Medieval 2 Total War Singleplayer Review
The different factions (countries) in the game had many unique units. What was also cool, was that you could right click on a unit icon which then brought up a page about the particular unit. It lists the strengths and weaknesses of the of the unit, and even provides some true historical facts.
The amount of units on the battlefield was also something that I loved about this game. Its been a while since I played it, but if memory serves me correctly; you and the enemy can each have 800 units on the battlefield. The camera system was adequate, you can have an almost birds eye type view or you can zoom right in. It was wicked zooming in and watching the battle close up. The music and sound in the game were good, the music was medieval and suited the game perfectly. The physics were fine, despite the occasional glitch. The AI in the game had its moments. Sometimes they would perform an effective attack and put up a good fight. Other times you could send out you archers and keep shooting until their ammo is finished. The enemy would simply stand there getting shot. So thats something for the team to work on. I havent played the latest total war, so not sure if theyve fixed this. The campaign map is brilliant and is a great way of managing your empire. It shows all the countries involved and shows who is in control of them.
On the campaign map you micro manage all of your settlements. You set the tax rate, construct new buildings etc. An aspect of the game I really enjoyed was that each faction has a family tree. Sort of like a royal family. The family members are either used as governors for your settlements, as generals in battle, or both. Each family member has strengths and weaknesses. This affects how they perform in battle and how they manage a settlement. For example, if you use a general with a trait such as cowardly; it is very likely that he will flee in the midst of battle. When a general flees, your soldiers lose morale and can easily begin to flee as well. Therefore the traits of your family members can play quite a large role in the game. Certain governors can cause squalor within a settlement, which could lead to your settlement rebelling against your regime. I am so fond of the formula to this game. The campaign map combined with the battle mode, make this an excellent game.
The thing that I consider the most important in this game is the strategies required to win battles. When I was quite a bit younger, The age of empires, empire earth and rise of nations games were my favourites. However as I got older I craved a game that required tactics and not simply building the most units and directly marching them to meet the enemy. In Medieval 2 even if you have an inferior force, you can still win the battle by use of superior tactics such as flanking or using the right units to fight particular enemies. After playing the total war games I find it really difficult to enjoy playing the strategy games which I previously enjoyed. Apart from a few bugs, This is the best strategy game ever. Can't wait to get a new PC and fire up the total war games again.