Which game would be good to start with? There seem to be several.
If you like history, pick a time period you like.
Shogun 2 if you are interested in Japanese history and the scenery of Japan and samurai.
Empire if you are interested in 1700s and colonization and muskets and what not with line infantry. This is the only one where you use primarily firearms. It has a very large map of the world in comparison to the others.
Medieval 2 may be outdated but it's a personal favorite. The crusades, the mongol invasion, the bubonic plague, etc were all great in game events that made the time period a fun one to play in.
Rome 1 is a fantastic game but probably outdated. It's a personal favorite for most older total war fanactics. Rome 2 is also a great game, although many people thought it was underwhelming at release. It wasn't perfect or fulfilled the expectations for a Rome sequel, but it's a solid game nontheless.
Attila is a good game as well. I find the situation to be pretty unique compared to the others.This is the first game that allowed you to show citizens in real time battle and allowed for fire to affect the actual city and burn down buildings. You can also raze cities off the map and turn them to desolate regions. It really emphasizes destruction.
Warhammer is the newest and probably the most unique as it has no historical context but is entirely fantasy. History fanactics were disappointed but I thought the execution on this game was excellent. I don't know enough about the lore like louder, but from a gameplay standpoint it has the most substance and diversity among the different factions and characters. Watching your giant absolutely demolish the enemy is quite entertaining.
