-play market.
Instead of commanding thousands of troops in the theatre of war, you’ll go up against a rotating series of streamlined skirmishes. Where previous games in the series have you governing an expanding patchwork of kingdoms, here there is only one.
The setup should be pretty familiar to anyone who has played Clash of Clans and its many imitators. For the most part you’ll watch over your kingdom as it slowly starts to grow, tapping on various nodes and structures to extract valuable resources. In turn these are funneled into even bigger building projects, helping you pave the way to conquest.
Total War Battles’ main weakness is the lack of clarity surrounding its building and terrain system. The game doesn’t do a great job of explaining what the different structure types do and where they should be placed for maximum effectiveness. I often found myself building farms and quarries only for them to be completely useless in the spot I’d selected.
Environmental changes compound this issue further. For some reason, Creative Assembly thought that including a flooding feature would add a fun dynamic to the game. Over time, bodies of water will swell, consuming adjacent hexes on Total War’s grid-like map. If left unattended, this can start a chain reaction, sinking vast swathes of your kingdom in a matter of hours (real time).
As a result, facilities will become derelict unless you erect dams, vanishing completely if left underwater for too long. Sadly, the resources needed to prevent floods come at a heavy price. I found this out the hard way, having lost approximately half of my kingdom to mother nature’s watery embrace. Needless to say it put a real downer on my whole experience. Even now, with several more hours under my belt, I’ve barely managed to reclaim what I’ve lost. I’m caught in a vicious cycle and doubt I’ll be spending much more time with Total War’s casual spin-off.
Away from managing your kingdom, the rest of the game is spent in battle, issuing orders as you look to outwit the opposing warband. Players can slot up to nine units during these skirmishes, some acting as counters to others. Although they tend to be weak in most situations, spearmen can easily dispatch an oncoming unit of cavalry. Meanwhile archers can be placed to thin out the enemy before they close the distance with your vanguard.
Each time you fight, the battlefield will be split into three lanes. Units will automatically move forward and, when in close proximity of their target, break into a charge. Players can then influence these encounters by triggering abilities and moving their troops between lanes.
Whether engaged in battle or overseeing the growth of your kingdom, accumulating resources will remain your key objective. Dropping in day after day, you’ll start to engage with Kingdoms’ more advanced systems such as crafting and PvP duels. The types of structures available will begin to expand to, allowing for siege workshops and cattle farms.
It’s presented rather nicely, though don’t expect Total War Battles to trump Rome II or Atila when it comes to visuals. The pricing model here is also very different, leaning heavily on microtransactions and the exchange of different currencies.
All in all, it’s an interesting take on the popular series. There’s certainly enough meat on the bone to warrant more than a cursory look yet Total War Battles isn’t without its caveats. The aforementioned free-to-play hooks, simplified battles, and dodgy building system collectively conspire against it. Although die-hard fans will want to snap up anything carrying the Total War brand, there are better alternatives available.