Recent reviews by Praj3ktmayhem

So far I haven't even played the vanilla game. I've been playing the Warhammer 40k Mod.
And I can just say I absolutely enjoy the game this way. The smaller tactical game play really makes you feel like every individual soldier means something on the battlefield since you can equip them in every way, i'm assuming that most of the options available on the mod are available on the base vanilla game too!
I literally got this game JUST to play the 40k mod. So far mission accomplished, the game is amazing. The mod is amazing. The music choice (mainly from other 40k titles) is great lol If you came to read a review about the base game, apologies, I've been to busy engrossed in the 40k mod lol

So far i'm loving the multiplayer, granted this is still the Multiplayer Beta that was released early before the launch on December 8th, but this review is like 2 weeks away from December 8th so let's be real, probably not much will change (hopefully not) but we'll see.
IF I hadn't made this clear yet, this review will cover Multiplayer only.
Music; 4.9/5 The music is great. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can sit on the main menu and listen to the Halo campaign theme and it gives you like a kind of Academy feel? makes you feel like your about to enter a new world which is what it should feel like. For multiplayer, the music is hype. As it should be! It really gets you pumped and honestly? I was in a zoom class doing some homework as well and I was jamming out to the multiplayer music!
Gameplay: 4.8/5 I've yet to run into any glitches that impede gameplay. Sometimes I get kicked from games for bad connections (even though my Wifi is just fine) which is annoying at time but it doesn't happen often. Maybe 1 in 50 games. The actual gameplay itself feels very Halo, almost makes me feel like a mixture of Halo 4 and 3. There are a lot of new weapons, though I don't see why a lot of the older weapons were removed. Personally, I always found that as an issue, why remove older weapons? But we still have our age old sniper, rockets, sword, assault rifle and BR though Shotgun has seen a massive downgrade.
For Halo old heads like me, the game still feels VERY Halo while bringing some fresh new changes. Though I wish some of the powers and things from previous games like 4/5 would have made their way into the game. Ground pound was hilarious, the Forerunner blue shield that people use to use was awesome too. I miss armor lock and jet-packs but don't let my personal issues get in the way of this great multiplayer.

All in all the game is great fun! I'd give it a 10/10 if not for the following reasons:

Why on earth do I have to pay so much for so little points to use to purchase items in the shop? Now I personally have no issue with the way purchasing items works. I know some people don't want to get the battlepass, I personally got it because I don't mind paying for it even if it was a little expensive, I think a reduction to at least 29.99 would be fair. Also I don't know if this was the consensus for those who made the game, but why are all the game modes in a random bunch? For example normal team slayer, normal capture the flag, free for all slayer, etc are non existent as they are all (except for free for all slayer which just doesn't exist in the game period) throw into 'Quick play' which is essentially all the game modes randomly. Take cues from Halo Reach please 343 or even Halo 3! Absolutely great games with flawless multiplayer in my opinion (or at least anyone I ever spoke to seemed to enjoy both multiplayer just fine). Now this may change at launch but it may not.
The first event is out and it is fun! These events SHOULD have ALL random games in it for sure but get rid of Quick Play and add in team slayer, capture the flag...etc.
Another issue is people having to use weapons or having to play certain game modes to gain xp. Just do it like Reach. Reach was so simple for experience gain, you play a game you get experience. Easy.

Some very small issues that add up to a larger issue that I know some people have been bringing up is what stops me from giving them game a perfect 10/10. Plus the Campaign is still not available till the 8th.
So JUST the Multiplayer rating? 8.5 on a bad day and 8.9/9.0 out of 10 on a good day. Mainly until they reduce the ridiculous cost of the battle pass and increase the amount you get for your buck plus add in different/separate game modes i'll change my rating.

If you're playing on getting this game to play online in multiplayer competitive.
Be ready to be kicked out of every ranked match because you're a noob lol
The community is super competitive and very unfriendly lol

Honestly THIS is what I expect from Total War games. The music really brings the world to life - the graphics and the way the game looks also captures the fantasy world that you imagined for so long beautifully!
I can't wait for someone to do a mod where you have Roman soldiers coming to invade the Old World lol!

Okay, i'm going to be as completely honest as I can be about the game!
So I am absolutely loving the new DLC because it's set during the opening glory years of Rome! Something I've wanted for a LONG time. So as a die hard Rome fan and let's face it most of who own the game are. It's a great way to satiate that appetite.

Now, the game works a little more smoother than in past games. An actual family tree now is great. The whole elect a dictator and consul thing is great! It's a new option for the game which adds in a great element which makes you feel like your governing actually matters, and it helps in dire situations. The early roman units are interesting but are pretty generic. But then again it's understandable. It was the early years.

Now the cons. Creative Assembly tries hard to try and be historically accurate but by god are they bad at history haha, the years of the game takes place in seems off as well. If you're a history major or history fan, you'll be bothered by it - but it's minor. ONE BIG ONE I noticed is that sometimes during siege battles, the enemy will STILL just sit ships off the shore and not land them, which is a huge annoyance because you have to wait for the time to go down. So put it on triple speed and go watch a youtube video or play another game. That is a serious problem that MUST be fixed still.
Game mechanics! The game seems to run a lot smoother, though I have encountered a few bugs where my infantry go a little cookoo and start blobbing like crazy. Though it's an easy fix as I just click on the unit and click on the ground infront of them. The enemy armies seem a little tougher this time around as the enemy will do it's best to get lots of strong mercenaries even as their armies are dying, for one final assault. One seriously annoying thing though - enemies literally come out of nowhere. I understand Rome fought several wars all at the same time at time in history - and honestly it keeps you on the edge of your seat. But it's a little ridiculous. A guy at the bottom of Italy shouldn't care what's happening in central italy. All in all the game is great. I paid full DLC price because I love this game and I really wanted to play it's last DLC. Hopefully it's not the last DLC but hey I really wanted to try it.

Don't let the reviews of the DLC policy fool you. I'm sick and tired of hearing people complain about the charge on DLC.
Look I get it, 40-60 dollar price tags for games nowadays is a hefty price to pay for some fun. HOWEVER, if YOU HAVE the spare cash or aren't a CHEAPO on spending money on something you ENJOY doing then you start to realize that there's more to the game than just a price tag. That being said, lets get to the real review.

The game starts out as most Total war games do. With factions ruling, usually over one or two cities. However in this game's case, they follow the same template that they began with Attila. A Horde style army is used for those races who fit the lore and description of that style of fighting or civilization. That is a faction/civilization always on the move that lives where it camps and has good or bad effect on enemy/allied provinces.

The Orks, Beastmen and Chaos factions are the main ones that follow this style of gameplay and they all have their own unique spells and tech trees that allow them to research various technologies to improve their hordes.

The main city state factions, Dwarves and men (now also the elves) fight in a more traditional style of total war games, in a conquer and rule styled gameplay. The Empire, plays just like the standard total war factions of the past with new army stances in the campaign that give various bonuses. One thing I especially like is being able to set up camp in enemy territory and replenish your forces in that fashion (though this isn't limited to the empire, it's a nice new edition to the total war franchise).

The Dwarves and Elves (along with Beastmen and Orks) use the uderway or forrest trails to get around impassable terrain, such as mountains or densely wooded areas. However these movements have pros and cons of their own that can have devastating affects on you or your enemies.

Lastly, the heroes and spells and all the new monsters added to the game. This is something that fits REMARKABLY well with Total war! It's such a great combination of the two. Hero's work as kind powerful single man armies, though don't get carried away with them as they can still perish in battle along with any items they may have been carrying. If you're Lord should perish (who is also a hero) be prepared for your army to quickly begin to panic as has been the case with Total war titles in the past! Cut off the head of the snake to defeat your enemy quickly! As for monsters and spells...Monsters are more slow moving heavy artillery that usually spell fear in the ranks of enemy armies, while spells have varying different effects upon the battlefield. From healing and protecting your army to casting raging fire balls and lightning spells to blast away your foes to summoning mythical beasts to wreak havok on the battlefield!

The choice is yours ultimately wether you play this masterfully crafted total war title! Honestly, this is by far one of the best total wars to date. If I had to put them in order, these are my titles for best total wars:
1) Total war Warhammer.
2) Total war Rome 2 (NOT the release, the current build).
3) Total war Attila
4) Total war Napoleon
5) Rome total war

I have paid for all the DLC and got the game upon release too. Honestly? I say it's all been worth every penny.

Look, look. Give the game a chance. I got hooked onto it SO quickly. The amount of mods out for it are great! The developers are hard at work with the game, constantly releasing updates and patches (much to the dismay of sad modding community which has to keep up though lol).

I won't like, I've run into a few bugs still like certain scripts not responding or the rare crash. Though honestly when I turn off the mods, I rarely see any problems at all. Really, MAYBE I will see certain dialouge scripts being a little buggy.
But honestly, don't let the game really bother you. When you read into these reviews, unless 90% of them say the game is crashing and buggy, then don't worry about those issues, because chances are you won't get any real issues with the game!

But on to the actual game itself. The game starts you off as most 4x Real time strategy space explorers. One planet. A ship or two and some vessels for construction. Though in Stellaris you get science ships which let you explore the galaxy and constructor ships which let you obviously build the structures that your empire will require to conquer the galaxy.

The game really picks up pace late game when you're struggling to fight off alien invaders, hostile alien factions, fallen empires and all at once managing your empire.
The game is really slow at first, but thanksfully it's learning pace is great. It is slightly tough to learn at first but the tutorial will really get you going quickly.
My first playthrough, I quickly realized I was doomed for destruction as a very powerful alien race began to overtake the entire galaxy.
My second playthrough I got the grasp of the game and managed to conquer a good chunk of the galaxy through sheer military power and turtled up against this power enemy. The problem came when a fallen empire (basically, the eldar) decided to attack me for colonizing their worlds, and then that powerful enemy took advantage of my weakness.

MY third playthrough I decided to try a more diplomatic approach as I began building federations and alliances and FINALLY I managed to defeat that all powerful enemy.

The game really makes you feel like you're exploring a galaxy with those science ships as they will find useful items and technology here and there that aid you or mess you up in different ways.

All in all, I enjoy the game thoroughly. But it IS time consuming. Heavily. A single game on Huge (1000 stars) and difficulty set to high will arguably last upwards of a few days. At least with me, I take my sweet time. I love to watch my species evolve over 1000 years. The mods are great too!!! Having Covenant ships facing off against the Sith Empire's ships, or having Rebel starships engage Systems alliance ships in space is so epic to watch!

Give it a try if you're a 4x strategy fan! It's great fun!