Gamespot
After a brief dalliance with hack-and-slash console gaming, The Creative Assembly is returning to the PC real-time-strategy world with Medieval 2: Total War.
"Medieval 2: Total War is the result of 7 years' continuous development of the Total War series and has been designed to appeal to all gamers, not just hardcore strategy fans," Creative Assembly studio director Mike Simpson said in a statement. Simpson hyped the game, saying, "Each game in the series has outshone the previous one and Medieval 2: Total War is no exception."
Not only will the game handle battles with 10,000 troops (as its predecessor did), but it will also outfit them with their own armor, helmet, and weapons for some visual variety. Players who zoom in on a fray will be able to watch the 200-plus unit types fight with new combat choreography that includes blocks, parries, combo attacks, and finishing moves.
While it covers essentially the same time period as its predecessor, the years of 1080-1530, Medieval 2: Total War expands the scope of the game well beyond Europe's borders. The campaign mode will allow players to test their mettle in the New World in battles with the Aztecs. Religion will continue to play a large role in the game; players can embark on Crusades at the behest of the pope, ignore the papacy entirely and risk excommunication, or plot the pope's downfall and install a puppet pope in his place.
Medieval 2: Total War will be published by Sega and is slated for a winter 2006 release in North America and Europe.
Gamespot
Medieval 2 is the latest and greatest game to be released in the best selling and award-winning Total War series. Set in the years 1080-1530 the most turbulent period in European history, the game combines a vast, deep-thinking turn-based strategy campaign with the most cinematic, epic and brutal real-time battles ever seen in the genre.
A vastly enhanced version of the Total War engine vividly portrays the pure bloodlust of Medieval warfare with massive battles of more than 10,000 troops splayed across new graphically rich environments. For the first time in the Total War series each troop is an individual, garbed with the rich heraldic colours and glinting arms and armour of the period.
On the battlefield they’ll survey their surroundings for threats and incoming opponents and react accordingly. When engaged they’ll string together a series of devastating moves as Medieval 2’s new combat animation brings the conflict to life like never before. Total War has never been so ferocious or realistic.
The Medieval 2 grand campaign will hand you the reins of one of an emerging faction as you set about sweeping throughout Europe, conquering all before you. Expand your borders and develop your lands for wealth and prosperity by building cities or swell your army by constructing vast castles to protect your land and keep your rivals quaking with fear.
Use Princesses for diplomatic gain, Priests to spread the influence of your religious beliefs and Merchants to fill your coffers for your war effort. All the time the Pope and the Papal States watch over the Christian world, assessing the strength of your faith and making demands to prove your loyalty. Do you cater to his whims and avoid excommunication or plot his downfall and rig the papal elections to place your own Pope in power?
Key Features Include:
Real-Time Battles On a Massive Scale
Epic Battles with Enhanced Unit Detail
Thunderous battles on a huge scale with thousands of units on screen. Armies are now made up of meticulously detailed troops built with unique heads, body, weapons and armour with unique animations and poses that gives each individual unit character and depth. Troops and cavalry are decorated with all the heraldic finery and colour of medieval warfare that’s gradually muddied and bloodstained through the course of battle.
New Unit Abilities
A legion of more than 250 new and unique units split over 21 factions, each with their own new special abilities that open up a wealth of intuitive battlefield tactics.
Advanced Combat System
Zoom to the frontline and witness the fast, visceral melee combat enhanced by new spectacular battlefield animations. Troops block and parry attack moves and string together deadly combo attacks and finishing moves before scanning the battlefield for their next kill.
New Explosive Sieges
Embark on spectacular siege battles as huge armies and fearsome siege machines rumble into action. Devastating cannon, pummel imposing defences of fully destructible cities and castles before setting them aflame under the night sky
Advanced Lighting and Richer Environments
A newly enhanced graphics engine brings the battlefield environment to life like never before. The stunningly realistic landscapes feature detailed vegetation with sprawling settlements. Newly detailed dynamic weather effects beat down on new terrain types illuminated by enhanced lighting that captures every glint and spark as arms and armour clash under a gleaming sun.
Enhanced Multiplayer Battles
New multiplayer battle modes will ease the player’s passage to the battlefield and keep the online conflict raging.
A New All-Conquering Campaign
History in the Making
A huge campaign spanning from the years 1080-1530, that will take the player beyond the first Crusade up until the dawn of the renaissance. An extended campaign map will allow passage to South and Central America bringing the player into battle with the Aztecs.
New Settlement Types
Build through six levels of settlement ranging from humble villages to vast cities and wooden forts to mighty stone fortress. Develop your faction as a feudal aristocracy using you castles to keep the peasants in check whilst conquering your enemies with your powerful armies. Or build cities to develop a wealthy urban society, and battle your foes with diplomacy, bribery, assassination and armies of mercenaries.
A Supporting Cast
Put an array of ancillary characters to work and smooth your path to global domination. Boost your coffers with Merchants. Grease the cogs of diplomacy with Princesses and manage your faction’s path to religious enlightenment with Priests. Charge assassins to wipe out enemy generals and witness their cold-hearted killing first-hand with assassination movie sequences.
Embrace Religion
Will you obey the demands of the Papal States, catering to the whims of the Pope? Or shun his requests and risk facing his fearsome Inquisitors or even excommunication? Make a stand against him and you can infiltrate papal affairs by rigging elections.
Global Crusades
Win favour with the Pope and round up your armies for global crusades at his request. Players can even prompt the Pope to commission crusades as Catholicism wages a spiritual battle against the Muslim, Orthodox and Pagan religions.
WWWWOOOOOOO! They're baaacccckkkk! You know I was kinda hoping for a redo of Medieval when I saw the cool shit they did with Rome. I'm drooling now. UP THE EAGLE'S BYZANTIUM MARCHES AGAIN!
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken
:thumbsup