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Medieval II: Total War pc Game Reviews
Medieval II: Total War
Critic Score
Metascore: 88 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.7 out of 10
based on 39 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 107 votes
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Rate this game

Medieval 2: Total War boasts an impressive array of new graphical and gameplay enhancements, including the capability for a massive 10,000 dynamic characters to be taken into battle at any one time. On top of this, The Creative Assembly have implemented a fully redesigned multiplayer mode that offers a dynamic multi-battle campaign bolstered by an unprecedented level of visceral combat choreography that reflects the brutality of medieval warfare. Set in the most turbulent and bloody era in European history, Medieval 2: Total War allows gamers to lead their armies across the battlefields of Europe and the Holy Land before discovering the Americas and doing battle with the fearsome Aztecs. Medieval 2: Total War offers a vastly enhanced terrain model to create new graphically rich environments portraying breathtaking cliff top castles and enhanced settlement features that are unique to each civilisation. [Sega]

PUBLISHER: Sega
DEVELOPER: Creative Assembly
GENRE(S): Real-Time Strategy
PLAYERS: 8
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: November 14, 2006

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Times Online
An exceptional game that brings history alive with enormous flair and clarity.
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95
PC Gameworld
What?s really most interesting about all of these changes, however, is that you now need to pay attention to all major aspects of the game to win, even at lower difficulty levels.
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94
Games Master UK
A kingly mixture of action and strategy - not only a top RTS but the PC game of the year. [Christmas 2006, p.76]
94
PC Gamer UK
Mesmerisingly challenging... If there's another wargame that blends geopolitics with tactics this brilliantly, or portrays war so memorably, then I'm unaware of it... The new king of wargames. [Dec 2006, p.56]
94
Pelit (Finland)
Take the contents and theme from Medieval. Mix them with eye candy from "Rome," add some spice and you have a winner on your hands. [Dec 2006, p.82]
93
Strategy Informer
This is the latest and most outstanding title in the Total War franchise, any history RTS buff or fan of the series would be psychotically imbalanced should they choose to pass on this.
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93
Game Informer
There is a metric ton of game to be enjoyed here, and I heartily recommend it to anyone with a lick of interest in the subject matter. Small annoyances, like a mediocre overworld interface and the occasional unit AI breakdown in the RTS battles, are nowhere near enough to diminish this game?s overall genius.
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93
Next Level Gaming
As a word of warning, if you were not ready for a long haul then I would recommend playing the shorter campaign; the big one is an epic.
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91
PC Zone UK
While the slightly glitched real-time battles may not be all that much different from Rome's, and naval battles and new multiplayer options are still conspicuous by their absence, there's simply no way that any selfrespecting strategy fan can spend this Christmas doing anything other than rampaging across the world on a whirlwind of medieval conquest.
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90
PC Gamer
A bigger, prettier, and more addictive game that leaves even the series' most recent efforts in the dust...If you think "Rome: Total War's" battles looked good, especially for the number of units on-screen at once (i.e., thousands), Medieval II will blow you away. [Dec 2006, p.28]
90
EuroGamer
Though familiar, MTWII is breathtaking in its depth, fiendishly challenging in all the right ways and a big old phlegmy spit right in the eye of anything else foolish enough to claim ownership of the strategy crown.
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90
PC Format
A bewigged, flouncing, educational "Rome." Wonderful stuff. [Christmas 2006, p.88]
90
GamePro
Best viewed as a refinement on an already phenomenal product.
Read Full Review
90
Games Radar
One of the best strategy games of the year, and arguably one of the best ever.
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90
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Grand, ferocious and full of drama, the battle elements combine with Medieval?s excellent take on diplomacy to create a fully-rounded experience ? one that will pay off for years to come.
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90
Boomtown
The best PC strategy game I've played for ages, since Rome: Total War in fact. Even if you aren't entirely happy about the period covered, it being something of a retread, there's so many new features and depth in this release to make any comparison with the first Medieval: Total War rather pointless.
Read Full Review
90
ActionTrip
The variety of units is amazing and it's easy to get caught up in multiplayer skirmishes. Granted, infrequent AI bugs may cause a few annoying moments, but that can easily be fixed with an update in the near future.
Read Full Review
90
Worth Playing
The beautiful visuals and the turgid music and sound coalesce to create epic battles.
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90
Sydney Morning Herald
Breathtaking in scale, Medieval II will keep you glued to the screen.
Read Full Review
88
GameSpot
"Epic" doesn't quite begin to describe the scope and scale of the latest Total War game--there's a lot of strategic depth, with plenty of amazing combat to enjoy.
Read Full Review
88
IGN
It's true that the developers really missed an opportunity to rework the interface but the graphics upgrade and new campaign options are more than enough to satisfy the legions of Total War fans.
Read Full Review
88
Gamers' Temple
What strategy gamer wouldn?t want to lead thousands of armored knights onto the field of battle?
Read Full Review
88
Game Chronicles
The gameplay and graphics are really very good and the value is through the roof here.
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88
GamingTrend
The relation between the actual battle in real time mode, and managing an empire in turn based mode, is pure bliss.
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88
Computer Games Online RO
Fans of the Dark Ages will definitely get a nice playing experience, and for them as well as for the rest of the RTS fans, Medieval 2 can easily be considered one of the best games this genre has to offer.
Read Full Review
86
FiringSquad
It?s probably the best game of the series despite its more modest score. It is more challenging, the battles are more interesting and balanced, and the graphics and sound are fantastic.
Read Full Review
85
Play Magazine
There's no better entry point to the "Total War" series than Medieval 2. [Jan. 2007, p.94]
85
PALGN
Medieval II: Total War would?ve easily been much more memorable if it wasn?t for a few questionable balancing and AI issues that sadly knock its spot from receiving a better score. It is still the most rewarding and exciting Total War experience though.
Read Full Review
83
Game Revolution
Despite some missed opportunities, Medieval II: Total War is still, hands-down, the best strategy game you can buy today. The scope is epic, the battles look legendary, and the increased use of non-military units and the smart incorporation of the politics of religion are welcome additions.
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83
GameShark
A success despite a few frustrations that pop up along the way and is a must buy for both fans of the Creative Assembly?s previous efforts as well as strategy fans in general.
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83
GamerNode
Overall, Medieval 2: Total War is an excellent real-time/turn-based strategy experience and definitely warrants a look, if not a sure-fire purchase, by fans.
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80
Game Over Online
The depth of the diplomacy, the many well-balanced factions, the intelligent layout of the interface, that all indicates to me a game design crew that really had its stuff together. While I don?t think as a game reviewer it would be appropriate for me to penalize a game for being too involved, I do think the pace of this game, the amount of plotting and planning versus the amount of payoff, is a little out of whack.
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80
Computer Games Magazine
Medieval II is a good game a couple of patches away from true greatness. As it stands now, it's a beautiful, well-crafted experience with some minor balance issues. [Feb. 2007, p.56]
80
GameDaily
There are still some strange artificial intelligence quirks in both the turn-based and real-time aspects of the game, and it appears that the Total War franchise is starting to steer away from more casual players who would prefer a little less realism in their game. Still, Medieval II presents a great challenge.
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80
games(TM)
This latest title in Creative Assembly's Total War franchise revisits the second game if the series and gives it a new lease of life thanks to a host of tweaks and revisions. [Christmas 2006, p.108]
80
GameSpy
Longtime fans of games like "Rome: Total War" may fault the game for not adding more, but if you're looking for a solid strategy title, Medieval II: Total War delivers.
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80
Edge Magazine
Aside from a very few niggling discrepancies, it?s an almost flawless experience ? one which, having demanded a heavy investment of both time and thought, richly pays off. [Christmas 2006, p.83]
80
Ferrago
A wonderful achievement both technically and, more importantly, in the level of historical detail that it contains.
Read Full Review
80
1UP
A lot of bang for the bullion -- whether you crave a detailed toy-soliders-in-1197-AD simulator or a complex, rewarding Civ-style strategy game, this Total War is a total package.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 107 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Cookie C. gave it a10:
The Vanilla game itself is ok, but AI is bad. What gives this game the edge is the community. There are literally loads of mods that you can download, and each of these is truly massive! Don't believe me, just check out the website forum and look for links to mods. Or Just Google "Medieval 2 mods". Then read for yourself. Well worth your money! (If not for the vanilla, then for all the mods!)

Biib B. gave it a10:
Awsome game, good graphics. the gameplaying is great.

Andrea C. gave it a9:
The AI can be largely improved, mainly the separate auto-management of units, agents, and taxes is missing. The game is the most spectacular mixing strategy and real-time tactics, but it lacks adequate management tools when the number of countries controlled becomes high. Turns become lenghty. Pathfinding needs reworking, as being real-timed makes it all too easy to lose a turn just by mistake.

Zio R. gave it a0:
Compaired to the orriginal Total War games, this one is terrible. It's slow caimpaign play makes waiting for each battle a chore; the battles may have good graphics however, there is to few of soldiers for them to be truly "epic"; and multiplayer over the internet for this game is virtually dead. I give this game 2 thumbs down, and if I had known this game was this bad I wouldn't have wasted my money on it. It is a dissapointment for the Total War series, they could have done much better.

Tom S. gave it a5:
I agree that the AI is terrible in all parts of the game. For example the AI attacks a castle/town the same way every time. It either knocks down the gate with a ram or destroys the walls on each side of the gate and then just lines up all the troops and performs the medieval death march. If there are two enemy armies only one will have built rams etc so the second army just sits there or will march all the way around the castle to the breach. So you never have to defend against more than one army at a time. This style of programming is typical. AI is almost always is the last thing on the production list. Games are release with poor AI and great graphics and sound because we as gamers will buy games because they look and sound great. Also creating good AI takes time and good programmers and the industry is only interested in hiring programmers that can make the game look nice. That is what sells games. Only we can change that by not purchasing games with bad AI. But that is not going happen because that would upset the profit margin. This has been going on for a very long time. To bad.

Alex X. gave it a10:
If anything this game has potential. Move that out of your way and you will see a game far beyond any game that has ever been made or even thought of. This game is simply magnificant on the largest scales I have ever seen. Watch as thousands of men battle it out in an epic fight to the death. Or conquer the world in the grand campaign. Ambush your enemies, assassinate generals, forge diplomacies, crusade, jihad, and wage total war on your enemies! Medieval 2 throws you into one of the bloodiest ages in recorded history in a strategic fight for world domination or the survival of another bloody day. Yeah, it was great.

Ethan Y. gave it a10:
A brilliant game from a brilliant company, Creative Assembly has found an award winning formula. The game focuses on managing a nation into an empire and commanding armies throughout the land makes this an enjoyable and rewarding game. With 17 playable factions, each with its own strength and weakness give this game an astounding amount of replay value. There are many strategies you can employ on and off the battlefield whether it be flanking an enemy unit or manipulationg religion to call crusades against a bothersome opponent. An overall graphically appealing game with a perfect balance of medieval era warefare strategy/tactics and diplomacy. Note: It is worth mentioning that there are many fan sites with mods to enhance or change certain gameplay aspects.

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