Following a CGI trailer reveal at the end of March, Creative Assembly released the first in-engine footage of Total War: Warhammer II, featuring everyone’s favorite Lustrian forces, the Lizardmen. This trailer gives us our best look at the scaly creatures yet, as well as a much better look at what the new real-time strategy game will look like in action.
Total War: Warhammer proved to be one of the more successful entries in the Total War range, despite straying from its usual historical roots. Following a few DLC releases for the original, Creative Assembly swiftly announced a sequel, in what will be a trilogy of games spanning the epic Old World of Warhammer.
Because it is aimed at a new campaign release with four new armies rather than an entirely new game, we don’t expect much in the way of graphical improvements with Total War: Warhammer II. While the in-engine footage seen in the above trailer is certainly pretty, it doesn’t stray far from what we expect from a contemporary Total War game.
That said, this footage goes to show that the scale and spectacle of massed battles within the Warhammer universe have not diminished at all. There are a plethora of new units to enjoy, with their own unique visual stylings, synchronized kills with some of the larger monsters and heroes, and vast new maps with ancient architecture to battle across.
This trailer also gives us more of an insight into the campaign, highlighting how the different races and their armies will come to blows as they all attempt to interfere with the cosmic gates in their unique fashion.
The game will see players take control of one of four races — High Elves, Dark Elves, and Lizardmen have been announced so far — battling across new continents and landscapes that add new thematic and strategic elements to the game. It should give it all a distinctly different look and feel, though the same sort of Total War mechanics championed so in the original Warhammer title will no doubt remain.
Total War: Warhammer II is slated for release sometime later in 2017 and will be playable at this year’s E3 show.