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Medieval II: Total War

Total War series returns to the Middle Ages, but the formula remains the same - rule an empire, bash down some rebels and invade your next door neighbors. Medieval II: Total War retains the familiar setup - the main game plays out turn-based on a board game-style map of the Europe, and once diplomacy fails (in the Middle Ages that was "pretty often"), differences are settled in real time on a battlefield where you command your armies to take down others with same kind of megalomaniac plans to rule Europe.

Compared to previous Total War games, the most apparent changes are to the visuals. If your system can take the maximum settings, things look just stunning. Each soldier in your army is now an individual, and this is accomplished by varying the weapons, armor and markings of each character in subtle ways, and by finely changing the animations so that it's highly unlikely any two soldiers look or move the same way.

Massive armies of Medieval II: Total War

Cracking open the defenses of a fortress.

Another big improvement from Rome: Total War concerns the battlefields themselves - landscapes are lush and detailed, and cities and castles vary greatly in sizes and styles. Siege warfare has been improved again, and you can use artillery, siege towers, battering rams, catapults, ballistae, siege ladders, etc; the whole toolbox for cracking open a well-defended castle is present and works as advertised.

Total War with new twists

As the setting moves back to the Middle Ages from the Roman era, the gameplay has been changed in subtle but important ways. Roles of diplomats and agents have been refined, and as a new tool you have merchants who can be used to open new trade routes which provide extra income to fund your militaristic ambitions. The Roman senate is gone of course, but in its place you have the Pope dishing out difficult duties to perform, which you can skip at your own peril. Or you can plan for the eventual demise of the current one, and play the "pick the Pope" by steering your own trusted man into a position as cardinal to be selected as the next Pontiff - and any obstacles on the way can be handled with agents, cloak & dagger-style.

In Medieval II: Total War, instead of just building cities, you now build cities or castles, and you have to find a good balance. Castles build the best units and are easier to defend, but you also need cities to pay the bills your armies and Castles rack up. Specialization is the key, but it also means that losing a critical settlement can cripple you very badly.

The number of different unit types available is again massive, but the underlying rock-paper-scissors familiar from the first Shogun: Total War remains as the fundamental base for the battles - spearmen defeat cavalry, cavalry defeats archers, archers make quick work of spearmen. You also find light and heavy variants of all types of units, and more generic infantry and numerous "gimmick" versions of these basic unit types. Each unit type has its own pros and cons, and the best generals prosper because they know which units match up best with each unit type, and they ensure the battlefield positions are planned so that different units support each other to cover their weaknesses.

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