On the 14th of November, Creative Assembly announced the next instalment in their Total War series. And it’s got Vikings.
Thrones of Britannia is the first in CA’s new Total War Saga spin-off series, and is set during the period after the Viking invasions of the British Isles. These ‘invasions’ (really, they were raids) occurred between the 8th and 9th centuries, and ended with the establishment of the Danelaw – a bit of Great Britain that was under direct Viking rule. After this was established, a great deal of conflict erupted in the late 9th century over who could be the biggest boy in the playground. According to the game’s official FAQ, though, the specific end-date of the game is 1066 – the Norman conquest of England that consolidated it under a crown that endures to this day.
It’s this direct approach to a specific period of history that the Total War Saga side-series will be defined by. The official FAQ states that Sagas “won’t introduce brand-new eras” and will instead piggyback off existing periods in the Total War series. Despite this new approach to setting, the games themselves will remain the same. You’ll still be playing the same Total War game, with their sprawling campaign maps and tight real-time battles. As for how much content will be available, the FAQ points to Shogun 2’s DLC package Fall of the Samurai.
Thrones of Britannia will offer ten new playable factions, new mechanics, and a “highly-detailed new map”. No release date has been set, but Thrones of Britannia will release in 2018. Other details like cost, physical availability, and gameplay are still under wraps. In the meantime, here’s the official description and reveal trailer from the game’s Steam page:
The year is 878 AD, the embattled English king Alfred the Great has mounted a heroic defence at the battle of Edington, and blunted the Viking invasion. Chastened – but not yet broken – the Norse warlords have settled across Britain. For the first time in nearly 80 years, the land is in a fragile state of peace.
Throughout this sceptred isle, the kings of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales sense a time of change approaching; a time of opportunity. There will be treaties. There will be war. There will be turns of fortune that become the stuff of legend, in a saga that charts the ascent of one of history’s greatest nations.
Kings will rise. One will rule.
Arana blames her stunted social skills and her general uselessness on a lifetime of video games. Between her ears is a comprehensive Team Fortress 2 encyclopedia. Her brain remains at large.
