88
Total Annihilation lacks one critical element that would have put it on my all-time list, and that involves immersion. In other words, the storyline and between-mission cinematics (which were somewhat lacking) did not suck me in as C&C did.
90
If you managed to afford that high-end system then treat yourself to a game that will keep you hooked for some time to come and that will have your friends' jaws dropping in awe. It's a fresh game and a deserved GDR Gold winner. The real-time ante has been well and truly upped.
90
An impressive contender in the real-time strategy genre. An easy-to-use interface, coupled with intelligent AI, establishes the game as one of the best of its kind.
10
The amount of hours sunk into this game as a 12 year old is still to this day some of my most memorable peak gaming.
7
Very, Very hard game. Basically you survive until the bad guys run out of resources. Then you go sweep their base.
10
I really hope I'm not being biased from this being a childhood favorite, but after playing it recently again, I don't think I am. This was, and is still a good game, and a gem in the legacy of the RTS genre. The game has an excellent flow to it with the ability and challenge of managing large armies. The make up of your army, along deciding what troops to invest in is critical. Playing into the strengths of the terrain are critical, and I still love how battles force "traffic jams" with wreckage which can be a part of your strategy.
If there is one minor flaw, it's that it was very game play heavy with no development of the world and story it took place in. I always thought it missed an opportunity with that. The game was definitely ahead of it's time when it was released, and though some might say the formula was improved upon in it's spiritual successor, Supreme Commander, you just have to respect this as a classic in the genre which as much fun today as it was years ago.
Total Annihilation
Released On:
Sep 27, 1997
Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
User score
Generally Favorable
8.7
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
90% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
10% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
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0 Reviews
100
It has beautiful graphics, eerie music, and a very low learning curve. Each level is different enough to keep the gamer interested.
93
Cavedog has done a commendable job of taking the basic mechanics of real-time strategy and using them to create something new: A game that relies less on constant mouse-clicking than careful planning and strategic thinking.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.7
86% Positive
169 Ratings
169 Ratings
9% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
5% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
Feb 7, 2026
10
The amount of hours sunk into this game as a 12 year old is still to this day some of my most memorable peak gaming.
Aug 20, 2025
10
I really hope I'm not being biased from this being a childhood favorite, but after playing it recently again, I don't think I am. This was, and is still a good game, and a gem in the legacy of the RTS genre. The game has an excellent flow to it with the ability and challenge of managing large armies. The make up of your army, along deciding what troops to invest in is critical. Playing into the strengths of the terrain are critical, and I still love how battles force "traffic jams" with wreckage which can be a part of your strategy.
If there is one minor flaw, it's that it was very game play heavy with no development of the world and story it took place in. I always thought it missed an opportunity with that. The game was definitely ahead of it's time when it was released, and though some might say the formula was improved upon in it's spiritual successor, Supreme Commander, you just have to respect this as a classic in the genre which as much fun today as it was years ago.
93
Though I never though I'd say it, Total Annihilation rises above every strategy game there has ever been. To put it bluntly, it is the best.
90
An impressive contender in the real-time strategy genre. An easy-to-use interface, coupled with intelligent AI, establishes the game as one of the best of its kind.
90
If you managed to afford that high-end system then treat yourself to a game that will keep you hooked for some time to come and that will have your friends' jaws dropping in awe. It's a fresh game and a deserved GDR Gold winner. The real-time ante has been well and truly upped.
85
A significant improvement in the genre, but it's not quite all it could have been. [Jan 1998, p.295]
60
The fully three dimensional landscapes are stunning, and animation is equally so - units move around the area with superlative realism, and weaponry is as full of life as a piece of machinery can be.
Sep 20, 2022
10
Look at that, I’m writing a review 25 years after the game was released and I give it a 10. This is a fantastic RTS game with dozens of units and buildings that you’ll most likely all use during the 50 single player campaign (both sides) in addition to a DLC called Core Contingency.
I played the game when it came out in 97 but I was so **** by C&C at the time that I refused to invest time in another rts and I left it at that. 2 decades and a half later I can tell you that this game is much much deeper than C&C and has a lot more strategy. The battles, especially in later stages, are epic and can last several hours where you will have to take hill after hill and the AI in hardest difficulty is ruthless and will build units non stop by the hundreds unless you crash it to the last unit. I highly recommend this game, even 25 years later.
Oct 10, 2025
7
Very, Very hard game. Basically you survive until the bad guys run out of resources. Then you go sweep their base.
Sep 28, 2021
7
TA was, and continues to be the most innovative RTS until recently. Physics, terrain, weather, theatres of war, and map intel all contribute to TA's virbrant gameplay. Intuitive interface, unit AI, and order queue makes your massive army a breeze to command. The
Mar 18, 2015
7
probably the best RTS game - until supreme commander came. especially when you compare it to newer games the AI and poor map construction completely let down the entire concept of the game. also, if you're going to actually play it you need to ramp up the speed to avoid 10 hour skirmishes.
SummaryLong ago, the galaxy had known peace. Paradise was ruled with the hand of science, and the hand was that of the galactic governing body known as the Core. Ironically, it was the Core's ultimate victory, the victory over death itself, that brought about the downfall of its paradise and started the war that would decimate a million worlds.... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
