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Start with Total War: WARHAMMER III if you want fantasy, monsters and the most clearly signposted official on-ramp. Choose Total War: SHOGUN 2 for the cleanest, most focused historical introduction; Total War: THREE KINGDOMS for the strongest interface help and diplomacy; or Total War: ROME II when ancient Rome is the reason you are interested.
You do not need to buy every Total War game, and you do not need all three Warhammer games to begin. The right first purchase depends mainly on setting preference, how many systems you want to learn at once, and whether you prefer a compact historical campaign or a huge fantasy sandbox.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Empire: Total War - PC | $15.59 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Rome Total War Complete Edition (PC DVD) | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Empire Total War Complete Edition (PC Game) - - PC | $26.24 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Total War: Rome 2 - PC | $61.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Empire: Total War & Napoleon: Total War (Gold Edition) - Windows | $33.27 | Buy on Amazon |
Quick answer: which Total War should you buy first?
| If you want… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy, monsters and magic | Total War: WARHAMMER III | SEGA’s official portal tells beginners to start with the base game. Its Prologue provides a structured introduction, and Immortal Empires supplies a long-term sandbox. |
| A focused historical tutorial | Total War: SHOGUN 2 | Japan-only scope, a small roster and obvious unit roles make the campaign and battles easier to read. |
| Diplomacy, character relationships and interface guidance | Total War: THREE KINGDOMS | Mouse-over explanations, contextual tips and a detailed diplomatic layer explain more of the strategy as you play. |
| Ancient Rome and the Mediterranean | Total War: ROME II | It offers many factions and varied battle maps, but its larger scale and broader systems make it a less universal first pick. |
All four games teach the same basic rhythm: expand or defend territory on a turn-based campaign map, manage income and armies, then fight battles in real time or resolve them automatically. Their differences are in how much information they present, how many systems they layer on top, and how readable the first campaign feels.
What a new player is actually learning
Total War is not one genre in isolation. You are learning two connected games at once:
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- New Real-time 3D Naval Warfare. Players control single ships or vast fleets with fully destructible sails as well as cannon and musket action, boarding raids and more. This is the complete naval combat experience.
- All-new Game Engine. With a newly created Windows XP-compatible DirectX 9 graphics engine, players will experience real-time seascapes, dynamic weather and a new advanced landscape and flora system.
- Episodic Campaign. Improves accessibility to the game by gradually introducing advanced features over time.
- Massive Scope. Over 30 in-game factions encompass all of the World's major powers including the United States of America.and dodge pursuers using the stylus.
- Brand New Multiplayer Modes. Players vie for a place at the top of the rankings and join leagues and ladders for even more gameplay challenges.
- Campaign management: moving armies, developing settlements, choosing research, negotiating with other factions, maintaining public order or loyalty, and deciding when to attack.
- Real-time battles: positioning units, matching counters, protecting vulnerable troops, using terrain, timing charges or ranged volleys, and keeping morale from collapsing.
A title can be welcoming in one half and demanding in the other. A game with excellent tooltips may still have a deep political layer; a game with simple unit roles may still punish careless campaign expansion. The recommendations below separate those learning pressures instead of treating “beginner-friendly” as a single feature.
Total War: WARHAMMER III — best default for fantasy newcomers
Why it is the safest fantasy starting point
SEGA’s Total War: WARHAMMER series portal gives unusually direct advice: Start with the Total War: WARHAMMER III base game.
That recommendation matters because the Warhammer games form a connected trilogy, yet you can enter through the third game without purchasing the earlier two first.
The Prologue campaign is the structured learning route. It introduces the campaign map, army movement and battles in a guided sequence rather than dropping you immediately into the trilogy’s largest possible map. SEGA Support describes the Prologue as the best place to start for new players.
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Immortal Empires is the long-term sandbox. SEGA describes it as combining the trilogy’s maps, races, Legendary Lords and locations. That breadth is the main attraction: factions play very differently, and monsters, magic, heroes and unusual campaign mechanics create identities that historical games cannot reproduce.
The same breadth can become the first game’s main source of confusion. You will see many factions, resources and battle abilities before you understand which ones matter. Start one campaign with an accessible faction, learn its economy and army pattern, and postpone additional content until you know what you enjoy.
Do you need all three Warhammer games?
No. Begin with the WARHAMMER III base game. Earlier games and downloadable content are modular additions for players who want more races, Legendary Lords or campaign options. Ownership and access rules can change with edition, platform, bundle and region, so check the current store description before paying for a pack. Do not assume that owning an older title is required for the Prologue or for the base-game experience.
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- Rome Total War Complete Edition
Best way to approach your first campaign
- Launch the Prologue instead of a full sandbox campaign.
- Use the first battles to learn unit cards, movement range, morale and the pause function.
- After the Prologue, choose one faction whose battlefield style you understand rather than the faction with the largest roster.
- Keep the first campaign on a moderate difficulty while you learn income, replenishment and settlement building.
- Only then investigate DLC or the wider Immortal Empires roster.
Total War: SHOGUN 2 — the clearest focused historical introduction
Why the smaller scope helps
SHOGUN 2 is set in Japan and keeps its strategic map to a single island campaign. GamesRadar characterizes it as a tight, reliable entry with a smaller roster and more obvious combat jobs. That design reduces the number of simultaneous decisions without removing the series’ core lessons.
You still manage territory, economy, diplomacy and armies, then fight real-time battles. The difference is readability: a new player can identify what most units are supposed to do, see where the next front is likely to form and understand the consequences of taking another province.
What it teaches especially well
- Unit roles: infantry, cavalry, missile troops and specialist units have comparatively clear jobs.
- Battlefield fundamentals: terrain, flanking, morale and timing matter without a large fantasy ability bar competing for attention.
- Campaign pacing: the compact map makes overexpansion and vulnerable borders visible sooner.
- Core diplomacy: alliances, trade and war declarations are present, but the game does not make character politics the centre of every decision.
Its release date was March 15, 2011. That age is visible in presentation and in some interface conventions, but it also means the game’s central loop is stable and well understood. Choose it when you want to learn the classic formula with fewer simultaneous systems, especially if samurai-era Japan appeals to you.
When Shogun 2 is easier than Three Kingdoms
Pick SHOGUN 2 when “easy to learn” means fewer categories to track. There are fewer faction identities and less character-management overhead, so your attention stays on armies, provinces and battles. It is the better first lesson if you find menus and political relationships distracting.
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS — best historical interface and diplomacy
Why it communicates more clearly
THREE KINGDOMS combines a historical Chinese setting with a modern information layer. TechSpot highlights its mouse-over pop-ups, contextual tips and clean information design. Those explanations answer questions at the moment you encounter a mechanic instead of forcing you to search a separate manual.
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That makes it a strong choice for a newcomer who wants help understanding why a decision matters. The game also gives diplomacy, character relationships and subterfuge a much larger role than SHOGUN 2. PC Gamer has singled out those systems as central strengths.
Rank #3
- Empire Total War Complete Edition
Romance mode versus Records mode
You can approach the setting in two broad styles:
- Romance mode: legendary characters have more heroic presence and can shape battles directly.
- Records mode: the presentation is more restrained and closer to a conventional historical campaign.
The choice changes the feel of battles and characters, so select the mode that matches your tolerance for larger-than-life heroes. Neither mode removes the underlying campaign responsibilities.
The trade-off: more help, more depth
Three Kingdoms explains more, but it also asks you to understand more. Character satisfaction, relationships, court positions, alliances and diplomatic leverage can all affect a campaign. The interface reduces needless guesswork; it does not make the strategic layer shallow.
Its release date was May 23, 2019. Compared with SHOGUN 2, it is the better historical first purchase for players who want modern presentation, extensive diplomacy and a campaign that treats personalities as strategic assets.
Total War: ROME II — choose it for ancient Rome, not simplicity
Why the setting is the deciding factor
ROME II covers the ancient Mediterranean and supports many factions with distinct battlefield identities. GamesRadar notes that its variety and scale make it a more involved first purchase, while current retrospective coverage describes it as deep and rewarding after technical and artificial-intelligence problems were patched.
Its release date was September 3, 2013. The game’s launch history is part of its context, but patched versions provide the experience most current buyers will encounter. The more important buying question is whether you actively want the ancient-world setting.
What makes it demanding for beginners
- Geographic breadth: more factions and fronts create more possible threats.
- Campaign variety: different governments, economies and armies require more adaptation.
- Battle-map variation: terrain and settlement layouts can change how you deploy and attack.
- System load: the wider campaign gives you more strategic decisions before you have internalized the basics.
Choose ROME II first if Rome, Carthage, Greece or the broader ancient Mediterranean is the hook that will keep you playing. If you are indifferent to the setting and want the smoothest lesson, SHOGUN 2 or THREE KINGDOMS is a safer historical start.
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- Feel the thunderous clash of battle as the Roman war-machine takes to the field in real-time combat. Tens of thousands of men collide in bone-splintering detail that you directly control.
- All-new graphics engine - see exotic ancient cities and colossal armies rendered in incredible detail, while jaw-dropping cinematic battles unfold. New unit cameras allow you to see the battle from every perspective.
- Completely scalable experience, with performance optimized for your PC or laptop. Witness the awesome scale of Total War - Rome II, no matter what your spec.
Head-to-head comparison for first-time buyers
| Game | Setting | Onboarding clarity | Campaign scale | System complexity | Battle readability | Faction variety | Ownership approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WARHAMMER III | Fantasy trilogy | Strongest official route through the Prologue | Very large in Immortal Empires | High after the tutorial | Readable basics, then many spells, monsters and abilities | Very high | Base game first; add earlier games or DLC for more races |
| SHOGUN 2 | Sengoku-era Japan | Clear and focused | Compact, single-island campaign | Low to moderate | Strong because unit jobs are obvious | Smaller roster | Standalone historical purchase |
| THREE KINGDOMS | Historical China with Romance or Records presentation | Very strong tooltips and contextual help | Broad regional campaign | Moderate to high because of characters and diplomacy | Clear, with mode-dependent heroics | Varied factions and leaders | Standalone historical purchase |
| ROME II | Ancient Mediterranean | Less guided than the other recommendations | Broad and multi-front | Moderate to high | Varied maps and faction identities | High | Standalone historical purchase |
The table describes relative learning pressure, not a difficulty rating. A player who already understands grand-strategy games may find the larger campaigns comfortable, while a newcomer who dislikes menus may prefer the narrowest scope regardless of setting.
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Choose fantasy over history
Buy WARHAMMER III if your motivation is magic, monsters, heroes and sharply differentiated factions. The Prologue gives you a defined path into the series, and Immortal Empires gives you room to continue once the basics are familiar.
Choose focused simplicity
Buy SHOGUN 2 if you want a compact map and conventional army roles. It is the strongest answer to “Which Total War has the least to learn at once?” among these four choices.
Choose explanation and diplomacy
Buy THREE KINGDOMS if you learn best from contextual information and want negotiations, relationships and political manoeuvring to be meaningful. Accept that those advantages bring an additional layer of management.
Choose a setting-first purchase
Buy ROME II when ancient Rome or the ancient Mediterranean is the non-negotiable attraction. Its scale is a reason to play, not a reason to avoid it, provided you are willing to learn more systems up front.
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How to learn the campaign and battle loop without getting lost
- Play the intended introduction. In WARHAMMER III, that means the Prologue. In a historical title, start a single-player campaign on a moderate setting rather than immediately selecting the largest faction or map.
- Pause during battles. Use the pause function to inspect unit cards, ranges, morale and terrain before issuing orders. The objective of the first battles is recognition, not speed.
- Keep the first front narrow. Consolidate nearby settlements and avoid opening several wars while you are still learning recruitment and replenishment.
- Read every contextual explanation once. In THREE KINGDOMS, mouse over unfamiliar terms and use the pop-ups before searching elsewhere. In the other games, inspect building, technology and diplomacy panels before committing resources.
- Repeat one faction’s basic plan. A second campaign with the same faction teaches more efficiently than changing faction after every defeat because you can distinguish strategic mistakes from unfamiliar mechanics.
- Add complexity deliberately. Move to a higher difficulty, a larger sandbox or extra content only after you can maintain an economy, protect a border and win ordinary battles without guessing.
Buying, editions and DLC: avoid the common mistakes
Check the exact product
Store pages can list a base game, a definitive edition, a season pass or a bundle under similar names. Confirm the platform, edition and region before checkout. Availability and pricing are not universal and can change over time.
Best Value
- Empire Total War-True 3D naval combat for the first time
- Empire Total War-Choose from 12 factions and expand your empire over the largest campaign map ever.
- Napoleon Total war- Three story-driven campaigns immerse you in the life and battles of Napoleon in Italy, Egypt and across the entire European continent.
- Napoleon Total War-Experience the famous conflicts of the Napoleonic age on the land and sea-Austerlitz, Trafalgar, Waterloo and many more
- Napoleon Total War New Campaign multiplayer-play online against a friend for the fate of Europe
Do not buy a trilogy by default
The Warhammer series is modular. The official starting instruction is the WARHAMMER III base game, not an automatic purchase of all three main games. Expand only when you know which races, leaders or mechanics you want.
Use DLC to solve a known preference
After a first campaign, identify the gap: a different battlefield style, a preferred faction identity or a larger roster. Buying content to address that specific preference is less wasteful than purchasing every pack before you understand the base game.
Do not infer a universal price
There is no single price that applies across platforms, regions, editions and promotions. Verify the live store listing, seller and included content at the time you buy. The same caution applies to physical stock and bundle availability.
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Official help for first-time players
SEGA’s Total War Academy is the official guide hub for campaign control, army command and tactics. It includes guides for THREE KINGDOMS, WARHAMMER II and ROME II. Use it when an unfamiliar system remains unclear after the in-game explanations.
For WARHAMMER III, SEGA Support identifies the Prologue as the best starting point and describes Immortal Empires as the trilogy-wide sandbox. Those two modes give you a structured lesson followed by an expansive destination without requiring every earlier game on day one.
Quick Recap
Final recommendation by question
- “What Total War game should I start with?” WARHAMMER III for fantasy; SHOGUN 2 for a focused historical lesson; THREE KINGDOMS for interface guidance and diplomacy; ROME II when ancient Rome is the reason you are buying.
- “Which Total War is best for beginners?” There is no setting-neutral winner. The official fantasy recommendation is WARHAMMER III; the simplest historical introduction is SHOGUN 2.
- “Do I need all three Warhammer games?” No. Start with the WARHAMMER III base game and add content after you know what you want.
- “Is Shogun 2 or Three Kingdoms easier to learn?” SHOGUN 2 has fewer simultaneous systems; THREE KINGDOMS explains more through its interface but adds deeper character and diplomacy management.
- “Should I buy Rome II as my first Total War?” Yes, if ancient Rome is your main motivation. Otherwise, choose the more focused SHOGUN 2 or the more communicative THREE KINGDOMS first.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
