Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is the latest in the long-running Total War series of strategy games. Previous entries were set in feudal Japan, the Roman Republic, and even using developer Creative Assembly’s mix of turn-based and real-time strategy flair in established universes like Warhammer[1]. Set in 878AD, the world of Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is one of an uneasy peace. You’ll control one of ten factions belonging the game’s five cultures — Anglo-Saxons, Gaelic clans, Welsh tribes, Great Viking Army, and Viking Sea Kings — and you’ll be challenged with re-writing the future of Britain.
As epic as it sounds, most of the action takes place on a highly detailed map of the area rather than immediate, boots on the ground fare. You’ll raise armies, forge treaties, ensure your vassals are in check, and do whatever is needed to maintain your reign. Each turn has you taking these decisions with an adviser notifying you of possible problem spots, such as a paucity of food, or a brewing rebellion. While Total War veterans will be right at home with Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia’s depth, which lets you manage every aspect from recruiting new soldiers to deciding if your loyal nobles should divorce their significant others in order to keep the peace, newbies will likely feel overwhelmed with the number of systems at play.
Whether you're monitoring the loyalty and influence of your underlings and keeping them in check to prevent an uprising, or maintaining War Fervour — a state in which your populace gets itchy feet for your armies to wage war, allowing for significant bonuses - there’s a lot to take in. Most of it is explained well enough, but if you’re expecting a significant amount of...