The Great Purpose does not allow for mercy!
"Guard the gates brother, for soon the world will arrive!"
Just like the first game, the sequel just adds even more awesome to the Dark Fantasy universe!
- Like in the first game, the second game has epic trailers to showcase the new factions and lords:
- With their self-destructive tendencies, their love of squalor, and their similarity towards lowly vermin, it can be easy to dismiss to Skaven as just a swarm of chittering idiots who are only dangerous via their numbers and handful of contraptions built more through trial and error than actual ingenuity. Then comes the reveal; that twin tallied comet that has every other race in a tizzy? It’s really a Skaven spacecraft meant to galvanize the other races into mobilizing against each other. The furry little blighters pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes so masterfully that no one on the entire planet (and likely the player him/herself) had any idea they were being played by a pack of “lowly” vermin.
- The Final Battle is a particular standout for every faction, but they all share the same base characteristic: After you defeat a vanguard of either Asur or Skaven, you have to deal with three additional armies from each of the rival factions coming up in turn to knock you down. The game's balance of power will almost certainly claim that you have no chance to win... but it does not account for the might of the Great Vortex, which after defeating the vanguard you are able to call upon to blast apart the enemy armies as well as healing your own troops. Even if you find the battle to be easy thanks to the powers, by the end of it you will almost certainly feel worthy of the Heroic Victory the game is likely to give you.
- The animations in Total War: Warhammer I were nothing to scoff at, but to say that they took it up a notch in II would be quite an understatement. From Skaven infantry leaping onto an enemy and ripping their throat out with their teeth, to the stunning sight of a Hell Pit Abomination pounding away at a dragon, the animation team really gave it their all. There are now even unique dueling animations between some of the Legendary Lords, which is a massive improvement over the hop scotch contests the fights could end up in the first game.
- At the start of the game, the High Elves are a Dying Race, inspite of all their courage and dedication. However, playing as them, you can not only rebuild the Empire of Ulthuan, but actually invade Naggaroth, finally bring Malekith to justice, and end the tyranny of the Druchii.
- On the flipside, if you choose to play as the Dark Elves, Malekith can finally succeed in achieving his revenge by conquering Ulthuan and becoming Phoenix King. Absorbing the power of the Vortex and becoming a Physical God in the process is merely icing on the cake.
- The Heirotitan of the Tomb Kings, a unit that never got a model on the tabletop, impressed a lot of people from the first moment it appeared in the trailer. Not only does it get a beautiful model but it wades into combat and blasts the enemy with its Eye Beams.
- The one-paragraph epilogue of the Tomb King’s campaign delivers a glorious case of poetic justice; Thutep now commands the Black Pyramid on Settra's behalf. For those who aren’t familiar with the lore, Thutep was Nagash’s brother by birth, and was next in line to reign. Being an utter narcissist from the start, Nagash’s envy drove him to seal his brother within his own tomb and claim the kingdom as his own. Ironically, the world's first and greatest necromancer must have forgotten that "dead" isn't the same as "gone", and never checked to ensure that his brother remained a corpse. Now Thutep has returned, and is exploiting his blood bond with Nagash to bend the Pyramid to his will (which would otherwise resist the presence of anyone apart from its creator). The brother that was murdered for the throne he inherited has now absconded with the throne Nagash made himself through his own hard work and toil, and he’s taking every opportunity to rub it in his brother’s bony face. For fans who have long suffered Nagash’s dickish behavior throughout the franchise, it was deeply satisfying to see that treacherous bastard get his vaunted pride torn to shreds.
- Defeating whatever crazy lord who is holding onto The Sword Of Khaine can be much more difficult than even the final battle of the game due to how incredibly overpowered that lord can become if they have held onto the blade for long enough. But once that bastard finally goes down and drops the weapon, it can feel incredibly satisfying.
- The entire trailer for The Vampire Coast, but the latter 2/3rd of it especially. The very fact that it's done with a sea shanty, the cannons shooting in sync and showcasing some of the roster of the faction makes you feel like a pirate. For added bonus, the very ending where a giant Merwyrm appears makes the icing on the cake.
- The final battle of the Vampire Coast's Vortex campaign is just as awesome as it is unique. Taking place in the magical undersea, where you clash with Lokhir Fellheart as he attempts to seize the Star-metal harpoon and steal the glory of slaying the great merwyrm for himself. The victory cinematic of your chosen lord brandishing the fallen corsair's helm as a trophy, as well as the death and resurrection of the great merwyrm, solidifies your place as the most infamous pirate in all the seas.
- It took two games, but GOTREK AND FELIX HAVE ENTERED TOTAL WAR WARHAMMER!
- And Gotrek is voiced by BRIAN BLESSED!!!!!!
- With the announcement that The Old World is coming back Games Workshop tacitly credited Total War Warhammer and Vermintide for the huge surge in interest. These games managed to resurrect their source material.
- CA and GW really went out of their way to end Total War Warhammer II with a bang - not only did The Silence and the Fury introduce the long awaited rework for the Beastmen, but it also added Thorek Ironbrow into the Eye of the Vortex campaign alongside a much-needed rework for the Dwarfs. But CA had one last treat in store: Ogre Mercenaries, which means that the Ogre Kingdoms are all but confirmed to be set to appear in Total War: Warhammer III while also opening up the path for the Dogs of War to show up in the third game as well.
