The British Isles are standing on the precipice of total war as the Danish occupation transitions into the establishment of new petty kingdoms. The year is 878 A.D., and the fragile peace that had endured, allowing for all peoples of Britannia to coexist, has shattered like glass.
There are a few really cool new features that came up in this preview, and I’m excited to share them with you today. I think the majority of these features can be found in the campaign, but there is a new sort of mobility for our tactical real time battles.
We notice that our faction receives newer problems as we expand our domain. As we wage war with English factions in particular, the people under our charge will grow weary of our wanton warmongering and subjugation of the natives. Events will shape our people’s animosity or reverence toward our faction. Armies will also be more prone to raiding and indiscriminate damage depending on the overall status of the kingdom, like how many battles were won/lost and how many settlements have been sacked. The major theme is achieving some sort of balance between the Britons, the Danes, and the Gaels in this new land that will ultimately become England.
The family tree is back once more, and it appears that our envious cousins will become ulcers in our sides. Certain characters will likely betray you if their loyalty falls below a certain point, just like the Dark Elves in Total War Warhammer 2. To maintain influence over the faction, players can now bestow estates onto family members and noteworthy followers.
Recruitment is also different when compared to other Total War titles. Instead of waiting a whole turn before mustering your levy, you will recruit the unit instantly. The caveat, however, is that the unit will start off with very low manpower. You can think of this as mustering troops in real time.
We also noticed a fresh take on generals’ retinues. Instead of getting a random retinue, or trading them amongst your generals, the particular follower acts more like a skill tree. For instance, I can unlock the first tier for a bard to increase zeal or I can unlock a scribe to increase revenue when acting as a provincial governor.
Battles are also scaled to be larger, much like how the Atilla units size up to others in the Total War series. While giving a particular unit multiple orders is not new, by holding shift as you click, there seems to be a newer interface that allows the player to devise the best maneuvering for hammer and anvil strikes, crippling unsuspecting units at their flanks.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. I hope you found it informative and that it gets you pumped to tackle your enemies like Uhtred of Bebbanburg. And if you haven’t had the chance, please see our original preview of Thrones of Britannia.
Check Out the Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia Sneak Peak Impressions Video:
Thrones of Britannia is available to pre-order digitally from SEGA approved digital retailers at 10% off. The Limited Edition is also available to pre-order from participating local retailers.
Further details on Thrones of Britannia can be found on Steam.
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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