Total War series - Definition and Overview

The Total War series is a popular group of computer games for the PC. The games aim to realistically simulate ground warfare over several different time periods and locations.

They are notable for their fine-grained depiction of land battles, with many thousands of individual infantry and cavalry units simulated in real time.

All of the games comprise two distinct parts. First, a high-level, strategic game where cities are managed and armies are manoeuvred on a regional scale. Second - when opposing armies meet - the viewpoint switches to a fully 3D tactical battlefield with each unit individually modelled. The unusually low level of the simulation is likely to be responsible for the success of the Total War series.

The series comprises:

• Shogun: Total War (2000, Electronic Arts)
• Shogun: Total War: Warlord Edition (2001, Electronic Arts)
• Medieval: Total War (2002, Activision Publishing)
• Medieval: Total War: Viking Invasion (2003, Activision Publishing)
• Medieval: Total War Battle Collection (2004, Activision Publishing)
• Rome: Total War (2004, Activision Publishing)

External links

• official Total War site (http://www.totalwar.com/)