History YMMV / TotalWarAttila

** If anything, the entire game is full of soundtrack pieces that are full of this trope, and it's the one area that players and fans generally agree that the game [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter still outdoes]] [[VideoGame/TotalWarRomeII its predecessor]] in, being a [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel significant improvement]] in this regard compared to that game, and being a [[ImprovedSecondAttempt much better composition]] by Richard Beddow, the composer of both games. The game's "battle" themes in particular are excellent at bring the [[DarkerAndEdgier grittier tone shift]] compared to previous entries to the forefront by conveying the [[NightmareFuel fear and terror]] that the game's battles and wars can provide alongside the [[MomentOfAwesome awe]] that many of the other entries usually bring, and also that same fear and terror which the Romans and Germans felt and feel towards the [[TheDreaded Huns]]. The [[VillainSong Hunnic Battle Themes]], specifically "Scourge Of God", "A Thousand Arrows" and "The Will Of Tengri", are some of the best examples of this, though the Roman ("Legions Of The West", "The Red Horse", and "Champions Of God"), Eastern ("Riders Of The East", "Burning Crescent", and "Warriors Of Ahura"), and Barbarian ("Let's Kill Some Romans", "Assault By Sea", and "Fire And Ice") battle themes are not far behind in this regard, and neither are the "tension" or "mobilize" themes for any of the above faction groups.

** The various battle themes in the game (all excellent) deserve some mention too.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Alans were roundly criticized at game launch for having no real factional identity of their own and being a copy-pasted Germanic faction, despite not being remotely Germanic. The "free-LC" update completely overhauled their unit roster, removing most of their infantry and every single "Germanic" unit in their arsenal and replacing them with Alan-specific units - particularly cavalry units, which turn them into the most cavalry-focused faction in the game (even more so than the Huns).

** [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential You can choose to raze a conquered province]], destroying the town there and [[KillEmAll presumably wiping out all the people that were living in it]]. From that point on, the settlement that was there will be [[SceneryGorn nothing but dilapidated ruins]] and the area where it was on the map will be scorched and vacant. When Attila invades Europe, vast swathes of the map become like this. Looking out over where the Huns have been and seeing the dozens of [[GhostCity abandoned cities]] is downright chilling. The landscape is so bleak that it makes you wonder if civilization isn't just going through a tough time, but [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt truly dying]]. Worse yet is that a good chunk of the factions have been eradicated by then, leaving just you and Attila. The Huns may still be lurking around somewhere, [[NothingIsScarier obscured by the fog of war and not immediately visible to you...]]

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: No matter which faction is chosen (except the two Hunnic factions, as they can never settle down), the player's first strategic goal is to make a break for the sea, and to secure a seazone. Securing a seazone dramatically reduces the monetary losses due to piracy within the zone to around 10%, and sea ports can be converted to fisheries [[note]]except ports where spices are traded; such ports are exclusive to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea[[/note]], which provide a steady source of food (which is not affected by climate change mechanics) ''and'' income. Securing seazones are also vital in the ''Last Roman'' campaign. [[note]]''Charlemagne'' presents a more complex situation for ports, as fisheries no longer provide income. On the other hand, it also did not feature climate change mechanics.[[/note]]

*** On a related note, players who can afford it would almost always try to have a Food Trader at every provincial capital, because it provides another steady source of food (which is not affected by climate change mechanics).

** ''Blood and Fire DLC'' significantly ramps up amount of blood and general damage shown during battles.
** Units hit by [[KillItWithFire flaming arrows]] will sometimes catch fire, writhing in agony on the ground while screaming before perishing. It's a lot more gruesome than most of death animations in the game because of how drawn-out it is. Flaming ammunition is generally more effective, but at what [[WarIsHell cost]]?

* SelfImposedChallenge: Playing as the Western Roman Empire; even the game tells you the starting challenge is "legendary"; it is the only faction with Legendary as initial challenge in all Total War titles up until now.

* WinBackTheCrowd: Is receiving extremely positive reviews from fans (to the point Total War Center, a site infamous for its hatred for Rome II, has been giving it huge amounts of praise), and is being considered far better than its buggy counterpart, and one of the best games in the series. However, once Rome II got fixed and optimalised, both games were re-evaluated and it was Rome II who won the crowd back, while Attila got left behind as the far less polished of the duo.