Medieval II: Total War Review
Medieval: Total War is the old-school turn-based tactics and real-time strategy computer game released by Creative Assembly and based in medieval Europe. It's the second installment in the Total War series, after the equally successful Medieval II: Total War, and picks up where the latter left off. The game sees you defending your kingdom against attacks from an array of enemies (Undead, vampires and giants) who have invaded the known world. You'll have to build up your kingdom's defensive force by recruiting more soldiers, building structures such as walls and towers, and making sure to make good use of special abilities and attributes your characters can possess, such as increased strength, magic or movement speed.
Medieval: Total War plays out in first-person perspective like in Medieval II: Total War, but in this game the perspective switches to third person view while you are commanding your army. This tactical view is used to tell-tale story beats and gameplay tactics from within the game. In addition to that, there are a number of single player scenarios in which you can take control of one of the warring factions and fight your way through the battlefield. These scenarios are highly replayable and allow you to develop strategies and tactics overtime - something that Medieval II: Total War fails to give you, as it only allows you to play the same war over again.
Medieval has received generally good reviews, though it did have its fair share of problems. One of the most glaring issues with the game is that it does rely upon the "stacking" of units to counterbalance your opponents, and oftentimes the results can be devastating. Additionally, the overall interface and combat system are far from user-friendly. Another major problem is Medieval's unrealistic portrayal of medieval warfare, with Units being sent on wildly inaccurate journeys across vast battlefields and castles and you being unable to engage or even see them during these journeys. However, all these problems aside, Medieval is an enjoyable game, and with a little time and patience you can learn to hone your skills, which will ultimately help you to succeed in the game.
