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Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive EditionVSTotal War: THREE KINGDOMS

Which game gives you more value right now? Every metric, head to head.

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Quality
90Popularity
35Value
79
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
−80% $5.09
Buy Now
VS
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Quality
83Popularity
39Value
67
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
in 1 day
−56% $17.50
Buy Now

Winner

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition wins 8 of 15 head-to-head metrics.

This one's in a good spot right now, delivering on quality with a price that makes sense.

Grab It Now
8
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
8 of 15 metrics
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
7 of 15 metrics
7

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric comparison: winner determined by count, no weighting

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$5.09 Wins
$17.50 -
Historical Low Price (USD)
$4.61 Wins
$28.76 -
Best Current Discount
-80% Wins
-56% -
Sales Frequency
140 price changes Wins
124 price changes -
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
90/100 Wins
85/100 -
Steam Review Score
89.6% positive Wins
82% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
21.2K -
62.9K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
19.0K -
51.6K Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
2.2K Wins
11.3K -
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
1.8K -
3.5K Wins
Steam Recommendations
21.1K -
72.1K Wins
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
30 -
99 Wins
Supported Languages
8 languages -
13 languages Wins
Release Date
Mar 2009 -
May 2019 Wins
GameValio Recommendation
Worth ItTotal War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

This one's in a good spot right now, delivering on quality with a price that makes sense.

MaybeTotal War: THREE KINGDOMS

A fair option right now, though it's not quite compelling enough to jump on immediately.

Statistics Over Time

Side-by-side historical trends: same time range, same scale

Time Range:
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Player Count Trends

· Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

· Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

4 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin −80% $5.09Buy Now
GAMIVO
GAMIVO +1% $5.13View
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming$24.99View
Steam
Steam$24.99View
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

3 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin −56% $17.50Buy Now
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming +129% $39.99View
Steam
Steam +129% $39.99View

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Quality

Consistent high ratings show real quality, not just hype.

90% positive (21,178 reviews) — very positive reception
Metacritic 90/100 — critics unanimous, one of the best
21,178 reviews — very trustworthy data

Value

Average price — a good time if there's an active discount.

$5.09 — very accessible price
80% off — massive discount
Near historical low ($4.47)

Popularity

Past its peak but still active — niche experience.

1,630 concurrent players — solid base
21,178 total reviews — proven game with large community

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Quality

Well received by the community, with more hits than misses.

82% positive (62,852 reviews) — mostly positive
Metacritic 85/100 — high marks from professional reviewers
62,852 reviews — extremely reliable sample

Value

Average price — a good time if there's an active discount.

$17.50 — reasonable price
56% off — solid discount

Popularity

Past its peak but still active — niche experience.

-55% player drop
2,472 concurrent players — solid base
62,852 total reviews — major title
Game DetailsTotal War: EMPIRE – Definitive EditionTotal War: THREE KINGDOMS
Release Date
March 4, 2009
May 23, 2019
Developers
CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)
CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)
Publishers
SEGA, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)
SEGA, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)
Platforms
Linux, Windows, MacOs
Linux, Windows, MacOs
Achievements
30
99

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

No PC requirements data available

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10 64 Bit
  • Processor: Intel i5-6600 | Ryzen 5 2600X
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 970 | R9 Fury X 4GB VRAM
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 60 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: Microsoft no longer supports Windows 10 or older versions.
Which is better: Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Total War: THREE KINGDOMS?

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition won the comparison against Total War: THREE KINGDOMS based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition worth buying over Total War: THREE KINGDOMS?

Based on the metrics, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Aug 10, 2026, 11:49 AM UTC

GameValio - Buy now or wait? PC game purchase timing advisorGameValio© 2026

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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