Word on the street is that Total War will be going to a galaxy far, far away sooner rather than later. Star Wars plus Total War (not to be confounded with the upcoming strategy game from EA) sounds like a match made in heaven and also made us wonder which other big franchises, fantasy or sci-fi, could work well as fresh, brand-new Total War games.
We wouldn’t be surprised if some of these happened at some point in the future, but for now, it’s all wishful thinking and toying with ideas that simply make sense. The teams at Creative Assembly are extremely talented, and while the Total War: Warhammer titles marked their first long-term collaboration with a major external IP, the results speak for themselves. If the future of Total War involves a healthy mix of original, historical releases and big-name franchise projects, fans of RTS and grand strategy should have plenty to celebrate in the coming years.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000
After the success of the Total War: Warhammer games, and with the third one still pushing forward with new DLCs and meaty updates, a Total War take on the dark future of Warhammer 40,000 seems like a question of when rather than if. Rumors of such a project have also been swirling around for a while now.
Of course, taking Total War into the far future, with a large number of potential units using ranged, hi-tech weapons (on top of magic) would require a refresh of the core mechanics and systems, but that’s one of the main reasons why it’d be an extremely attractive game to play after decades of ‘safe’ evolutions of the formula. Business-wise, it makes even more sense than Total War: Warhammer, as 40K has steadily become the flagship Games Workshop franchise, as proven by the constant barrage of games across several genres it’s been getting for a long time now.
Total War: The Lord of the Rings
Another easy win for both the IP holders as well as Creative Assembly would be to take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth world. With Embracer Group recently taking over the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit across different forms of media, plenty of external collaborations are on the cards, and a return of strategy games set in Middle-earth is a must.
We’d love to see a return to something like the Battle for Middle-earth games, but Total War would also be a fantastic fit for the undying fantasy franchise. Moreover, with the history of the world being so long and featuring so many different factions, locations, and legendary characters, the potential for several installments is there. This one’s the kind of crossover that’s simply waiting to happen and wouldn’t be hard to design at all.
Total War: Game of Thrones
In spite of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones immense popularity across books and TV, George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world somehow hasn’t taken off in the realm of video games as well as it should have, and it feels like we should’ve had at least one excellent Game of Thrones strategy game by now. Just look at Westeros’ map and all the factions vying for dominance over the centuries. It’s all the perfect setup for a killer Total War game.
In a way, a hypothetical Total War: Game of Thrones game wouldn’t be that different from the usual installments which adapt real-life historical events, as the setting is far more grounded than other fantasy universes. That said, A Song of Ice and Fire has got more than enough flavour and cool lore to pluck ideas from, and George R.R. Martin spent so much time fleshing out all the major figures and factions that it simply feels uniquely positioned to be turned into a Total War game.
Total War: Dune
Following the mainstream success of Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune movies, we’re now starting to enjoy a second golden age of Dune video games, spearheaded by titles such as Dune: Spice Wars and the upcoming Dune: Awakening, which looks quite promising so far. With an adaptation of Dune Messiah looming on the horizon and the franchise expanding to prestige TV on HBO, it increasingly feels like this franchise isn’t going dormant anytime soon.
Dune largely behaves like ‘Game of Thrones in space’ with a touch of Star Wars, and it’s such a unique universe when it comes to how the tech works and the traits of each faction fighting for control of the spice and the Imperium that it’s also kind of ideal for the Total War treatment. A few years ago, it would’ve been too big of a risk, but the IP is so popular nowadays that Creative Assembly could go weird with it if they wanted to and could deliver something worthy of Frank Herbert’s novels and the Legendary-produced movies.
Total War: Conan
The Conan franchise is another fantasy universe that refuses to sleep, and in fact, it’s not completely unfamiliar with strategy games; Conan Unconquered wasn’t exactly spectacular, but there was a neat idea at its center and an okay-ish execution. So far, Conan Exiles and Age of Conan are the property’s two biggest wins in the gaming sphere, and that level of success could easily be transferred to a strategy title with the right studio behind it.
Much like a Game of Thrones game, Total War: Conan (or The Hyborian Age), would have an easy time delivering distinct factions and a compelling fantasy map to conquer through bloody warfare. With three gigantic Total War: Warhammer games now in the curriculum, such a project from Creative Assembly wouldn’t require a reinvention of the wheel. It might not be the most attractive fantasy world waiting in line for a huge strategy game, but Conan and his world have been around for so long that it kind of feels like a historical debt.
What setting would you love to see Creative Assembly explore with its Total War franchise? Let us know.
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