Description:A follow-up to one of the very best PC strategy games of recent times, Medieval Total War builds heavily on the success of its predecessor. There's no major revolution in the gameplay, but there are more than enough enhancements to make it worthwhile. The key change is the switching of location. The original, Shogun Total War, allowA follow-up to one of the very best PC strategy games of recent times, Medieval Total War builds heavily on the success of its predecessor. There's no major revolution in the gameplay, but there are more than enough enhancements to make it worthwhile.
The key change is the switching of location. The original, Shogun Total War, allowed the player to take on mammoth battles across early Japan. Here, the warfare moves to Europe and North Africa and again there are two components to the action. Firstly, a map screen demands overall strategic decisions from you, and it's here that you'll build up your resources, plan your attacks and establish your defences. Should conflict ensue as a result of your choices (and inevitably it will), then in kicks the second part of the game--the battles themselves.
It's here that the game really hits top gear. Once you've enjoyed a mammoth, real-time strategy battle with thousands of units on screen at once, you'll be hooked. But the devil here is in the detail. There are hundreds of tactical permutations to consider, from troop positions and line-up through to approach and grouping in attack. In the midst of the battle, choices need to be made that can swiftly change the outcome.
Make no mistake, this is easily one of the deepest and most engrossing strategy games for PC, and while it's very easy to get to grips with--thanks to ample tutorials and logical controls--there's a very challenging, long-lasting series of battles ahead. Of course, the real fun is taking advantage of the online options and fighting it out with gamers worldwide. Suffice to say though that the single-player experience is worth the money alone.
Described several times on the packaging as "epic", Medieval Total War is just that. It's to the credit of the developers that it manages to keep its scope and ambition and marry them so well to such an outstanding game. For that, they deserve your reward--they might make a third one, then. --Simon Brew
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#1 Medieval: Total War - 2002 Creative Assembly
There are a number of series in this category that could be listed here, some of which I have not played (Age of Empire) or didn't care for personally (Warcraft; yes, I'll acknowledge it's a good game, but I didn't care for it). But in all, the original Medieval has remained my favorite since I first played it. Yes, some of its sequels were also very good, but in all, I enjoyed being able to focus more on the battles themselves, and less on the "
Fraterlucis added this to a list 7 months, 4 weeks ago
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When I first encountered this game back in 2002, I had never played anything quite like it. It was addicting, immersing, and the strategic battles were like no other game I had ever played. Up until this game was no longer compatible with my operating system, I still played this game regularly. The unit movements on the large map were simplified compared to later installments of the game, but this one is still my favorite in the series. Even with graphics that were not as good as its predecess"
"2002 - Building on its predecessor Shogun, Medieval successfully brought together two aspects of strategic game play - turn based and real time. With the macro campaign played on the turn based world map, but importantly with individual battles played as real time games.
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"I feel it necessary to admit that I very rarely played out the huge battles that have become the hallmark of this series while conquering the known world in this epic game. However, that I never really had to and I still ended up conquering the world with considerable difficulty and strategy shows how robust this RTS really is."
"Halberd n. - A shafted weapon with an axlike cutting blade, beak, and apical spike, used especially in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Some of England's finest troops!
Hospitaller n. - A member of the religious and military order originating about the time of the first Crusade and taking its name from a hospital at Jerusalem.
Knights Hospitaller are some of the most bad-ass units in the game.
Arbalest n. - A powerful medieval crossbow with a steel bow, used to shoot stones, metal balls, arrows,"
"Game Breaker: Swiss Armoured Pikemen
Why?
This HEROIC unit is the medieval infantry version of a tank. Sure there are other spear-wielding infantry in the game, ranging from the raggedy peasants with hoes, to the burly British Halberdiers, but none come close to the stopping power of the Swiss Armoured Pikemen. With 96 men per unit, and heavy armour to protect from most projectiles, if there's a map with a bridge and you've got these guys on your side, nothing is getting past. "
ran88dom99 added this to a list 2 years, 7 months ago
"Estimate: 160 hours (6.6 days)
What a truly epic game. I remember grand conquests with the Danes, the British, the Aragonese, the Byzantines (*spit*) and the Italians. I'm reckoning each successful campaign is at least thirty hours long. Doesn't even begin to account for skirmishes. "
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