Medieval II: Total War Hands-On

As a series fan, getting a preview copy of the latest Total War game is a bit like Christmas come early. But at the same time, there is a lot for Medieval II to live up to. After all, it was the first Medieval Total War which got me hooked on the series’ perfect mix of turn-based and real-time strategy.

It doesn’t disappoint – I’ll say that much for it. At this stage, Creative Assembly have got the formula pretty much down. Medieval II basically upgrades the medieval setting to the level of Rome Total War: so armies (and other units) move around the map dynamically, rather than simply going from one territory to the next each turn; and in the battles, the units are fully 3D rendered, rather than looking like paper dolls. And that’s all very well, but there has been very little actually added – it’s essentially a cross between the first Medieval, and Rome. So even though I’m enjoying it a lot, I have to ask whether the developers are perhaps resting on their laurels a bit.

As it turns out, there has actually been a lot of work done here. As well as a restructuring of the military units, Merchants have also been added. These agents are like Diplomats and Spies, except that they deal with trade and resources. And settlements have been altered, so they can either be castles or cities – each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Diplomatic negotiations are now easier than ever – the negotiation screen now features more detailed information on the reputation of your country and the foreign power you’re dealing with, as well as a note saying whether a given deal is ‘generous’, ‘demanding’, or ‘balanced’ (this last point is a particularly useful change which can stop you wasting valuable time trying to squeeze money out of your rivals when they have no intention of coughing up). In fact, generally everything works better than it did in the first Medieval Total War, or even in Rome.

Medieval II also looks better than Rome did. The graphics are not noticeably better quality (at least, not in the preview build), but the world map appears more picturesque, and the unit images more varied. The music, voice, and sound effects are all of the high quality you would expect from a Total War game, and there is some good attention to detail to be found in the short voice clips, especially.

The campaign has been set up more like that of Rome – you must play through as one of the strongest factions before you can command the smaller powers. The countries have also been changed slightly, meaning there is no longer a hugely anachronistic ‘Italian’ faction, but rather the Sicilians, the Venetians, and the Milanese. Most notably, however, Medieval II will, late in the campaign, allow players to discover the New World and attempt to conquer the Aztecs. And of course, in addition to the campaign, Medieval II has the traditional complement of historical battles, and the option of playing a custom battle.

It’s a good game – a great game, even. It unites the excellent setting of Medieval with the gameplay innovations of Rome, and fixes a number of small problems which had plagued the franchise. It may feel a little like they’re retreading the same ground, but they’ve done a damn fine job of it.

Medieval II Total War invades New Zealand on the 16th of November.