Grand Strategy
Ongoing coverage on Grand Strategy.
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Free Play Days – NBA 2K27, Crusader Kings III, The Alters, Bus Simulator 21, Soccer Story and Ravenswatch
Xbox Game Pass members can enjoy several games for free during Free Play Days, including NBA 2K27, Crusader Kings III, The Alters, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop, Soccer Story, and Ravenswatch. The Alters also offers a 3-hour timed trial for all players. Specific dates and times vary for each title.
"It's not in the top five reference points": Afterworld isn't just a Fallout grand strategy game, say Paradox, it owes a lot more to the Bronze Age
Paradox Interactive's upcoming grand strategy game Afterworld draws inspiration from the Bronze Age collapse rather than Fallout, according to content designer Luke Bean. The game's setting focuses on tribes rediscovering the history of a vanished ancient empire, with players defining their society's relationship to this past. While comparisons to Fallout are acknowledged, Bean emphasizes that Afterworld's 'Bronze Agey mystical cyberpunk ruins' take on the post-apocalypse is distinct.
Paradox's Afterworld ditches history for Fallout-style fantasy, and that's its biggest strength
Paradox's new grand strategy game, Afterworld, moves away from historical settings to embrace a Fallout-inspired fantasy post-apocalyptic world. The game aims for a more approachable and narrative-driven experience compared to Paradox's previous titles, with Game Director Dan Lind highlighting a faster pace and user-friendly interface.
New Crusader Kings 3 expansion tasks you to "wrestle with sin" in a transformative overhaul to religion
Paradox has released the 'By God Alone' expansion for Crusader Kings 3, overhauling the game's religion system. The DLC introduces playable theocracies, new rites and heresies, and a reworked excommunication system. A free update, version 1.20 'Crozier', accompanies the paid expansion, enhancing features like spiritual fulfillment and holy orders.
Crusader Kings 3's By God Alone expansion offers plenty of holy hijinks, even if your polyamorous Pope doesn't get divorced three times in one day
The By God Alone expansion for Crusader Kings 3 introduces significant religious mechanics, allowing players to reshape Christianity and experience events like the Great Schism. While the reviewer encountered a humorous bug involving a polyamorous Pope, the expansion offers deep strategic gameplay focused on religious influence and personal faith.
I got whomped by an Ork horde in Total War: Warhammer 40,000, definitely on purpose, to teach you a lesson about positioning
A hands-on preview of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 at Gamescom highlights the importance of unit positioning and customization in battles. Despite a challenging demo scenario where the author's Space Marines were overwhelmed by Orks, the game's depth in unit specialization and tactical decision-making has generated significant anticipation for the full release.
Total War: Warhammer 3 let me save the world and then destroy it as Nagash, and it's the most fun I've had in…
Playing as Nagash in Total War: Warhammer 3's Immortal Empires campaign, especially with the Lords of the End Times DLC and update 9.0, offers a deeply engaging and fun experience. Despite a challenging start and the looming threat of the End Times, the campaign provides a strong narrative structure and satisfying late-game progression, making it the most exciting iteration of Immortal Empires to date.
Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition Announced. Launches for PC on October 13th
Creative Assembly and Sega have announced the Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition for PC, launching October 13th. This package includes the base game and all previously released downloadable content, featuring support for 1440p and 4K visuals, modernized controls, and over 50 new playable factions.
Global War Command 1940 - Free Online Browser Game
Global War Command 1940 is a free, offline, turn-based World War II grand strategy browser game that requires no downloads or installation. Players command one of five major powers, managing military operations, economy, research, and diplomacy in a detailed simulation with procedural graphics and a comprehensive unit roster.
Paradox's grand strategy game Afterworld hasn't got a fixed history, it changes with every playthrough
Paradox's upcoming post-apocalyptic grand strategy game, Afterworld, will feature a procedurally generated history that changes with each playthrough. Game director Dan Lind explains that this dynamic approach to world-building, including the fate of cities like Las Vegas, is crucial for encouraging exploration and replayability. While some elements like faction placement will be more consistent, the game aims to offer a unique experience every time.
The Emperor would approve of Total War Warhammer 40k, Creative Assembly says. I can't help but agree.
Creative Assembly's Total War: Warhammer 40,000 aims to distill the vast Warhammer 40,000 universe into manageable, immersive campaigns. The game focuses on specific segments of the galaxy, allowing players to experience granular battles with meaningful stakes, reminiscent of Helldivers 2. The preview highlights accessible gameplay for newcomers and deep customization options, drawing inspiration from Space Marine 2.
Paradox's new apocalypse strategy game Afterworld aims to please players who "bounced off" the likes of Hearts of Iron 4
Paradox Interactive's new grand strategy game, Afterworld, aims for a post-apocalyptic setting with familiar survival and expansion mechanics. Game Director Dan Lind discusses the team's goal to create a game that appeals to players who found titles like Hearts of Iron 4 too difficult to get into, while still offering the depth expected from the genre. The game is being developed with a focus on player freedom and a smoother entry point.
'I worked for like 15 years on just Hearts of Iron and history, so you want to do something different' — Afterworld director explains the fantasy post-apocalyptic setting, and the pub trip that inspired the game
Afterworld director Dan Lind explains the decision to move away from historical settings after 15 years, highlighting the creative freedom offered by its original fantasy post-apocalyptic North American setting. The game aims to offer a detailed, smaller-scale grand strategy experience inspired by pub brainstorms.
Afterworld will be strategy royalty Paradox's "most approachable" game, and after raising cannibal fish-mutants to conquer America I'm hooked
Paradox Interactive's upcoming grand strategy game, Afterworld, is designed to be their most approachable title yet, featuring a post-nuclear apocalypse setting in America. Players guide their tribe through survival challenges, making impactful choices that shape their society and lead to unique outcomes, such as the emergence of cannibal fish-mutants. The game aims to blend accessible mechanics with deep simulation, drawing inspiration from post-apocalyptic literature and offering dynamic, replayable experiences.
Total War: Warhammer 40K is planned to be a single, growing game instead of a series
Creative Assembly plans to release Total War: Warhammer 40,000 as a single, continuously updated game rather than a trilogy of base titles. This approach, similar to later content for Total War: Warhammer 3, will focus on adding DLC and updates over years to build a unified sandbox experience. The game is currently targeting a 2027 release.
Afterworld, Paradox's post-apocalyptic grand strategy game, let me conquer Florida with a band of alcoholic mutant…
Paradox Development Studio's upcoming grand strategy game, Afterworld, offers a post-apocalyptic sandbox where players can lead various survivor factions. The preview highlights the game's deep systems for managing settlements, laws, and belief systems, drawing comparisons to Stellaris and Hearts of Iron 4. While ambitious and featuring unique mechanics like granular population management and an exploration-driven tech tree, the alpha build still requires significant polish and onboarding improvements.
Paradox’s New Grand Strategy Game Is More Survival-RPG Than You’d Expect
Paradox Studios' upcoming game Afterworld blends traditional grand strategy elements with survival RPG mechanics in a post-apocalyptic setting. Set 100 years after an event called The Fall, players lead a band of survivors, managing resources, morality, and societal development through an 'Idea Tree' instead of a tech tree. The game emphasizes survival and player-driven narratives over traditional conquest, drawing comparisons to Frostpunk.
Paradox Interactive's Afterworld wants to entice new players to grand strategy with tasty RPG hooks
Paradox Interactive's upcoming grand strategy game, Afterworld, aims to attract new players by incorporating strong role-playing game elements into its post-apocalyptic setting. Game director Dan Lind explained that the focus on discovery and cultural development, alongside RPG-like tribe origins, is intended to make the genre more accessible. The game builds upon Paradox's legacy of complex strategy titles like Crusader Kings III and Stellaris, but with a fresh approach to player onboarding.
Brigandine Abyss Review – One step forward, five steps back
Brigandine Abyss, a strategy RPG from Adglobe and NIS America, fails to impress with its dated design and uninspired story. While the game offers approachable grand strategy elements and a decent soundtrack, its repetitive gameplay, bland visuals, and balancing issues make it a significant step back for the series. The narrative is particularly weak, lacking depth and failing to engage players.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is aiming to be the "definitive" game for the setting, and I think it might be exactly that
Creative Assembly aims to create the definitive Warhammer 40,000 game with Total War: Warhammer 40,000, a grand strategy title that introduces significant changes to the series' formula. The game emphasizes ranged combat, cover systems, and unique mechanics like orbital deep strikes, drawing inspiration from the tabletop game and classic RTS titles like Dawn of War. Despite its complexity, the developers believe the game will be their most approachable yet, featuring a dedicated tutorial campaign.
