Let's get this out of the way. You wanted to get a ranked list of Total War games because you wondered which is worth playing after you’ve sunk your hours into another title. 

That, or you want definitive strategy genre experience and heard many good things about Creative Assembly’s little series. In that case, look for no other games. 

From tactical battles in… well a tactical map with real-time tactics, to strategy games and diplomacy on world map – no matter the Total War game, it’ll have scheming warlords and tools to do said scheming. 

Without further ado, let's list them, in a biased order, because of course, it is. 

7. Empire: Total War 

Total War Empire had a… flawed launch at best. Not only was it a buggy mess, it also had an incredibly dense and dull-witted AI. Among other things, it did a complete 180°, considering your overall tactics and approach to warfare. Melee units? Afterthought choice. You felt really out of place.

From a personal perspective, I also felt that unit roster was… limited. As if every unit was exactly the same, no matter the faction.

So why is it even on the “Best Total War games” list? Because it is still a really good game. For starters, it expanded its diplomatic system, so you don’t have to manually haul an agent some half a continent away just to establish trade rights. It introduced a research tree that feels impactful, and it’s a good game because it’s in the era of BLACK POWDER. 

No other game at its time allowed you to recreate the scale of conflict in the 17th-19th time period.

With volleys of line infantry, supported with artillery cannonades, both of which cover the area in smoke, no other Total War game quite got the feeling and power of gunpowder to the same level. And with a physics engine, you will have fun seeing what happens when a cannonball hits an infantry line… Also…

Napoleon: Total War

To be honest, there’s not much to say about Napoleon: Total War because it’s literally Empire: Total War with all its kinks and problems ironed out. It covers the same period of warfare, focusing on the little drama that unfurled around Napoleon. If you want this particular campaign gameplay and/or a better multiplayer experience, choose Napoleon. Otherwise, I recommend Empire.

But… why not trying out both games? The bundle with Total War: Empire - Definitive Edition and Total War: Napoleon - Definitive Edition Steam are available on RoyalCDkeys!

6. Total War: Rome II

Another title with a rocky start, but thankfully, the second installment of Rome Total War survived and not only grew but became great. Set in the historical period of ancient Rome, it allows the players to make or break history as we know it.

Ok, but why is it one of the best? How about combined naval-land battles? Because you can recreate D-Day from Private Ryan.

Or how about revamped ambushes that allow you to set traps and attack enemies on flanks? It’s Teutoburg Forest all over again! Thanks to legion customization, you can specialize your army in sieges or battles.

There’s just a mass of features. Every faction is unique, every tactic is viable, and if you don’t want to fight, you can always use expanded diplomacy. That, or agents, with their own skill trees, that allow you to bribe, kill or convince any obstacle to get out of your way. Overall, Creative Assembly did an excellent job of translating the ancient world into glory that is Total War: Rome 2!

Mass of DLCs

There’s a DLC for when Rome was forming as a Republic. There’s a DLC for Rome, when it was struggling with internal conflicts in 300 AD.

Don’t like the Immortal City hogging all the spotlight? How about legendary Spartans and the Peloponnesian War? How about getting into any of the many, many cultures around the Mediterranean? The campaign map is big, and so is your choice for gameplay.

If you find that the game may be a good match for your taste, RoyalCDkeys stock offers numerous editions of Total War: Rome 2 CD keys, so choose the one according to your preference!

5. Total War: Attila

One word that perfectly describes Total War: Attila – Challenge. If you’re interested in history, you know that 395 AD was harsh. Rome is divided into east and west, famine is widespread, public unrest is at its highest.

It reintroduced a mechanic for religion, where you can not only convert others to your faith but also adopt beliefs of your people, if they are on the raise. As for raising, or rather razing, you can now enjoy the tactic of scorched earth by burning enemy settlements to the ground!

4. Medieval 2: Total War

Welcome to Middle Ages!

Many would call Medieval 2 the definitive total war title. It has everything. Annoying politics with the pope and your neighbors, CRUSADES, holy and not-so-holy orders for you to recruit, priests to turn your enemy’s population nuclear against themselves, and so much more!

It might not have all the features of later titles, like skill trees and technology development (here it’s just a case of getting the next building), but it’s one of the best total war games because it's polished, tight, and knows what it’s doing.

Also, and that’s a weird one, this is the game where the cavalry charges feel the best. Even without the physics engine, you could feel the weight of every impact. Odd, isn’t it? 

3. Total War: Three Kingdoms

After Total War: Warhammer, Creative Assembly decided to return to historical periods and did so with a BANG. Welcome to the Three Kingdoms period!

While overwhelming at first, with all its features, after a while you’ll enjoy it. The attention to detail is astounding, both from the graphical and historical point of view.

The biggest point of contention between Total War players, since time immemorial, was always diplomacy. Whether you love it or hate it, all will agree that it’s clumsy or lacking most of the time.

Characters!

Characters are also expanded upon, and are the narrative focus of everything that happens. With expanded diplomacy, this can create quite a mess, if you’re not the shrewd leader that you pose yourself as.

Duel Enemies for the First Time!

Settle grudges, kill off opponents, or just motivate your army with the gentle art of murdering each other. 10/10 gameplay. Especially since if you do it during battle. Nobody will wait for their generals to finish. 

Seriously, there are not many things as cinematic as your leaders doing acrobatic murder-stunts, while a clash of steel and volleys of arrows happen in the background.

Narrative Driven by Those Who Survive

Lastly, as I said, there is a story to each character and their struggles to unite China. It very much depends on those who survive all the scheming after the fall of Han Dynasty. 

I mean, the dynasty is still there, but its emperor is a child, controlled by a corrupt governor and… you know what? Just play it yourself because this thing gets complicated and compelling very quickly. 

Choose your Total War: Three Kingdoms CD key and start your adventure!

2. Total War: Warhammer 

We are talking about the whole trilogy, because if you get one Warhammer, sooner or later, you’ll have all three.

Total War: Warhammer is a beast. No other way to describe it. The scale of the campaign map is through the roof, even with just Warhammer II added. The units are mental, the narration is handcrafted for each faction, and most importantly: FANTASY. You get elves, dwarves, orcs, beastmen, dragons, treemen… Believe me, unit variety isn’t a problem here.

Everything has magic and monsters. Every army has powerful heroes that learn their war… craft as they win and lose! 

So come! Gather relics, resources, allies, or slaves and experience this Creative Assembly’s foray into the fantasy of Warhammer games and lore!

It’s a setting very close to my heart because I’m one of many fans of Warhammer. At this point, it is pop culture, and I couldn’t be happier… I’ve warned that this list is biased!

I Cast Fireball From the Top of My Wyvern!

Here you have magic. Here you have a mythical beast great and small. You get lore and special abilities for your characters, and you get so many factions, which are radically different, that the game’s replayability value is insane.

Whether you start as the Empire — a federation of human counties, united by their faith, steel, and gunpowder; or you choose orcs — ape-ish, green-skinned brutes that care only for fighting and looting and do so with wild abandon… No matter what faction you choose, you’ll have a different experience

Heroes With Capital H!

Lords and heroes are an integral part of Warhammer Fantasy and always were. Here, when the world has come to your PCs, it is no different. They gain experience, skills, artifacts, and powerful new abilities as they defeat other legendary lords. You also literally can’t have an army without a Hero. Kind of sad, but it’s buried under all the positives, so I don’t mind.

The best part? You can specialize every hero into whatever you need from him. 

A general? Sure, give him abilities that boost morale, or straight up remove it from allied units to make them unbreakable. 

A duelist? Grab Sword of Khaine — added in Total War: Warhammer 2 — a good armor and have fun killing everything in your path. Including your allies, because that’s how Khaine rolls.

Just… go and play it. Really, there’s not much to add.

Best Total War Game: Total War: Shogun 2

Set in the XVI century of feudal Japan. That means it’s the middle of Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States Period, which was the most turbulent time in the history of this land. Total War indeed. Also, it’s a return to the very first game in the series, and what a glorious return it is! People from all around the world have been playing this one for over a decade, so believe me! 

Certified Total War Classic

Out of all the titles in this list, this is the definitive one. It might not be one of the recent games, but at its time? It was a breakthrough, adding complexity and new core mechanics to the series, setting foundations for future titles. This is where the skill tree for characters was introduced. This is where events really started to impact your gameplay.

You’re stomping everyone around? Have fun with Shogun, who declares you enemy of the land. Now everyone rushes to stab you!

Those Christian traders? Befriend them, and gunpowder is yours! Along with religious unrest, because they are assholes like that…