Since it first launched over twenty years ago, the Total War series has been one of the biggest strategy franchises around. The games are famous for their unique gameplay that combines both real-time-strategy and turn-based tactics, and has slowly evolved and built upon its core experience over the years. One aspect of the franchise that has been consistent has been Total War’s different historical settings that change for almost every game, from Rome: Total War to Medieval: Total War and everything in between.
But with so many historical periods already covered by the long-running series, where could fans expect Total War to go next? Here are some historical periods that could make for some exciting settings for a future Total War title.
World War I
The Total War series has surprisingly never gone any further into modern history than the late 1800s with Napoleon: Total War. It would be interesting to see the franchise enter the early 20th century with a game set during World War I. The first World War was such a long war with so many different facets to it that Creative Assembly could easily end up making an entire game set during that period alone. For the first time in the franchise’s history, fans of the series could utilize advanced weaponry like machine guns, tanks, airplanes, and more that were nonexistent prior to the era. World War I could prove to be a very interesting period of history for the Total War series and could make for a great entry into the long-running franchise.
Ancient Egypt
The Total War series has covered many different eras of history, from Ancient Greece and Rome to Medieval Europe and the Viking Era, but fans have still yet to see much of African history come to life. It would be great to see Egypt and its surrounding countries make their way into a Total War game. From Prehistoric Egypt to Ancient Egypt and beyond, there exists thousands of years of material that Creative Assembly could pull from. Players could see famous rulers like the famed Marc Antony and Cleopatra VII, with the game leading into the civilization’s defeat at the hands of the Roman Empire. A game focused on Egypt could make for an exciting one, and the history of Egypt is a story that should be told.
American Civil War
With Empire: Total War, players got to experience the American War for Independence, reliving many notable battles from that era of history. But Total War hasn’t delved much further into the history of the United States and seeing other notable wars in the country could be exciting.
The American Civil War seems like a great pick for an entry, as it’s set nearly an entire century after the events of Empire: Total War, and could feature some very different (and more advanced) technology and weaponry for players’ armies. Players could pick between the Union and the Confederacy in an exciting retelling of the American Civil War, with appearances by famous Civil War Generals like Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and many more.
World War II
Much like the first World War, World War II has surprisingly yet to be covered by the Total War franchise. World War II has seemingly been done to death by tons of different video games already, so it might feel a little redundant for a Total War game to take place during the period. However, there’s a reason why there are so many games set during this historical age. World War II was one of the biggest and bloodiest wars of all time, and many people that survived it are still around to this day. Because of this, people love remembering it, discussing it, and consuming media regarding it.
Therefore, a Total War game that covered the subject could prove to be incredibly successful, as long as the title manages to bring something unique to the game. Given Creative Assembly’s excellent track record, we don’t see this being an issue and imagine that a potential Total War: World War II would be an absolute smash hit.
The Afghanistan War
It would be very different for the franchise, but we would love to see Total War cover modern warfare in a future entry. With the Afghanistan War still ongoing, it would be interesting to see Total War cover the current conflict as it would allow players to see the war from a different, neutral perspective and could also end up being a fresh new direction for the series. As stated, the franchise hasn’t delved into anything more recent than the later 1800s, so experiencing history that is still in the making would be very different, to say the least.
These are just a few historical periods that could make great entries into the long-running Total War game series. For all we know, one of these games may end up becoming a reality in the future. Fans will just have to see what comes next.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)