3. Total War: Attila

Massacre in the making      

Total War: Attila, released only this February, is the latest Total War game. Set in 395 AD, it traces the rise to power of one of history’s most fearsome rulers: Attila of the Huns.

As the ninth Total War game, Attila boasts several improvements to the A.I., user interface, graphics, storytelling, sound design, and the management of armies. In fact, every feature introduced in earlier titles have received significant enhancements in Attila. One old feature, first introduced in an expansion for Rome: Total War, is the Horde faction. In Attila, this feature takes center stage.

Several factions, including the Huns, start as Hordes. Hordes are nomadic, meaning they don't start with a capital or province. This gives them greater mobility, and a variety of other perks. For instance, sanitation isn't exactly their priority, so they don't have to clean up after themselves (gross). They also gain a majority of their profits from sacking and pillaging settlements, and from tributes from certain states. This forces them to keep moving from region to region, to find new settlements to raid.

Playing a Horde faction is a drastically different experience from the usual stationary faction, making Attila an excellent change of pace from earlier titles.

Attila has also been lauded for its accurate portrayal of the time period. True to the violent, dismal era in which the game is set, Attila is steeped in an apocalyptic miasma, complete with inclement weather and gloomy lighting.

Our rating - 5/5