

I get the feeling that there’s an attempt to be different to other entries but these changes are so timid, so inconsequential, that the good bits of the game are easily overshadowed. I know that that may come off as a tad reductionist, as you can sum up most Total War games in a similar fashion, but Thrones of Britannia seems like a game that struggles to find its own voice and identity. There is a shared tech tree and gameplay mostly consists of conquering until you’re blue in the face.

Sure, there are unique cultural buildings and faction units, but there is no significant deviation in playstyle no matter who you choose. This is probably the biggest general critique of the game and is worth pointing out right away.

This affects your starting position on the map as well as a few unique cultural group mechanics such as a levy limit or legitimacy but, for the most part, you can expect gameplay to be by and large the same. Players can pick from a variety of factions divided up into culture groups that include the Gaels, Welsh, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavian invaders. As you might have guessed, it’s set in the British Isles and covers a period during the Early Middle Ages where the cultural hodgepodge that was Britain was faced by external threats in the form of Viking invaders. Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia follows the same basic formula but pares back a lot which players have become accustomed to in the more sprawling entries in the series. If you’re not familiar with the Total War series of games, they combine a large strategic-level map where you move around armies, build up settlements and occasionally play at diplomacy with tactical real-time battles that occur whenever armies clash. I’ve got a few thoughts to share about this latest entry in the Total War franchise. Since its Linux release last week, I’ve been building up my empire and crushing all those who would oppose me in Thrones of Britannia.
