Total War: WARHAMMER III

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Total War: Warhammer III is a warfare real-time strategy game that offers multiplayer and single-player modes, including a co-op option. The game transports players to the Realm of Chaos, where they must confront mind-bending horror and make a fateful choice: will they conquer their Daemons or command them? The final installment in the Total War: WARHAMMER trilogy promises a cataclysmic conclusion to an epic fantasy saga.

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Play Modes

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 45,125 reviews

gameplay1,286 positive mentions

optimization606 negative mentions

gameplay
5,053 mentions
25 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Total War: Warhammer III has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the diversity of factions and unique mechanics that enhance replayability. However, the campaign mechanics, particularly the chaotic rift system, have been criticized for being tedious and restrictive, often detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. While the battles and unit variety are generally well-received, issues such as bugs, poor AI behavior, and the need for extensive DLC to access full content have left some players feeling frustrated and disappointed.
- “The races and campaigns are so different in terms of tactics and mechanics that you can keep coming back again and again.”
- “I highly recommend this game if you like tactical gameplay. It's a game I can play for hours and still have so much to do, and I love the diversity of all the lords you can play.”
- “The central gameplay loop is unique enough between factions to remain interesting for outrageous amounts of time, while being approachable enough that the average gamer can pick it up easily.”
- “The gameplay is riddled with bugs, broken mechanics, and a campaign that feels tedious and unfun, particularly due to the chaotic rift mechanics that force players into a race against time.”
- “The campaign mechanics are absolutely terrible, making the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable strategy experience.”
- “The realms of chaos mechanic is poorly implemented and actively detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game, leading to a frustrating experience.”
optimization
2,490 mentions
11 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Total War: Warhammer III" has received mixed feedback from players, with many citing significant performance issues, particularly on the campaign map, leading to stuttering and crashes even on high-end systems. While some players report smooth gameplay and good performance, particularly in battles, the overall consensus indicates that the game requires further optimization and bug fixes to reach its full potential. Many reviewers recommend waiting for patches before purchasing, as the current state is marred by poor optimization and the impact of anti-piracy software like Denuvo.
- “The game offers nice graphics, especially on ultra settings with an ultrawide monitor—the battles and campaign both run smoothly with stable fps.”
- “It really blows my mind that so many people and objects can exist on the map and not cause any sort of drop in performance.”
- “The optimization of the game has gotten much better, along with the campaign itself.”
- “I've spent so much of my life playing this clunky and over-complicated, poorly optimized mess of a game with a horrible user interface... why?”
- “Buggy as hell, poorly optimized. Can't run this even when I lower all the graphics to their lowest setting (and my PC can handle some beefy games such as Kenshi). I don't know what updates have been getting dropped, but the game is nearly unplayable for me with 10-minute load times to start up a campaign, load into battles, load out of battles, etc. It's lame as hell.”
- “The game is so poorly optimized that the power demand spikes throughout the game, and it spikes above and beyond your PC's threshold.”
story
1,694 mentions
31 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Total War: Warhammer 3" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the engaging prologue and its ability to introduce new mechanics and lore effectively. However, the main campaign's narrative has been criticized for being overly linear and restrictive, forcing players into a series of repetitive quests that detract from the traditional sandbox experience of the series. While some appreciate the depth of the lore and character development, others find the story lacking in variety and rewarding gameplay, leading to a desire for more freedom and less emphasis on the main quest.
- “The game's rich lore pulls you in, making each campaign feel like an epic story.”
- “Narratively, the game shines with its rich storytelling woven into the fabric of its gameplay.”
- “The prologue was the most entertaining feature of all the Total War series I've played, sure the story was a deja vu of another popular 2000 game, but the storytelling was executed so well I was on my seat for the entire prologue until the end.”
- “The main story is a lot better than the vortex campaign from the last game because you do a lot more than just sit around while you wait for some ritual to finish.”
- “The story is weak, the new empires aren't that special and the map isn't as good as 1&2.”
- “The main story campaign is a bit different and a little weird play style wise, but the story and idea I found to be very fun and entertaining.”
graphics
1,687 mentions
32 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of Total War: Warhammer III have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in unit design and battle animations. However, numerous players have reported performance issues, including poor optimization, long load times, and graphical glitches, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the new art style appealing, others criticize it for being too cartoonish compared to previous entries, leading to a divide in player satisfaction regarding the game's visual presentation.
- “The game offers nice graphics, especially on ultra settings with an ultrawide monitor—the battles and campaign both run smoothly with stable fps.”
- “The attention to detail in both the visuals and the sound design is exceptional, immersing you in a world teeming with mythical creatures, ancient ruins, and breathtaking landscapes.”
- “The graphics are amazing, the architecture, nature, and atmosphere are larger than life, the music depends on the faction played and it varies from exhilarating to outright boring.”
- “The graphics look extremely ugly; it's either a blurry mess or the jaggiest thing ever because the devs are too lazy to implement MSAA anti-aliasing or a DLSS/FSR to allow upscale for this blurry mess.”
- “This game is so terribly optimized; it looks the same as the last two games but for some reason it requires twice the graphical power. My graphics card had no problem running the last game, but with this game it seems to make it work twice as hard and run insanely hot.”
- “The graphics are garbage; everything about it makes me mad. It's the biggest cash grab microtransaction scheme since Blizzard.”
stability
1,288 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The stability of "Total War: Warhammer III" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as a "buggy mess" since its launch. Users report frequent crashes, glitches, and performance issues, particularly during battles and in multiplayer modes, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players note improvements over time, the game is still perceived as unstable and poorly optimized, with many recommending waiting for further patches before purchasing.
- “Runs great even on my potato PC.”
- “The game runs great and looks fantastic.”
- “I played for ten hours straight on Immortal Empires release day; the game runs great now and everything from UI to lord skills have been greatly improved.”
- “The tutorial prologue is so buggy I can't make progress, fight a battle which should complete a quest it fails to acknowledge after returning prologue to world map forced to reload the game from a previous save, make some progress and again the glitch surfaces where you can't make progress and forced to replay battle over and over until it acknowledges progress.”
- “Buggy as shit, poorly optimized can't run this even when I lower all the graphics to their lowest setting (and my PC can handle some beefy games such as Kenshi) idk what updates have been getting dropped but the game is nearly unplayable for me with 10 minute load times to start up a campaign, load into battles, load out of battles, etc. it's lame as fuck.”
- “The game launched in a buggy and broken state and although it has improved a lot since then that is still something that is not acceptable for a game priced as this game is.”
replayability
660 mentions
37 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The replayability of Total War: Warhammer III is widely praised, with many players highlighting its near-infinite potential due to the vast array of factions, unique mechanics, and the Immortal Empires campaign. Users appreciate the diversity in playstyles and the extensive modding community, which further enhances replay value. However, some critiques point to the main campaign's limitations and the need for additional content to fully realize its replayability potential. Overall, the game is considered highly replayable, especially with the inclusion of DLCs and mods.
- “There are so many options to choose from and different ways of playing the game that offer thousands of hours of replayability.”
- “The sheer amount of replayability in the game is staggering, even within the races themselves.”
- “With so many varied factions and sub-factions, each with unique lords, heroes, units, and campaign mechanics, the replayability for this game is incredible.”
- “The campaign is linear and offers essentially no replayability, it's filled with bugs, and seems to have been released at least 6 months early.”
- “The biggest pain however, is probably the new campaign which is very limiting and has very low replay value.”
- “The realms of chaos campaign actually discourages expansion in my opinion, and doesn't have a huge amount of replay value except basically one unique cutscene per faction which you don't see until the end.”
grinding
422 mentions
1 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players describing the campaign as tedious and frustrating. Players frequently mention the repetitive nature of battles, particularly minor settlement sieges, and the overwhelming need to manage numerous chaotic mechanics, which detracts from the enjoyment of gameplay. Overall, the consensus is that the game requires excessive grinding, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging experience, leading some to suggest that players will need "a second life for grinding."
- “For strategic play, there are no tedious chores to do; you don't need to constantly build and swap armies as one must do in traditional Total War games.”
- “The prologue was great, if not grindy, because it's mostly for new players, but the story it takes you through is very much worth it.”
- “A tiny bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The campaign is a mess, you're very limited in what you can do and you're only really free to expand when you've finished the campaign, you're limited to play a certain way, which is to rush for the souls as fast as you can before the AI beats you to it while also defending your lands from incursions and armies coming out of every portal throughout your empire, it's very tedious.”
- “The campaign mechanics are boring and tedious.”
monetization
291 mentions
3 % positive mentions
24 % neutral mentions
73 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of "Total War: Warhammer 3" has drawn widespread criticism for being excessively aggressive and predatory, with many players labeling it a "cash grab." Reviewers express frustration over the high costs of DLCs, which often lock substantial content behind paywalls, and the feeling that the developers prioritize profit over player experience. While some acknowledge the game's quality, the overwhelming sentiment is that the monetization practices significantly detract from the overall enjoyment and accessibility of the game.
- “Most people's issues are with the monetization (it takes hundreds of dollars to unlock all content), but personally, I've only bought the three games and three DLC on sale, and this game has given me more hours of entertainment than anything else on Steam.”
- “Monetization is a little exploitative with the DLC and stuff, but the game is amazing, and there's more than enough content in the base game to keep you happy for hundreds of hours.”
- “While much of the content is locked piecemeal behind DLC, and which content is included in which DLC can be confusing, there are no microtransactions to speak of, and all the DLC feels solid, especially when compared to other 4X games and strategy games.”
- “The constant barrage of paid content creates a sense that the developers are prioritizing profits over player experience, fragmenting the community and making the game feel like a cash grab.”
- “The monetization practices of this company are absolutely reprehensible.”
- “The new DLC system is an attempt to cash grab as much money as possible and contains less content than ever relative to previous releases.”
music
194 mentions
49 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its diversity and quality, particularly how it varies by faction, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion. While some players find the soundtrack to be exceptional and a significant improvement over previous titles, others criticize it as forgettable or repetitive, with some bugs affecting its playback. Overall, the sound design, including voice acting and ambient music, is generally regarded as a strong point, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
- “The music changing for every faction is a big plus as well.”
- “The music is incredible; they really hit the ball out of the park for this one, and it greatly improves the game experience.”
- “The sound design is also top-notch, with an epic soundtrack and immersive sound effects that bring the world of Warhammer to life.”
- “The music depends on the faction played and it varies from exhilarating to outright boring.”
- “The music is just irrelevant in this game and half the time I find myself muting it and playing my own stuff.”
- “Very repetitive and forgettable soundtrack.”
humor
192 mentions
98 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Total War: Warhammer III" is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of various factions, particularly the Skaven and their antics. Many reviews mention the game's funny voice lines, chaotic moments, and the comedic juxtaposition of serious strategy with whimsical elements, such as bizarre unit behaviors and humorous interactions. Overall, the game is described as a blend of dark fantasy and lighthearted humor, making for an entertaining experience despite its flaws.
- “I find it even more hilarious that chaos dwarfs and other factions will build complex machinery, and then there's the beastmen who just have raw muscle as their way of attacking.”
- “With its thrilling battles, hilarious moments, and enough loot to make even the most avaricious skaven squeak with delight, it's a game that's sure to satisfy even the pickiest of rat-men.”
- “Total War: Warhammer III isn't just a game; it's a hilarious rollercoaster ride through a fantasy realm where strategy meets the absurd.”
- “Whatever happened in between Total War: Warhammer II's end of development and the release of III is not funny.”
- “There is no spirit in the game; the races are not funny as they were in Warhammer II and Warhammer I.”
- “But seriously, the chaos rift mechanic is absolutely lackluster, and the campaign is completely unfunny.”
emotional
55 mentions
96 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with many players expressing deep attachment to the franchise, often reminiscing about their past experiences while feeling heartbroken over recent developments and perceived declines in quality. Some players report feeling overwhelmed by the game's impact on their lives, leading to frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding monetization and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the emotional landscape is characterized by nostalgia, frustration, and a sense of betrayal, with many players vowing to step back from the game until significant improvements are made.
- “I've been playing Total War games since Rome 1, I've supported CA for over a decade and overlooked all the issues until recently. Total War: Rome was one of the first PC games I ever played, and I have a deep emotional attachment to this franchise; it was an important part of my childhood experience.”
- “This game has greatly affected me on an emotional, physical, spiritual, cognitive, and financial level.”
- “It's so touching to have game developers who actually care about their product.”
- “The core game is great, but they need to update the narrative, rift, and chaos realm elements to make the game enjoyable instead of a constant slog to hold three provinces for a boring story.”
- “Warhammer 3 railroads you into utterly boring story battles that frame the entire single-player experience.”
atmosphere
37 mentions
62 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design, stunning graphics, and thematic depth, which collectively enhance the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the variety in music and voice acting, although some note inconsistencies in the atmosphere across different game entries. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating high fantasy environment that draws players into its epic battles and rich lore.
- “The atmosphere is immersive and profound.”
- “Awesome grand campaign and an immersive atmosphere throughout!”
- “The most atmospheric and evocative Total War yet, the new mechanics add some flavor to the underlying game that we've all seen before.”
- “The gloomy atmosphere of the first game was decent but felt overly serious for such a goofy setting; the second game's jarring clash of old assets with a newer (better looking) style was kind of bad.”
- “I have played nearly 6000 hours on TWW2, great game (with the mods) but something here is missing: no atmosphere, no great story, and the combat is underwhelming.”
- “I would agree with another review that said it looks like an attempted middle ground between Three Kingdoms and standard TWWH graphics that doesn't really fit with the dark atmosphere lent by the game lore and narrative.”
character development
9 mentions
56 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and investment, with players appreciating the unique designs and animations that bring the Warhammer universe to life. The diverse factions and their memorable characters contribute to a rich narrative experience, although some players express a desire for more customization options. Overall, the character development is seen as a strong point, enhancing both gameplay and storytelling.
- “The Warhammer universe is brought to life with stunning visuals, intricate character designs, and sprawling, diverse landscapes.”
- “This game has varying choices for factions, fun and memorable character design, unique story, engaging gameplay, and lovingly crafted diplomacy and kingdom management.”
- “The character development gets you invested in your characters.”
- “I'm hoping they introduce some sort of character designer for other factions such as the Empire faction.”
- “Also, the game itself feels much more cartoony due to the character designs.”
- “Please fix some of the character designs.”