It might not be a series for everyone, but the Total War series is one of the greatest titles to appear on PCs. The only issue is that they last an age, and you do not want to be sat in front of a computer that long, so it is outstanding news that Total War: Empire is launching on mobile this year.
If you are thinking these grand strategy games won’t work on mobile, I shall point you towards the release of Rome and Medieval II on mobile which were incredibly well received. The menus were optimised well, and thanks to the turn-based gameplay and ability to pause battles, it is a perfect series for mobile porting.
You will find yourself plopped in the middle of a giant map, spanning from India to Europe, all the way to the Americas. You can choose from one of the eleven playable factions to strike out into the world and try and achieve that tiny task of ruling the entire world. You can do that in two distinct ways.
The first port of call should always do diplomacy, to get yourself a stable foothold as you grow. Speak with your neighbours to forge iron-clad alliances to grow together, or at least achieve a tense peace as you agree to not kill each other. You might not win this way, but it gives you time to build up your army for the best part of the game.
Total War is renowned for its deep tactical combat, placing you in charge of a giant army. Select your units to fight the way you want. Focus on cavalry and launch some hit-and-run tactics, or load up on archers and unleash hell from afar. Each troop has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you need a balanced setup to rule.
For those fans of naval combat, Total War: Empire was the first in the series to feature controllable battles on sea, and the first mobile Total War to have this feature. In the past entries, they could only be automatically resolved, but here you can unleash your inner Napoleon and rule the seas. It's not as cool as going full pirate, but it's still incredibly fun.
Total War: Empire will be available on iOS and Android in Autumn 2024.
