SEGA announces Total War: Warhammer II for PC

Last year's Total War: Warhammer marked the first time a Total War game took place in a fantasy setting. Players could control armies of humans, dwarves, and orcs as they engaged in large-scale strategic battles.

The venture was so successful that SEGA just announced Total War: Warhammer II will be coming to PC later this year.

Total Warhammer

Total War is a long-running series of strategy games developed by SEGA of Europe's Creative Assembly studio. The series is best known for its large-scale 3D battles featuring hundreds of units on each side, battling to the last. Until the release of Total War: Warhammer, each game was based on actual historical eras and locations. In Total War: Warhammer II, things get even more fantastic.

Total War: Warhammer II takes place in the western hemisphere of Warhammer's "Old World," on the continents of Ulthuan, Naggaroth, The Southlands, and Lustria. These encompass a wide variety of environments, including lifeless hinterlands, enchanted isles, dangerous jungles, and deadly swamps.

As sequels inevitably strive to be bigger and better than their predecessors, so too will the new campaign. It centers on a massive struggle for control over the dwindling Great Vortex that has hovered over the elven homeland of Ulthuan from time immemorial. There, the magical energies of the world flow and dissipate harmlessly. Should the wrong hands gain control over Ulthuan and the Vortex, the results would be catastrophic.

Nearly all of the Warcraft world wants dominion over the Great Vortex, either for good or evil. Several races from the previous game will return, along with four new ones: High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen, and a fourth unannounced race. Each of these races must perform magical rituals in order to save or disrupt the Vortex. The future of the Warcraft world is at stake.

The war grows

In addition to the primary campaign, Total War: Warhammer II introduces a vast campaign map that encompasses the entire geography of the first and second games. Players will be able to fight battles in this huge world map as any owned, playable race from either game. This exciting map and mode is expected to be released as a free update shortly after launch.

As for the gameplay, players will choose a race and then lead that race's army into battle against their enemies. Each race has its own Legendary Lords, Heroes, spellcasters, troops, monsters, and siege weapons with which to dominate the battlefield. Outside of battle, you'll also have to build and expand your empire, raise your armies, and develop cities.

The newest Total War game promises to offer hundreds of hours of strategic gameplay in its vast new campaign. Like previous games, it will also support online multiplayer battles, but SEGA is keeping multiplayer details under wraps for now. Total War: Warhammer supported two-player online co-op, so hopefully that feature returns in the sequel.

Total War: Warhammer II should arrive on PC via Steam later this year, likely at the same launch price as its predecessor: $59.99. Strategy gamers won't want to miss it!