Total War: Warhammer III – Tides of Torment Review – Big Changes, Small Bundle, Strong Appeal

Total War: Warhammer III – Tides of Torment Review

As someone with a deficit of local like-minded friends, and even less time for painting armies, the Total War: Warhammer series has been a godsend. No need to clear the tabletop or drown in plastic. And I don’t know about you, but my tabletop gaming sessions have never come with big-screen-quality cinematics. Total War: Warhammer III has developed into the pinnacle of the series. In addition to a substantial 7.0 free update, Creative Assembly has released Tides of Torment, the latest — and several times delayed — DLC for Total War: Warhammer III.

Free-for-All…Literally

Sometimes it seems like there are two groups of gamers. Some folks are really into Warhammer Total War and then there’s everyone else, gamers that glaze over at statements like “Lokhir Fellheart can now teleport to any of his Black Arks.” By and large the new DLC is geared to the first group, but the 7.0 update has a little something for everyone. including more casual players.

First there are the usual bug fixes and balancing changes, most of which I haven’t had the time to dive into yet. The DLC includes three new Legendary Lords: Sea Lord Aislinn for the High Elves, Dechala the Denied One for Slaanesh, and Sayl the Faithless for Norsca. The Masque of Slaanesh, with an interesting, tongue-in-cheek set of dance-related bonuses, comes free with the 7.0 update. It should be noted that each of the Legendary Lords and their campaign can be purchased separately. Not into the Slaanesh? No worries.

The Norsca have seen some major changes, including 12 new huntable additions to the Monstrous Arcanum.  Wulfrik the Wanderer also gains the ability to teleport his fleet to any revealed port. I’ve maybe spent the most time with the new Slaanesh Legendary. Lots of fun.

Both the High Elves and the Dark Elves get some attention and the addition of new mechanics (or maybe more precisely, reworked older ones). There are changes to the abilities of each faction’s Legendary Lords. The key concept seems to be added complexity, like a much-expanded Norsca tech tree. This applies to the new content in particular.

Trio of Pain

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

Just as in all the Total War games, politics plays a major role in Total War: Warhammer III. For example, Aislinn has no home base on terra-firma, instead taking command from his Dragonships. He conquers new territories and uses them in trade routes and as political currency.

Sayl the Faithless balances combat and diplomacy, and playing him well also means understanding his push-pull systems. First, he can build Chaos Towers, each of which brings him closer to ultimate magical power. If the towers are captured by the enemy, though, he loses some progress. He also uses a complex mechanic called Manipulations, which results in multi-turn ripple effects over enemies.

If Aislinn is measured and diplomatic, and Sayl is balanced in his approach, Dechala is pure Slaanesh aggression. She builds Pleasure Palaces which not only generate units. but increase a currency/power called Decadence. She can spend Decadence in a mechanic called Tormentor’s Tributes, which include a variety of buffs and debuffs.

Be True to Your School

Whether you’re playing the Slaanesh, Norsca or the High Elves — any of the dozens of other factions and races — Total War: Warhammer 3 continues to visually impress. All the new units and Legendary Lords look great in combat. Nearly four years out of release the series is maybe due for a graphical refresh, but the art is beautifully true to the Games Workshop aesthetic.

Delayed due to technical issues, Tides of Torment arrives plagued by some ongoing reports of bugged missions and other problems. I didn’t have any these particular issues crop up, but I have also not spent dozens of hours with the game. I feel like I’m just getting started.

Tides of Torment is not the biggest bundle in Total War: Warhammer history. Still, longtime players will enjoy the added content and new Lords. Even without spending money, the 7.0 update and free Masque of Slaanesh might be enough to bring lapsed players back to the game. Total War: Warhammer III has never been a casual experience, and the new content adds even more complexity, mostly in a good way.

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