Total War 3: Warhammer is a great strategy game and it’s currently playable on the Steam Deck.
We decided to test it out over the course of the past month to see how it performs on Valve’s handheld device.
In this post, we will discuss Total War’s performance on the Steam Deck, its different features, its pros, cons, and more.
Total War: Warhammer 3
Total War: Warhammer 3’s gameplay is just as fun as the previous iterations. To make it better, the developers have added a variety of new factions and gameplay mechanics. We found the gameplay to be super addictive.
Alternate #1
Company of Heroes 3
Company of Heroes 3 is a super intense and equally fun strategy game that can keep you hooked for hours. Not only is it incredibly fun to play but it also provides great challenges to overcome. This results in satisfying experiences when you finally get through them.
Alternate #2
Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a dynamic turn-based strategy game that forces you to think creatively. The presentation is stunning and the game weaves mechanical and narrative aspects together quite seamlessly. We found it very easy to pick up and play.
Quick Summary of the Main Product
Total War: Warhammer 3 improves on the formula of its predecessors in many different ways while still maintaining what made the series so great.
You have many factions to choose from and there are a variety of different tools you have at your disposal such as diplomacy, economy, etc. to beat the campaign.
Let’s look at its different features in more detail.
Features and Benefits
Factions
Total War: Warhammer III features a variety of different factions with different goals and beliefs.
Depending on which faction you choose to help and who you choose to oppose, your strategy will be different.
Different factions will require different types of weapons and army types to beat.
Campaign
The campaign’s story is incredible and it’s a treat to find the proper strategy to get to the end of it.
Outposts
Outposts are a great new feature added to Total War: Warhammer III. When you form an allegiance with a particular faction, you get the option to construct one.
This allows you to replenish the troops in your garrison. However, the more important aspect is the fact that you can employ mercenaries from the allegiant faction’s roster as well.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Total War for the Steam Deck
Price
While Total War comes with a fairly hefty price tag, we do feel the price is justified when you look at the amount of content it offers.
You can replay the campaign in several different ways which results in new and different experiences every time.
Replayability Value
As mentioned above, Total War allows for great replayability since you can play it in a variety of different ways.
We found ourselves replaying the campaign several times to get a feel for how the game changes based on your choices.
Fun Factor
If you’re a fan of Total War or just strategy games in general, that’ll be right up your alley. There are a lot of mechanics to explore and a variety of play styles to try out.
Performance on Steam Deck
The performance is slightly lower on the Steam Deck compared to a PC but it runs quite smoothly. We did encounter an audio issue where we didn’t have sound when we first installed it. However, we were able to fix it through some troubleshooting.
Pros and Cons
- Impact QOL improvements
- Intuitive interface
- Great story
- Replayable campaign
- Variety of factions to choose from
- Have issues when running on the Steam Deck
Social Proof
Most people agree with us when we say that Total War: Warhammer III is incredibly polished and a fun experience overall.
Some people love the different factions while others love its unique story and lore.
Here are some reviews we found:
Similar to Total War (Alternatives & Recommendations)
#1: Best War-Game Alternative - Company of Heroes 3 Review
Company of Heroes 3 is coming out on Steam this February and it’s looking to be the best one yet. Steam has already certified it as completely playable on the Steam Deck.
Hence, you can easily play it while you’re traveling. The controls are, of course, not as smooth as a keyboard and mouse. However, they’re still fairly easy to use.
You can even use the touchscreen to control different aspects of the game.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Company of Heroes 3
Price: COH3 is a AAA game coming out in February. Hence, it has the price tag of a new AAA game. You can pre-purchase it on Steam.
Replayability Value: If strategy games are something you enjoy, then COH3 can keep you entertained for hours on end. It’s definitely a game that can be entertaining for years if strategy games are your thing.
Fun Factor: COH3 is super fun with its variety of game modes (1 v 1, 4 v 4, etc.) as well as different ways to play the game. It has a little something for all types of players.
- Satisfying rewards
- Great sound design
- Variety of game modes
- Intuitive interface
- Visually stunning
- Controls on the Steam Deck are not ideal
Best War-Game Alternative
The best war-game alternative is Company of Heroes 3 thanks to its user-friendliness, great graphics, and more.
#2: Best Turn-Based Alternative - Age of Wonders: Planetfall Review
Age of Wonders: Planetfall is an incredibly well-crafted turn-based strategy game that puts the player in long but exciting battles with foes.
The mechanics of the game are well-paced which allows for some intensely satisfying experiences. Each turn is long enough to allow you to build fun and dynamic strategies while also being short enough to maintain the game’s momentum.
The game has many different factions and allegiances to consider. Depending on who you choose to side with, the gameplay and outcome will change.
Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Price: While it’s not the cheapest game out there, we still think the price tag is justified due to the incredible replayability value and fun campaigns it offers.
Replayability Value: The replayability value is incredibly high since you can run several playthroughs in different ways to see how the gameplay changes.
Fun Factor: The game does have a learning curve when you first start playing it. However, once you get the hang of things and get an idea of how things work, it becomes incredibly fun.
- Fun gameplay
- Good sound design
- Gorgeous graphics
- Great replayability value
- Engaging story
- Steep learning curve
Best Turn-Based Alternative
The best faction-based alternative is the Age of Wonders: Planetfall thanks to its intuitive gameplay, visual aesthetic, and a great plot.
Buyer’s Guide
Price
The price of the game that you buy is extremely important to think about since we’re all working on a limited budget. Sometimes, your budget can be high while at other times, it’s low.
Not to worry though since there are a ton of games on the Steam Store that have a wide range of prices. Plus, Steam has sales almost all the time as well.
You can get video games for as low as a few cents (or even free!) and you can also pay hundreds of dollars to buy collector’s editions if that’s what you enjoy. Of course, this is all if you have the budget to afford it.
It’s also a good idea to consider subscription-based games if that’s something you enjoy as well. Steam has a wide variety of great titles that work well on the Steam Deck that you can try out.
Some of these include
And a whole lot more.
Fun Factor
The fun factor of a game is difficult to judge since what people enjoy can differ wildly. This is especially true when it comes to video games and even more true when it comes to games on handheld consoles.
The Steam Deck is great in this regard since you can use it as a handheld gaming device, a handheld PC, and also, a regular PC.
Wrapping Things Up
Total War: Warhammer 3 works incredibly well on the Steam Deck.
Additionally, since it’s such a rich, layered and addictive experience, you can easily add it to your Steam Deck so you can play it in buses, airplanes, etc.
It’s the perfect game to have in your Steam Deck if you want to pass the time while you’re commuting.
What do you think of Total War: Warhammer 3? Let us know in the comments section below.
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