Medieval II: Total War

"A few kinks, but still a remarkable game."

*** Warning, very mild spoilers throughout. ***

Overview
Medieval 2: Total War is the sequel to the original Medieval: Total War but more closely resembles Rome: Total War in actual gameplay experience. I doubt that a more in-depth strategy game can be found anywhere. Fans of Civilization will like the world map while fans of any RTS ever made will love the battles. Never before have the worlds of real time strategy and turn based strategy been blended so perfectly. Historically speaking the game is not right on. However, it does a better job than most games of painting an historical picture. Don't play this game to be educated, but don't come in thinking you aren't going to learn a lot either.

Gameplay
The world map handles all the information you need to play the game and for most players will be the gateway to the battles. However, this is not to say that the world map is not a fun place to be. The constant need to better your situation will force you to make good decisions concerning religion, diplomacy, taxes, and so on. But, in the end, all this strategy is just in preparation for the battles which are... simply put... amazing. Different people will use different tactics to win the battle and this is what the game is built around. No one tactic will win every battle. The player must adapt to every situation and be prepared for surprises. Since different factions have different units, they will also have different methods of fighting. This varies the gameplay further and creates a sense that you are actually leading armies of men across the known world and beyond.

Graphics
Gone are the "clone wars" of Rome: Total War. Each individual on the battlefield now looks different from his peers. Also taken care of is the close combat problems of Rome. Combatants no longer look as if they are just walking into each other swinging blades. The fighting is more realistic with men even going so far as to perform "finishing moves." Overall, the graphics are amazing. The level of zoom (from far overhead to right in the thick of the battle) is still cool after playing battle after battle after battle.

Sound
The score isn't what I would call impressive, but at the same time it certainly doesn't bother me. Pre-battle speeches are still fun to listen to and the accents of the different nations, while not spot-on, are still pretty good (as well as amusing from time to time).

My Favorite Parts
Going on a crusade/jihad is a great addition to the game and is done fairly well. The overall emphasis on religion is also welcomed although it is not as great as it could have been. Of course, there is nothing as great as building a Grand Army and marching it against the terrified enemy.

My Gripes
The AI, while better than in Rome, is still lacking. One incident in particular irks me, so I will recount it. I had a citadel (3 walls) that was beseiged by Mongols with trebuchets. I was the English and had many archers protecting my walls. The Mongols punched through fairly quickly and entered the first wall. However, they never made any attempt to bring in the trebuchets and once I had destroyed their ram they sat inside my walls while my archers slowly killed them. Obviously, they should have retreated, but instead they sat there and died. This is the exception rather than the rule, but I think it demonstrates the fact that the AI could still use some work. Also, diplmacy (aside from dealng with the Papal States) remains mostly useless. An alliance seems like a good idea until you realize that almost no one sticks to them very long. Finally, a minor gripe: you can no longer choose your faction heir as you could in Rome. To make matters worse, the aspect of authority makes it even more important to have a strong leader. I often find myself sending bad kings on suicide missions so that someone else can inherit the throne. I understand that historically the crown would go to the eldest son, but for the purposes of the game I wish we could go back to picking the faction heir ourselves.

Final
I love real time strategy games. But my major problem with them was the obvious insanity of a fighting group that came in, set up a base, collected resources and fought... all on the same battlefield. While I understand this is merely a gameplay mechanic used so that the armies can figt over resources, bases and turf all on the same map, I still always wished for better. I also love turn based strategy games. However, my problem there was that I would build an army only to send it off to fight in a risk style battle with another army. I hated the fact that the future of my empire hinged on the outcomes of dice rolls rather than my strategy. This is why the Total War seris has been a godsend to me. Resources are gathered and troops are created on the map while the actual battles are left just for the fighting. All in all, this is one of the greatest games I have ever played and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Minor problems keep it from being a perfect 10, but the rest of the game more than makes up for these. Buy it. Play it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/27/06