Parents' Guide to

Total War: Warhammer II

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Steep learning curve leads to epic violent fantasy battles.

Game Windows 2017
Total War: Warhammer II Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Total War: Warhammer II Screenshot #1
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Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

GreenRaven
GreenRaven Adult
April 29, 2019
age 14+

Amazing, but difficult, strategy title. Some suggestive themes.

Total War and Warhammer just mesh. I have played, and beaten, XCOM 2, Total War Shogun 2, Advance Wars, every Fire Emblem ever made, plus a dozen titles I'm forgetting... and Warhammer 2 is simply better than any of them. That said, the game is HARD. Brace yourself. There is a slight amount of suggestive themes, mostly concerning the costumes (or lack thereof), worn by the Dark Elf sorceress and cultists. For those interested, there is a suite of mods on the Steam Workshop that alleviate the problem: the mods are marked with a GR before the title.

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
Andy Fernandez
Andy Fernandez Adult
September 13, 2018
age 9+

Fantastic Game - Does Have Fantasy Violence and Few Adult themes

This is a fantasy based Strategic turn based war game. That includes battle simulation, city management, and Roleplaying elements. Players are allowed to choose from several good aligned(Humans, Dwarves, High elves, Wood elves, Lizardmen, and Brettonia) races to the other end of the spectrum of bad/evil races(Chaos, Beastmen, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, Skaven, Norsca, Dark Elves, and Orcs). There is the presence of death in the game for example the Vampire Counts race can fight with skeletons or zombies that have been 'brought back from the dead' via necromancy. There are demons in the game as well in regard to the race Chaos. Which are people that dedicate themselves to evil gods and gain grotesque favors and powers from them. Viewed on all accounts as bad/evil and understood to be the powers you should be fighting against to save the world. The main theme of the game is battle/war and the eternal struggle between good and bad. With this during the battle simulation part of the game there are battalions or units of individuals that fight and die. Also be aware there is a DLC(Downloadable Content) that can be purchased for a small amount of money that would include blood and graphic kill sequences. But this does not come standard with the game and without it the fantasy violence is very mild. 10-25% of the game is in this battlesim mode and the rest of the game is on a campaign map. There is the occasional 'Damn' word thrown around but that is the peak of bad language. Few adult concepts like slavery/death/pillaging/looting/execution that are not shown or can be participated in. Only used as flavor text to describe a scene for dramatic purposes. Very fun game that is challenging but has several adult themes discussed above. Play with your child for the first 20 minutes or watch gameplay on youtube for a better idea of what to expect.
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What’s It About?

In TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER II, players leave behind the conflicts of the Old World and get introduced to the war taking place leagues away in the New World. Here the regal High Elves, the sinister Dark Elves, the reptilian Lizardmen, and the rat-like Skaven struggle for control of the Great Vortex, a mystic maelstrom created by an ancient enchantment to drain the world of dangerously unstable Chaos magic. Some seek to defend the Vortex and keep the world free from demonic influence, while others seek to destroy the Vortex and control the forces it holds at bay. Command your armies and watch the epic-scale battles unfold as you see fit. Take in the entire scope of war from a distance, or zoom in to get an up-close and personal view of the carnage. Practice diplomacy or dominate the opposition. Every choice you make has risk and reward. The stakes are high and the choices are yours. Choose wisely and remember: The one who controls the Vortex commands the fate of the world, as well.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (3):

No one ever said that war is easy, especially not the folks behind these strategy games, which are incredibly detailed and fun to play, but demand lots of trial and error to master. Take all that and toss it into the deep lore and established fantasy setting of Games Workshop's Warhammer universe, and you wind up with an overwhelming and sometimes frustrating experience that still manages to reward those willing to stick with it. This is a game that's simply not built for newcomers or casual strategy fans. The game assumes you know what you're doing and punishes you with a steep Everest-like learning curve. Even the tutorial feels more like it's tossed in as little more than an obligatory refresher. But for hard-core strategy fans, and for those willing to put in the effort to learn the nuances of the game, executing a successful battle is an exhilarating rush.

Although Total War: Warhammer II takes place on a different corner of the Warhammer world, replacing the original races with four completely different factions, the game still keeps most of the core components of the original gameplay. Some new tricks help to keep things fresh, though. One of the biggest is the inclusion of Rites, huge game-changing bonuses that can be accessed only by completing a specific set of objectives. The game also expands on the Lord characters of the last game, allowing them to grow and evolve based on your actions. Of course, that's only if they stick around. Thanks to a new Loyalty feature, that powerful leader you've been counting on for a final push might turn on you at any moment ... taking a chunk of your forces with him when he goes. It all adds to the tension of the battlefield, putting a heavier weight behind your decisions and putting a strong emphasis on keen tactics versus dumb luck. You don't just stumble into a victory in Total War: Warhammer II, you fight tooth and nail to snatch that victory from the jaws of defeat, and you wear that win like a badge of honor.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in gaming. What are some ways that the portrayal of violence in games can affect kids? Does a more visual portrayal, like in video games, have a deeper impact than imagined violence, like in a tabletop or pen-and-paper game?

  • Talk about different types of games. What are the similarities and differences in video games and tabletop games?

Game Details

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