Total War: Shogun 2 is our recommendation for players who want a focused historical introduction. Warhammer III is the alternative when monsters, magic and sharply different armies are the reason to play. Three Kingdoms suits someone more interested in the people around the campaign map. Total War asks you to manage an empire between real-time battles, so the best starting point depends on which half you want to spend time learning.
Editorial illustration, not a game screenshot.
Four Total War campaigns with different priorities
- Total War: Shogun 2. Shogun 2’s narrower setting makes it easier to recognize what units do and why positioning matters. It is a sensible introduction to morale, flanking and the consequences of overextension. Check the current package and mod compatibility rather than assuming an older guide describes every feature of a newer edition.
- Total War: Warhammer III. Choose Warhammer III when varied creatures and magic matter more than historical familiarity. Immortal Empires is accessible with III, but access to its campaign does not unlock every faction. Earlier games and downloadable content grant additional playable options, so start with the factions you actually intend to use.
- Total War: Three Kingdoms. Three Kingdoms makes personal relationships important to empire building. It suits players who enjoy bargaining and considering who should lead an army, not only how the battle line should look. Its dramatic setting should not be confused with an expectation that every campaign can be solved through military superiority alone.
- Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition. Rome II is the natural choice if ancient armies are what brought you to the series. Its large strategic picture gives expansion a strong sense of direction. Be selective about early wars: taking territory faster than you can manage it can make a seemingly successful campaign harder to control.
Compare the choices
| Game | Main appeal | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Total War: Shogun 2 | Focused warfare in Japan | Older systems and edition differences |
| Total War: Warhammer III | Asymmetric fantasy armies | Faction access depends on ownership |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | Characters and diplomacy | A different emphasis from pure warfare |
| Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition | Ancient Mediterranean campaigning | Broad scope can overwhelm newcomers |
Choose a Total War priority. Comparison by play preference, not a numerical score.
Learn one army before expanding the collection
Begin with a campaign whose setting you already understand and play several battles manually. Learn what causes units to lose morale and why terrain changes an engagement before treating the auto-resolve button as your default. Real-time strategy skills help, but Total War also rewards restraint on the turn-based map: a battle can be won while a campaign is being lost.
For Warhammer, campaign access is not ownership of every playable lord or race. Check SEGA’s current entitlement guide before buying older games to unlock a particular army. Historical editions also differ in bundled campaigns and compatibility. If you prefer turn-based strategy without commanding units in real time, Civilization games offer a different balance between territorial planning and warfare.