And yet two rows of 10 computers each lure me and other writers to try our hands at this battle-focused online game, and I must say that after three tense battles, Total War: Arena convinces me of its potential. In such cases, the controversial reception Simpson speaks of arrives before the game is even released, and I admit that in my own eagerness for Total War to retain its reputation for complex, massive historical strategy, I approach Arena with skepticism. The idea of a scaled down, free-to-play iteration of a deep, beloved strategy series is the kind of one that inspires waves of pearl-clutching among PC enthusiasts who worry about the murder of big strategy games in the name of accessibility and audience appeal. And thus was born Total War: Arena, a streamlined multiplayer take on the series' strategic formula that pits two teams of 10 players each against one another, and gives players a handful of squads to lead into battle. As it happens, the series had already expanded into the mobile space with Total War Battles, but Creative Assembly clearly has eyes on other markets as well, and the free-to-play realm on the PC in particular. Simpson is speaking to a roomful of press members, outlining what the Total War teams have been up to and where they intend to go. "It's fair to say that some of our most ambitious titles have also courted the most controversial reception and some of the most divisive opinions." "Ambition's kind of a funny word to bandy around when you're talking about Total War," says Creative Assembly's Mike Simpson.
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