Total War Saga Thrones of Britannia: Monotony in Strategic Phases and Battles

An installment of the Total War series released in 2018, Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia rode the hype around the Viking era. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, the game plunges us into 878 AD, when the Great Viking Armies land on the English coast and upset the balance of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

Despite high expectations and an ambitious marketing campaign, the game did not achieve the expected success. The reason: a campaign many players found monotonous — real-time battles where the AI lacks creativity, and repetitive strategic phases, an almost identical cycle over and over — army development, Viking invasion, army development, new Viking invasion.

A Solid but Underused Historical Setting

Yet the game shines through its immersion. Ten factions are playable: the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia or Northumbria, the Viking duchies of Jorvik and the Great Heathen, as well as the Gaelic kingdoms and the Picts. Each has its regional units, traditions and specific buildings. Fortified town sieges and naval battles provide welcome breathers, as does the management of esths — these temporary army levies — which force Cornelian choices between territorial defense and conquering ambition.

Why the Campaign Runs Out of Steam

The main criticism remains its overly predictable gameplay loop. The strategic AI struggles to surprise, and real-time battles lack the tactical creativity of neighboring installments like Total War: Warhammer or Total War: Rome II. The map, confined to the British Isles, further limits the variety of strategic situations. Mods and the community nevertheless extend its appeal, especially on balance and the addition of new factions.

What Thrones of Britannia Still Does Well Today

Despite its flaws, the game remains an affordable entry point into the Total War universe for those who like Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Its contained price, its honest campaign length for a Saga episode and its successful sieges make it a pleasant installment, provided you enter it with the right expectations.