Warhammer II's campaign is set in Warhammer's New World, a giant island archipelago with climates that range from frozen tundra to steamy jungles and arid deserts. But one thing's for sure: It's never boring.

I'm not sure if it's the best Total War, as at times it feels like it might collapse beneath the weight of its own mechanics, while some of the tensions introduced by the new systems occasionally threaten to tear the game apart. Indeed, in terms of the scope and variety the game offers, it is arguably better than the first game. Once you've put it on a few times and familiarised yourself with its rhythms, however, Warhammer II proves to be a darned catchy tune. Yes, it lets you play as the Skaven, but delightfully verminous as the Skaven are, it's still a little bit like playing as the fifth Beatle. Let's face it, it's quite hard to get excited about elves, while Lizardmen don't have the same immediate appeal as the undead hordes of the Vampire Counts or the Steam tanks of Karl Franz' Imperial forces. At first I wasn't sure about the choice of some of the instruments.

Total War: Warhammer II is the gaming equivalent of a cracking B-side.

Warhammer chaos and conquest rituals