Arena is that strangest thing: a Total War game we don’t really know how to play yet. Sure, you’ll be controlling armies and employing familiar principles of charging, cover and bottlenecking – but on new battlefields purpose-built for competitive play.
Germania probably isn’t the map you’ll be trying first in Total War: Arena – it’s more sprawling and complicated than its fellows, and consequently intended for experienced players. But it’s nice to fly over in a trailer, particularly if you’re new to this MOBA-inspired take on the series.
The region’s dense forests and varied elevation means there are plenty of places to ambush and be ambushed. It’s good reason to make use of light infantry, and take your time ambling up to an enemy’s defences.
But there’s a place for heavy armour too – a few roads bypass the woods and are easily exploited by cavalry.
Germania joins Thermopylae, Marathon and Salernum in Arena’s map roster. The game’s being regularly updated right now in closed alpha, which you can sign up for on the Total War: Arena site – though for the time being it’s European only.
This weekend, Arena is offering extra in-game gold rewards in celebration of the Ludi Victoriae Caesaris, an annual games tradition established by Julius Caesar in 45 BC and upheld by Creative Assembly in 2015. The gold will be awarded to each player for their first battle of the day between Saturday 25th July 00:01 UTC and Monday 27th 23:59 UTC.
The finished strategy battle sim will be free-to-play and host 10v10 teams. Does that sound like something you’d climb into the saddle for?