User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 227 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 4 out of 227
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  1. Feb 9, 2013
    10
    Great, just great. Improves the original game a lot. And there are 4 whole campaigns! Each one is really unique so you won't get bored. There are also plenty of new units.
  2. Jul 29, 2011
    10
    Omg this game is just amazing i mean like its a lot of fun.And also you have to use your brain on it.!One bad move could ruin it all! But other then that the gameplay is pretty fun and the conquering part makes it all the more fun
  3. JoshS.
    Aug 30, 2007
    10
    These total war games keep getting better and better. Keep them coming and keep mixing them up with different times and themes.
  4. AriB.
    Sep 10, 2007
    10
    Wonderful! sweet! if you like Medieval Total War then you will love Kingdoms. I can't let it out of my sight!
  5. BobB.
    Dec 4, 2007
    10
    This game has a near perfect campaign, it is the best strategy game around.
  6. MatthewB.
    Sep 1, 2007
    9
    Excellent expansion at least 75 hours of content only let down is that it is slightly buggy.
  7. MarcD.
    Sep 1, 2007
    10
    It never had a game that it surprised in such a way, edition after edition, as this...and still in waves them with a magnificent future. Incredible!!!
  8. BradO.
    Aug 31, 2007
    10
    Great Expansion. A must have! If you enjoyed the original you will definitely be lost in this one!
  9. Meestykpi
    Sep 23, 2007
    8
    Total War: Kingdoms gets an 8 from me for 2 reasons. While the devs hold back improvements to make more money from expansions and sequels in secrecy, and 2nd, for playing it safe and copying a safe formula from other games that already successfully introduced sea warfare in games like Sea Dogs, Age of Sails, BB, VC, Rise and Fall, etc... to their upcoming game. There isn't any new Total War: Kingdoms gets an 8 from me for 2 reasons. While the devs hold back improvements to make more money from expansions and sequels in secrecy, and 2nd, for playing it safe and copying a safe formula from other games that already successfully introduced sea warfare in games like Sea Dogs, Age of Sails, BB, VC, Rise and Fall, etc... to their upcoming game. There isn't any new elements to Total War: Kingdoms, because pretty much any contents into Kingdoms are from Rome: Total War. More paint, more scripts, more variety of units, more land to conquer, but all is easily added with the editor. The combat system remains the same as in Rome. AI is still buggy as usual when you watch a battle unfolds before you. You still can observe that the cavalry or even the infantry has a "rigid" behaviour of catching up to the enemy before the final slaughter in which there's a lack of cohesiveness into the mechanics. Also, when you observe one of your units pursuing a spread out enemy unit instead of being close and in formation, that's when you truly see where the game has gone down the drain... It's an awful feeling to see your enemy make a successful escape (just because your units cannot individually spread out to make a final blow to the enemy as they tend to reform themselves somehow, very poor AI) while your own units waste their breath chasing them to the edge of the battle map thus having to fight them again at a later time. Therefore, the devs never improved this engine even after Rome: Total War as they claimed. Definitely not a buy in future games from them if there is little to no changes to the AI behaviour. Those who gave a 10, increase your medication. Expand
  10. ChrisM
    May 8, 2009
    10
    This game is well balanced and somewhat historically accurate and is well balanced
  11. MatthewW.
    Aug 28, 2007
    10
    Absolutly incredible, as a avid PC gamer I've grown use to most expansion packs barely making it over the line of a glorified patch. This however is a true expansion pack. It have 4, count em, 4 brand new campaigns! The original game only had 1! And they are all totally different! from the crusades to the americas to the tuetonic wars to britania the all have thier own maps, playable Absolutly incredible, as a avid PC gamer I've grown use to most expansion packs barely making it over the line of a glorified patch. This however is a true expansion pack. It have 4, count em, 4 brand new campaigns! The original game only had 1! And they are all totally different! from the crusades to the americas to the tuetonic wars to britania the all have thier own maps, playable factions, 110 new units in addition to the throngs allready there from the original game... and new features such as the ability to control reenforcement armies which previously were only allowed to be used as ai controlled support in battles, this is huge! Everything about this game screams replayability, this is the best 30 bucks I think I've ever spent on a video game. You will NOT be disapointed! Expand
  12. [Anonymous]
    Aug 28, 2007
    10
    An excellent expansion that's perhaps larger than the original game.
  13. Aug 5, 2012
    8
    As expansions go, Kingdoms is actually quite good. Despite the updates, it does possess the same issue with the original Med 2 game in that the AI is either incredibly thick or incredibly stupid. The expansion is split between four campaigns; Britannia, the Crusades, the Americas and Teutonic campaigns, which I've listed in order of my impressions. All of them are at least enjoyable andAs expansions go, Kingdoms is actually quite good. Despite the updates, it does possess the same issue with the original Med 2 game in that the AI is either incredibly thick or incredibly stupid. The expansion is split between four campaigns; Britannia, the Crusades, the Americas and Teutonic campaigns, which I've listed in order of my impressions. All of them are at least enjoyable and offer a more distinctive vibe than the main game had. Overall though, Kingdoms is a worthy expansion despite not really adding much to the core gameplay. Expand
  14. Sep 3, 2012
    8
    A great addition to the original game. Good variety of campaigns and units. Unfortunately the American civilizations are too similar for my tastes. Just as good as Medieval II.
  15. Dec 14, 2012
    9
    I wasnt to amused with the new campaigns but mods of this game are amazing. Having played community made mods for countless of hours this is probably the single player game i have played the most in my life..
  16. Sep 8, 2013
    9
    Adds more depth and content to what was already a stellar game. Simply brilliant and still one of my 'go to' games. Replayability is huge and the extra campaigns and factions round out a fascinating and absorbing look at this turbulent time in world history. You will not be disappointed especially if you loved the original game. Nothing really new here just lots of great additionalAdds more depth and content to what was already a stellar game. Simply brilliant and still one of my 'go to' games. Replayability is huge and the extra campaigns and factions round out a fascinating and absorbing look at this turbulent time in world history. You will not be disappointed especially if you loved the original game. Nothing really new here just lots of great additional content. Enjoy! Expand
  17. Jun 30, 2016
    8
    Great strategy game for its time. It is still a good game to this day, but it has clearly aged. The management of your cities for example can be incredibly painful when you have a lot of cities.
  18. May 9, 2022
    9
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 9.
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. PC Gamer UK
    90
    There's almost no reason not to mount your horse and charge through the doors of PC World, beheading the security guard with a Zweihander and screaming blood-oaths as you enter your pin number, to get hold of a copy of Kingdoms. Only the weak will not be buying this expansion pack, and frankly, the weak are there to be trampled. [Sept 2007, p.82]
  2. Whilte it may not be totally perfect, the sheer depth and replayability of Kingdoms raises it high above any RTS expansion I've ever played. [Oct 2007, p.68]
  3. The problem with all these things which have been coded to create historical semi-realism is that it creates a limit of the tech-tree they can climb.