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Medieval II: Total War (PC DVD) | 
| From: Sega
Category: Video Games
List Price: £19.99
Buy Used: £3.00
as of 1/8/2010 07:06 BST details
You Save: £16.99 (85%)
New (8) Used (20) from £3.00
Seller: gazblade
Rating:  86 reviews
Sales Rank: 916
Platform: Windows XP
Genre: historical-strategy-games
Media: Video Game
Age: 11 - 18 years
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5060004768653
Release Date: November 10, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Medieval 2 is the latest and greatest game to be released in the best selling and award-winning Total War series. Set in the years 1080-1530 the most turbulent period in European history, the game combines a vast, deep-thinking turn-based strategy campaign with the most cinematic, epic and brutal real-time battles ever seen in the genre.
A vastly enhanced version of the Total War engine vividly portrays the pure bloodlust of Medieval warfare with massive battles of more than 10,000 troops splayed across new graphically rich environments. For the first time in the Total War series each troop is an individual, garbed with the rich heraldic colours and glinting arms and armour of the period.
On the battlefield they`ll survey their surroundings for threats and incoming opponents and react accordingly. When engaged they`ll string together a series of devastating moves as Medieval 2`s new combat animation brings the conflict to life like never before. Total War has never been so ferocious or realistic.
The Medieval 2 grand campaign will hand you the reins of one of an emerging faction as you set about sweeping throughout Europe, conquering all before you. Expand your borders and develop your lands for wealth and prosperity by building cities or swell your army by constructing vast castles to protect your land and keep your rivals quaking with fear.
Use Princesses for diplomatic gain, Priests to spread the influence of your religious beliefs and Merchants to fill your coffers for your war effort. All the time the Pope and the Papal States watch over the Christian world, assessing the strength of your faith and making demands to prove your loyalty. Do you cater to his whims and avoid excommunication or plot his downfall and rig the papal elections to place your own Pope in power? - Real-Time Battles On a Massive Scale
- A legion of more than 250 new and unique units split over 21 factions, e
Amazon.co.uk Review
In a nutshell:
After the glories of Rome the Total War series is returning to the most turbulent era in Western history as you take control of the country of your choice in the golden age of chivalry and really big battles.The lowdown:
Some games think they're doing well if they have more than a dozen enemies on screen at one time. Medieval II: Total War has 10,000 at once. This is a remake of the best selling Medieval game using an enhanced version of the Rome: Total War graphics engine, which allows for twice the level of detail where every face is different and armour, shields and clothing vary from man to man. All the new features and advancements of Rome are also added into the game, including the 3D strategy map. On top of this it adds a vastly greater variety of new factions and units as well as the American continent to explore and exploit. Most exciting moment:
The new graphics and gameplay features all come together for the new night time sieges, with tens of thousands of soldiers on screen at once as the boiling oil and the flaming arrows create a sight to make Hollywood weep. Since you ask:
The game is, as much as possible, historically accurate, with in-game information available to explain about the Crusades, Renaissance and the discovery of the Americas. The bottom line:
The largest scale Total War game ever created with the best graphics in a strategy game ever.
HARRISON DENT
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 86
 If you ever wanted to be a king, this is your chance! November 22, 2009
Griesmayer (Wien, Österreich)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I still remember the old days when I used to spend countless hours playing Age of Empires II, thinking this was the best medieval game ever made - until 2006, when Creative Assembly released their next title in the Total War series - Medieval II. This game, basically a more complex and 3D version of the 2005 RTS game Knights of Honor, builds on the mechanics and success of Rome and is simply a stunner. It is a turn-based strategy game with real-time battles. The game's Grand Campaign is divided into two elements: a huge map encompassing all of Europe, North Africa, Central America (late game) and the Middle East, on which you and 20 other civilizations (excluding the Vatican and the omnipresent rebels) engage in a diplomatic and economic struggle to ultimately dominate all of said regions and defeat everyone else. Then there are the real-time battles, the scenarios ranging from open battles to sieges of cities or castles of various sizes, in which both players control upto (and over) a thousand soldiers. The graphics of the game are pretty solid for 2006. The terrain itself looks stale, though. And not only that, but if you zoom out, you can clearly see how your detailed troops are replaced with low-resolution sprites to keep the framerate up. An option to disable this for high-end PCs that can handle this would have been greatly desired.
You begin the game with a small number of provinces under your control. Each province has a single, major settlement controlling it, which can grow either into a city or be fortified and serve as a castle. Cities have more population, giving you more money through taxes, but Castles have better defences and the rescources to train powerful units. It is always important to keep an eye on the happiness of your population: high taxes, squalor and the lack of a garrison can cause your population to revolt and wrestle control of the settlement, which then needs to be recaptured by your forces to quell the rebellion. Buildings built in cities and castles take a certain amount of turns to be completed. You can move your generals fielding the armies that you train a limited distance each turn and lay siege to enemy settlements or battle enemy generals. Family members are much better leaders than lowly captains, as their stats (chivalry/dread, command/authority), entourage and traits (e.g. the ability to attack at night) influence the entire army. They also have their own bodyguard unit, the ability to hire mercenaries and erect forts and watchtowers. However, it is important to always keep an eye on their loyalty and faith: if these wane, they may be easily bribed and swear fealty to a foreign power or face a trial for heresy by the inquisitors of the Pope. If your faction leader and heirs die, you lose the game. So it is always important to keep an eye on the age, locations and loyalties of your evolving family tree.
In Medieval II, you cannot win battles through strength of numbers alone. You also need tactical thinking: cavalry charges are devastating, but can easily be stopped by enemy spear and pikemen, who are inferior to seasoned infantry, which in turn suffer from archers, who are vulnerable to heavy cavalry, which in turn are outwitted by camels and light horse archers. Troops equipped with better armor last longer, but running too long (especially uphill) will cause them to tire. Morale can often turn the tide of a battle. Units lose morale if they are losing the battle, charged by cavalry, if other units around them start routing, if they are attacked from the sides or rear or if the commander flees or is killed. A routing unit can easily be taken prisoner by pursuing cavalry. These can then be set free, ransomed, or executed after battle by the victor, just like he is able to peacefully occupy, sack or exterminate a city after a successful siege, which influences his chivalry or dread and standing with the Pope and target faction.
In Medieval II, you also employ agents: Merchants placed on rescources scattered across the map will generate money and can even put rival merchants out of business. Diplomats and princesses engage in diplomacy, the latter can also marry foreign generals to win them over or one of your own to increase his loyalty. Spies reveal opposing forces and if they infiltrate an enemy settlement, incite unrest and even open the gates for your army to invade and occupy the settlement. Assassins ply their trade on enemy generals and agents, or even sabotage and blow up buildings. Finally, your priests can denounce blasphemers and witches, or become heretics themselves if their faith is waning.
Religion and papacy also play a great role. You can influence the religion of your populace in each settlement by building churches or mosques and converting the populace through imams or priests. Each Catholic priest has a chance to be elected into the college of cardinals, and eventually become the next Pope, once the former dies (either of old age or assassination). The Pope can launch crusades and excommunicate those, who continue to wage wars with fellow Catholic nations. Plenty of timed events such as the invasion of the Mongols and Timurids or the discovery of the Americas and the dawn of gunpower act as a welcome change for seasoned campaigners.
Apart from the Grand Campaign, you can also play any one of six narrated historical battles, as well as skirmishes: open battles from a list of maps you choose, against any faction (most are unlocked after you complete the Grand Campaign once) controlled by the computer, or online against a human opponent over Gamespy Arcade (free account required).
Overall, Medieval II: Total War is, even without its ''Kingdoms'' expansion pack, a must-buy for all medieval era enthusiasts and a definite recommendation for fans of the Total War series. The depth and mileage you get for your cash earns this game five out of five stars!
War without end September 7, 2009
Mr. J. Prosser (Edinburgh, UK)
Richer graphics and the inclusion of cannon weaponry makes this a worthy addition to the excellent Rome Total War series. If you expect to complete a campaign in few hours think again. This is a deeply involving and time consuming game forget about eating, toilet breaks, taking the dog for a walk, helping the kids with home work or making your better half's a cup of tea you will be hooked. You have been warned....enjoy.
Excellent. August 2, 2009
Jacks (England)
Got a few days of your life to spare? Excellent game. I have had this and the Kingdom exp for quite awhile now.
Recently started playing it again after downloading a mod for it (stainless steel). Hooked once again. Great game.
Make sure you have a decent system to run it. 5 *****.
Amazing Game - Unrivaled! July 29, 2009
Jonathon May (Bristol, UK)
This is an amazing game, with fantastically high-quality units and buildings, with better campaign map choices and more micro-management for those who like it, and more automation for those that don't!
It's successor Empire: TW is still currently lagged with bugs, errors and the hideous activation wizard Steam, which needs internet connection every time you want to load it up.
If you liked the original Medieval, MTW2 is for you! Awesome graphics, compelling game-play and advanced options make this a huge leap from Rome.
OMFG AWESOME!! March 12, 2009
Michael A. White
This game is beyond good. Nigh on all the reviews show it perfetly. Having played it near constantly for months, there are only 2 regrets.
1) There is no dip-in-dip-out play style; everything is a serious time devote. It could do with a shorter, bite-sized piece like missions.
2) I have been forced to play it on the lowest quality available. Every tiny detail, from the shape of a storm to the rocking of the oxen carts, is so beautifull and detailed, my PC can't keep up!
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
THIS IS A MUST BUY.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 86
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