Rather than just slapping a fresh coat of paint onto an already existing engine, its clear that Creative Assembly wanted to make improvements to some of the areas in which the game was suffering, as well as taking its strong points even further. Small differences such as an upgraded UI, an improved governing system, and a streamlined technology progression add up, and make the game truly feel like an upgraded iteration of the franchise. Though this point may seem quaint in comparison to some of the other more dramatic changes made in Attila, veteran fans of the Total War franchise will probably appreciate this point the most. In total, Attila will be shipping with ten campaigns (plus another in the Viking Forefathers DLC), each of which has its own unique historically-seeded start and objectives. Boasted as one of the toughest challenges offered in Attila, players can don the crown of either half of the crumbling Roman Empire (Eastern or Western) and try to save it from the ruin the historical Huns brought to it.

That said, however, the empire is declining under the weight of financial stress, Romanization, and marauding Goths, all of which force players to adapt to threats from all sides.

This is a much-needed option for the Total War franchise, which has often shoehorned players into starting as small city-states (with the exception of the Seleucid Empire in Rome: Total War).Ī perfect example of this in Attila is the Western Roman Empire’s campaign, which starts players in control of over a dozen provinces. The Legendary Start is a great new feature for the Total War franchise, as it gives the player a greater sense of ‘stepping into’ history, allowing them to alter history or rewrite it altogether. While the horde mechanic offers plenty of opportunity players who want to watch the world burn, the seeded start position offers an option for players who love to control large empires.

Rather than starting with nothing and building your empire, many factions in Attila have an empire already, and it’s up to the player to maintain that empire in its darkest days. Just as Barbarian Invasion brought a whole new face to Rome: Total War, Attila has stepped forward into a new era of Total War games, an era of bloodthirsty hordes ravaging the land as they please - with no cities to babysit, Attila truly brings meaning to the phrase ‘Total War.’Īs opposed to the traditional grand strategy goal of ‘building your empire’, Attila allows players to take a different approach. However, an army without a home city may instead create a settlement, allowing the construction of buildings, training of units, and researching of technology-while providing unique tactical opportunities. While hordes are on the move, they’re no different than a traditional army. The hordes mechanic allows players to create mobile semi-cities called “settlements”.

A number of Attila's major factions rely on the horde mechanic, in particular the Huns who are entirely reliant on nomadic hordes to sweep across the realm in historical fashion. This new feature harkens back to Rome: Total War’s Barbarian Invasion expansion, which allowed players to move their entire factions around the map without the necessity of cities. The most notable new feature in Attila is the introduction of hordes.

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