Medieval II: Total War

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 949 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 856 out of 949
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 949
  3. Negative: 21 out of 949
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  1. Bangell
    Mar 25, 2008
    10
    My favourite game ever - epic battles, tactical gameplay on real-time and turn-based levels - an all-round masterpiece.
  2. Bekenel
    May 5, 2011
    9
    Truly excellent game, the graphics are stunning, the sound is well put-together and, despite the huge amount of content rammed into the strategy game in Rome, Medieval 2 has done a very good job of giving players far more options and freedom, allowing for almost total sandbox gameplay, which is what makes it so replayable. The vast variety of what players can do makes this game almostTruly excellent game, the graphics are stunning, the sound is well put-together and, despite the huge amount of content rammed into the strategy game in Rome, Medieval 2 has done a very good job of giving players far more options and freedom, allowing for almost total sandbox gameplay, which is what makes it so replayable. The vast variety of what players can do makes this game almost second to none in its genre.
    The only thing I would take a mark off this for is that siege battles are often a complete nightmare, with regiments often disobeying orders or, even more irritating, half a regiment remaining on one side of a wall while the other stays on top, refusing to do anything while you furiously try and redirect it. This really frustrated me, but apart from that, the campaign is an excellent experience and the in-battle gameplay is astounding. Based on this, It well deserves a 9/10    … Expand
  3. theshermanator
    Aug 15, 2010
    10
    A game that will make you feel like conquering the world. Out of all the total war games this is a personal favorite. Updated graphics bring units to life on the battlefield. Finally the player is able to recruit new units and buildings without a general present in the settlement. Ai is amazing for the most part on the battlefield however total war games have allways had issues withA game that will make you feel like conquering the world. Out of all the total war games this is a personal favorite. Updated graphics bring units to life on the battlefield. Finally the player is able to recruit new units and buildings without a general present in the settlement. Ai is amazing for the most part on the battlefield however total war games have allways had issues with the Diplomacy option. This game is no different. You may get rejected for no conceivable reason when trying to be diplomatic toward another nation. This is one of my small gripes and nothing really serious is wrong with the game.… Expand
  4. JonathanS.
    Mar 27, 2007
    9
    I have played Rome: total war, and now this awesome game, medieval 2. I think that a lot of people are missing that this isn't a second Rome, its a second medieval and its not the same. The cavalry charge in this game isent weak like most people say its 10 times stronger. you can kill a hole group of heavy swordsmen with a blink of an eye if you do it right. but you have to expect I have played Rome: total war, and now this awesome game, medieval 2. I think that a lot of people are missing that this isn't a second Rome, its a second medieval and its not the same. The cavalry charge in this game isent weak like most people say its 10 times stronger. you can kill a hole group of heavy swordsmen with a blink of an eye if you do it right. but you have to expect that its really hard to master the cavalry and yes, they are very bugged when running after routing units, but if you try and put up the game speed you will see that they kill them eventually (but they may do reaaaaaally wierd things). All the grafics are great and all the infantry works fine so except from the cavalry this game is awesome.… Expand
  5. CK
    Jun 11, 2007
    10
    I've always wanted a nice medieval game, one that puts you in the settings of the era. Medieval 2 did this very nicely, not only was i suprised at the depth of the game, but i was completely blown away by the sound and graphics. if you zoom close to the battle, you will see how it feels to see the sky full of flamming arrows, you will hear them zipping past your ears, and the screams I've always wanted a nice medieval game, one that puts you in the settings of the era. Medieval 2 did this very nicely, not only was i suprised at the depth of the game, but i was completely blown away by the sound and graphics. if you zoom close to the battle, you will see how it feels to see the sky full of flamming arrows, you will hear them zipping past your ears, and the screams from your co next to you as they burn in fire from the arrows. You will hear the knights charge from a distance, the pace from the horses picks up and the sound they make thunders from the distance. Sound and Graphics really wins the day, although AI can be a bit buggy, but the quality of the sound + Graphics earns every point from me.… Expand
  6. Doug
    Nov 11, 2006
    10
    A return from the excellent total war series. Excellent gameplay and graphics. Experienced total war players (like me) will enjoy the improvements to the graphics, and the tweaked combat. Even as I write I'm torn between 9 and 10. Some troubles with your soldiers AI are about the only problem with this game.
  7. JohnI.
    Jan 6, 2007
    9
    Great Graphics, some bugs, great gameplay overall, love the addition of the new world, A+
  8. BenjaminK.
    Jan 7, 2007
    10
    I have always been a big fan of the Total War series, and this game just puts me over the top! The graphics are smooth and sweet. The action is ten fold that what it was in Total War 1! If you're into strategy games, buy this!
  9. ArisL.
    Feb 6, 2007
    10
    Excellent game, bringing together a great combination of history with fun gameplay.
  10. CookieC.
    Jan 31, 2008
    10
    The Vanilla game itself is ok, but AI is bad. What gives this game the edge is the community. There are literally loads of mods that you can download, and each of these is truly massive! Don't believe me, just check out the website forum and look for links to mods. Or Just Google "Medieval 2 mods". Then read for yourself. Well worth your money! (If not for the vanilla, then for all The Vanilla game itself is ok, but AI is bad. What gives this game the edge is the community. There are literally loads of mods that you can download, and each of these is truly massive! Don't believe me, just check out the website forum and look for links to mods. Or Just Google "Medieval 2 mods". Then read for yourself. Well worth your money! (If not for the vanilla, then for all the mods!)… Expand
  11. FFStudios
    Nov 2, 2011
    8
    Definately has to be one of the best strategy games I have ever played. Now I know what you're probably thinking; "why an eight then?". First of all, the gameplay offers a massive choice of nations and units each with their own traits, but accessing all of these factions can be a slog at times. The mix of battles, diplomacy, family traits and strategy AI create a truly realistic andDefinately has to be one of the best strategy games I have ever played. Now I know what you're probably thinking; "why an eight then?". First of all, the gameplay offers a massive choice of nations and units each with their own traits, but accessing all of these factions can be a slog at times. The mix of battles, diplomacy, family traits and strategy AI create a truly realistic and immersive game that offers an infinate number of choices to your next move. However, sometimes the game can become a bit taxing to less motivated players (not that I'm complaining) and the AI during battles can often glitch. Whilst these glitches are mostly minor, they nevertheless break your immerson in the game and can be quite annoying when your soldiers glitch about instead of doing as they're told. Nevertheless, despite all its weaknesses, Med 2 is still a briliantly crafted game, its strategy mixed in with impressive graphics and cinematic music will keep you wound up in the Medieval age for hours.… Expand
  12. GiordanoM.
    Nov 14, 2006
    10
    Fantastic game for strategic players.
  13. [anyonimous]
    Nov 18, 2006
    10
    Best Game i've ever played. It posesses many of the old Total War traits which is exactly what makes it so good. Major improvement in the area of sieges (love those castles) and maps. Best part of all, the AI has become much more developed and realistic. Overall its a nice improvement
  14. ShadusS.
    Nov 23, 2006
    8
    Excellent game. I've been playing several other RTS games and was absolutely shocked at how good this is even compared to its predecessors. This deserves to be on every strategy players game shelf and hard drive.
  15. MichaelL.
    Dec 30, 2006
    7
    I've got mixed feelings toward Medieval II. I prefer this time period to the Rome setting and there are numerous improvements to the engine, like the graphics. There are bugs that really can take away from the enjoyment in battles, like major pathfinding problems. The campaign map, or perhaps the campaign as a whole, grows a bit tedious once you have a growing civilization. I'm I've got mixed feelings toward Medieval II. I prefer this time period to the Rome setting and there are numerous improvements to the engine, like the graphics. There are bugs that really can take away from the enjoyment in battles, like major pathfinding problems. The campaign map, or perhaps the campaign as a whole, grows a bit tedious once you have a growing civilization. I'm only picking out some negatives here, though. With a few patches to iron things out - not just fixing bugs, but adding some features and removing some things - I can see Medieval II becoming a very, very great game. But, like I said, at the time of my review I'm a bit mixed towards it.… Expand
  16. AndreaC.
    Dec 11, 2007
    9
    The AI can be largely improved, mainly the separate auto-management of units, agents, and taxes is missing. The game is the most spectacular mixing strategy and real-time tactics, but it lacks adequate management tools when the number of countries controlled becomes high. Turns become lenghty. Pathfinding needs reworking, as being real-timed makes it all too easy to lose a turn just by mistake.
  17. Iain
    Dec 11, 2009
    10
    Pure fantastic strategy, need I say anymore...? Essential.
  18. [Anonymous]
    Nov 14, 2006
    10
    An in depth, inthralling Real time strategy turn based game that keeps you intrested much longer then Rome total war did.
  19. Jerry
    Nov 15, 2006
    10
    Great game, I love the up-close and personal view where you can see your army in actions. Siege battle is awsome as well. 10/10!
  20. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    A good mix of turn-based and real-time strategy, although the turn-based elements often feel oversimplified. It does have a solid real time combat foundation, but the AI is either really good or really bad depending on the difficulty setting--there is no middle ground. If you are new to real time strategy games, this one has a pretty steep learning curve. Even seasoned players may feelA good mix of turn-based and real-time strategy, although the turn-based elements often feel oversimplified. It does have a solid real time combat foundation, but the AI is either really good or really bad depending on the difficulty setting--there is no middle ground. If you are new to real time strategy games, this one has a pretty steep learning curve. Even seasoned players may feel overwhelmed. 17 different factions on top of long and short campaigns give a lot of room for different story paths and immense replayability. One campaign can take days, even months of play time.… Expand
  21. Simox
    Jun 20, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game, limitless playability and excellent graphics among the best rts games I have ever played.
    A good all round winner, the bugs don't cause me many issues if you keep your eye on what your units are doing.
  22. MrFable
    Feb 9, 2013
    10
    Great game, best in the TW series in my opinion. Takes the awesome Rome: TW and improves it. Individual soldiers in each units are also really diverse.
  23. Heroixx
    Jul 16, 2015
    10
    Best total war in the series. Great fun! The best time, fine graphics (though they might be a little bit outdated nowadays --> MODS are the answer) absolutely fantastic gameplay, great music. Oh did I mention the mods?! Free to download a huge Third Age lord of the rings mod which basically is a game of its own. Besides that many many great mods, like Stainless Steel. Absolutely worthBest total war in the series. Great fun! The best time, fine graphics (though they might be a little bit outdated nowadays --> MODS are the answer) absolutely fantastic gameplay, great music. Oh did I mention the mods?! Free to download a huge Third Age lord of the rings mod which basically is a game of its own. Besides that many many great mods, like Stainless Steel. Absolutely worth giving a try!… Expand
  24. caligula_king
    Oct 3, 2015
    10
    Medieval II Total war. En mi opinión uno de los mejores de la saga, Los gráficos son muy buenos en especial para un juego de 2006 (e jugado juegos de estrategia de 2015 con peores gráficos). el sonido un clásico de la Edad media muy interesante y muy bueno se lucieron con los sonidos y la BSO es sublime . En este juego demostró una vez mas quien mandaba en la categoría de juegos deMedieval II Total war. En mi opinión uno de los mejores de la saga, Los gráficos son muy buenos en especial para un juego de 2006 (e jugado juegos de estrategia de 2015 con peores gráficos). el sonido un clásico de la Edad media muy interesante y muy bueno se lucieron con los sonidos y la BSO es sublime . En este juego demostró una vez mas quien mandaba en la categoría de juegos de estrategia .… Expand
  25. PeteF
    Oct 2, 2008
    9
    This game is great, it is adventurous and exciting, it captures your imagination and in the mean time lets you command and kill thousands of soldiers. My only complatint is the AI is sometimes retarted and the campeign can be slow. Besides that its like being right there in the heart of a battle.
  26. Korsu
    Jul 22, 2008
    8
    Medieval 2 is pretty entertaining it's a shame that at some point it becomes very repetitive and bunch of major bugs won't help at all including the horrible battle- and campaign AI. But this is indeed a beatiful game with epic battles.
  27. MacStout
    Nov 15, 2006
    7
    Still a good game, I didn't go to deep for the time being, just few hours playing but frankly speaking I haven't seen a lot of differences with Rome Total War, same global map and interface, same combat map and stategies and no real improvement in graphics. Overall it's a good game for people who liked Total war series but its not a new one, just kind of RTW mod.
  28. ChetN.
    Jan 15, 2007
    7
    Very pretty towns and battles. But I dont like the way cavalry charge and then stop 10 feet before the enemy line loosing their charge bonus, then dying as fast as weak infantry. This now means I dont recruit cavalry ( I was a cavalry general in Rome) as they are expensive waste of time. Watch them out going the oppersite direction when ordered to move, (order left they go right) this Very pretty towns and battles. But I dont like the way cavalry charge and then stop 10 feet before the enemy line loosing their charge bonus, then dying as fast as weak infantry. This now means I dont recruit cavalry ( I was a cavalry general in Rome) as they are expensive waste of time. Watch them out going the oppersite direction when ordered to move, (order left they go right) this kind of kills game play. Chase a routing group and the chasing cavalry scatter to the wind, it requires great skill and repeated direction (clicking) for the unit to do as ordered. This is a serious bug not fixed in 1.1 patch. And why does it still take three years to sail across the Mediterranean Sea (Algiers to Genoa) surely the crew would have died of starvation in this time. I look forward to fixes in the next patch as Medieval 2 should be an incremental improvement on Rome.… Expand
  29. JohnH.
    Feb 28, 2007
    9
    Since I never played the earlier games from the developer I think I see Total War 2 with different eyes than some of the other commentators. Being a huge Civ strategy fan as well as a fan of various RTS games I truly enjoy Total War, it's like two good games in one; Deep strategy and awesome RTS battles. Cavalry attacks can take out half an enemy unit in a few seconds if done right, Since I never played the earlier games from the developer I think I see Total War 2 with different eyes than some of the other commentators. Being a huge Civ strategy fan as well as a fan of various RTS games I truly enjoy Total War, it's like two good games in one; Deep strategy and awesome RTS battles. Cavalry attacks can take out half an enemy unit in a few seconds if done right, just makes sure your cavalry unit is in good formation before you order the attack. After a few seconds, pull them back, regroup and repeat. I don't think it's a bug.… Expand
  30. JonasH.
    Mar 29, 2008
    10
    One of the things I missed in Rome:TW was the economic perspectives of Medieval:TW, but in this game, they have found a great balance, by taking the best elements of Rome and Medieval 1 and making the best historical strategy game to date. I can't wait for Empire:Total War.
  31. aarona.
    Apr 27, 2008
    10
    One of the best games i have ever played! it has awsome graphics and sound. I fully recomend this game to anyone who loves the total war series. It's just plain brilliant and very addictive.
  32. BiibB.
    Dec 31, 2007
    10
    Awsome game, good graphics. the gameplaying is great.
  33. Tomwyr
    Sep 9, 2011
    9
    This is one of CA's best (with Rome Total War) games, it beats Empire, it beats Napoleon (which was rather a pile of garbage so that wasn't hard) and it beats Shogun2. It's from CAs good days, when there were modders and not every unit had to be sold as a dlc and it has a high replay value. I still like Medieval 2 better than anything that came after it.
  34. CaptainTrips
    Nov 6, 2011
    10
    An almost perfect game. A superb blend of RTS and Turn based strategy. Medieval 2 has stolen more gaming hours from me than any other title. Ever. Period. Coupled with the amazing addons from the community it surpasses (in terms of playability and longevity) any other game in my collection - and I have a big collection of games. The AI can be buggy at times, but this can be forgiven by theAn almost perfect game. A superb blend of RTS and Turn based strategy. Medieval 2 has stolen more gaming hours from me than any other title. Ever. Period. Coupled with the amazing addons from the community it surpasses (in terms of playability and longevity) any other game in my collection - and I have a big collection of games. The AI can be buggy at times, but this can be forgiven by the pure enjoyment of a huge siege or battle. However, the turn based part of the game is no slouch and is a deep and rewarding experience. If I was told I could only play one game from now until eternity it would be, without shadow of a doubt - Medieval 2. A Modern masterpiece.… Expand
  35. Maximus55
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    This game is great.Greater than most games, decent game-play, but not as much mods as Rome:total war.
    I like playing as the English because I am English!
  36. strangermoon
    Sep 27, 2019
    10
    in name of allah this game still fun. best history war game to date. other total wars try t obeat that but non achive this level. the lord of the rings or game of thrones mods of this game better than offical games. muslims in this game first time in west presented actual value and realstlcy. its universal game.
  37. Wulfburk
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    Great game but doesnt compares to Rome Total War, in some aspects it improved but in others it downgraded from the prequel, it has great mods such as Stainless Steel and Broke Crescent, and also the long awaited sequel to Europa Barbarorum (Rome total war mod), Europa Barbarorum 2!
  38. p360assassin
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    Havent played shogun 2 or pre rome games. But this is the best in the series, far better game then rome, and a generally awesome game.

    AI is not great, but its entirely playable. The people saying you cant charge with cav are stuipid, double click and u charge, how could u not understand this, its in every single game and medieval 2 is no exception. Sieges are great, although u can hold    Havent played shogun 2 or pre rome games. But this is the best in the series, far better game then rome, and a generally awesome game.

    AI is not great, but its entirely playable.
    The people saying you cant charge with cav are stuipid, double click and u charge, how could u not understand this, its in every single game and medieval 2 is no exception.

    Sieges are great, although u can hold off huge forces with just 5 peasent archers if the enemy doesent have siege weapons like catapolts and cannons. And even then any phalanix form able units can stop any breach with 2 units, but that is still pretty realistic, since generals from the time even said u need like 5 times the invading force if u want to capture a well defended castle, and 2x if u have the element of surprise.

    Pope can be annoying however, and i am sad you cant turn off the pope, as he will often threaten with excommunication when u invade a christian city after they attack you, even if u have higher rank with the pope. Also if u break a ceasefire or alliance in under like 10 turns of making it u cant get any nation ever to ceasefire without spending like 50000 and a major city.

    The pope often requests impossable things, eg in french campaign, his first mission was get england to give caen, a major castle that is englands greatest strategic area at the start of the game.
    He will also slightly down rank you if u dont join the crusades, which often are on the opposite side of the map (im in england and he requested crusades take juesalisim.

    But aside form those few flaws, im loving this game much more then rome and definatly the later games empire and napoleon.    … Expand
  39. iseeall
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    The game is excellent. I like it much more than Empire: Total war and a bit more than Rome Total War. Giving it 9 stars and not 10 because of some pathfinding bugs which make fighting in closed space (like when attacking a city) annoying. There are other bugs as well.
    Still, a great game. Waiting for RomeTW 2
  40. TheGamer31
    Aug 2, 2015
    9
    This is one of my favorite Total War games if not my favorite. The game has a lot of good things such as the family tree, diplomacy, combat, the economic system etc., but there are a few problems that keeps this game from being a 10. For example: sometimes can be just downright stupid or brain dead, the AI will declare war on you for no reason even if you are allied, and some of the questsThis is one of my favorite Total War games if not my favorite. The game has a lot of good things such as the family tree, diplomacy, combat, the economic system etc., but there are a few problems that keeps this game from being a 10. For example: sometimes can be just downright stupid or brain dead, the AI will declare war on you for no reason even if you are allied, and some of the quests that the game gives you are questionable. Although these problems aren't so prevalent to the point of it being God awful.… Expand
  41. Ultach
    Jan 15, 2013
    9
    One of the best games ever made, bar none. Sorry if I come across as a fanboy, but it'd be easier to list the features which aren't perfect! Those being; the AI is pretty shoddy, it's quite historically inaccurate, even for a Total War game, and there was a very limited number of factions, though thankfully that was remedied by the Kingdoms expansion.
  42. Jaz
    Feb 24, 2013
    9
    Great game. Has a few faults but they are minor ones. I prefer the strategic aspect of the game, its combat can be tedious and the controls aren't perfect. But there is nothing better out there after so many years.
  43. iddqd4
    Mar 16, 2018
    8
    このテキストは私のプロフィールにスコアが表示されるようにここにあります。
  44. PyatPree
    Sep 8, 2013
    10
    I am always surprised people prefer Rome Total War to this game. It has everything Rome had and more, so how can it be worse? It is really a very similar game but just in a different era and has a better campaign mode for sure, as well as some fantastic expansion packs and and larger campaign map. It was and still is my favourite ever total war game.
  45. ChrisAaron
    Jan 4, 2014
    10
    This is an incredibly fun and high-detailed game that is sure to keep the attention of many! Set in the medieval times (around the founding of the americas), this game is pretty accurate on its history. This game is truly no less that Miraculously fun.
  46. total
    Jan 27, 2014
    8
    great game lots of fun to play. I hope they make a Medieval 3 Total War and they don't muck it up like they did with Total War Rome 2 or Empire Total War. I hope that Sega is know done with putting Betas out on steam for at full price like Total War Rome 2 or Battlefield 4
  47. critic100
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    This game is boss. It is the ultimate strategy game for PC(my opinion). It has amazing battles and the graphics are really good. The historical battles are real-life battles that can teach things about history. The campaign is realistic and it's really fun. This is an amazing game.
  48. smeeeee
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    Medieval 2 Total War. Sure, doesn't sound as interesting as a game like, for example, Final Fantasy or Battlefield 4, but don't let the name be the game. In truth, Medieval 2 Total War will probably be one of the best military strategy games you have ever played. What is it? Medieval 2 Total War is a game where you get to build a mighty kingdom, through economy, diplomacy (if necessary),Medieval 2 Total War. Sure, doesn't sound as interesting as a game like, for example, Final Fantasy or Battlefield 4, but don't let the name be the game. In truth, Medieval 2 Total War will probably be one of the best military strategy games you have ever played. What is it? Medieval 2 Total War is a game where you get to build a mighty kingdom, through economy, diplomacy (if necessary), and - wait for it - ... brute force. This isn't like Clash of Clans, Good Game Empire or Game of War: Fire age, I'm talking about legitimate conquest: capturing cities, castles, and spreading your empire across Medieval Europe. Some categories that determined the score were:

    Graphics - I have a not-so-great computer, I'll admit. So I was surprised when I saw that Medieval 2's graphics were almost as vivid and real as they would have looked like in real life. No joke. They're that good on a medium-low level computer.

    Battles - I would have given it more had it not been for the max of 10 points. Here's how battles work: When you engage an enemy army or attack an enemy castle or town, you go into battle mode. This is where you engage the enemy army and try to kill them all, but here's the catch: YOU get to command your own army, instead of throwing armies out there and not get to see them fight, or get to see them fight but not have control over them, like in Clash of Clans. And once you get the hang of the simple controls, it'll make you feel like a true general. But wait, there's more! When you attack a castle, you get to fight the enemy army - in a castle!

    If you love strategy games but find them dull or lifeless, and want more in your games, I strongly recommend that you try out Medieval 2: Total War. It is truly a masterpiece.

    Creative Assembly, great job!    … Expand
  49. Salgi
    Sep 12, 2014
    9
    This is probably one of the strategy games that I enjoyed most.

    The game is amazing in all aspects. There is variety of units, it's relatively accurate in historical topics, the campaign map is big and you can play with lots of factions that make the game replayable thousands of times. It's true that sometimes your units disobey in the battlefield, there are some bugs and the diplomacy    This is probably one of the strategy games that I enjoyed most.

    The game is amazing in all aspects. There is variety of units, it's relatively accurate in historical topics, the campaign map is big and you can play with lots of factions that make the game replayable thousands of times. It's true that sometimes your units disobey in the battlefield, there are some bugs and the diplomacy occasionally seems totally random, but this is with Rome the best TW game without doubts. And the experience gains much using the fantastic mods that exist for this game. I hope that CA will allow to do mods like the ones of this game for other TW in the future.    … Expand
  50. BenHazelden
    Oct 13, 2014
    9
    Medieval II Total War is a strategy game to rule them all! A huge leap since Rome Total War, Medieval II almost perfects the beauty of large scale battles, and international war.

    The graphics are stunning - especially since this was made in 2006. The music and game-play are breathtaking, even though the AI do still struggle on the battlefield occasionally. This game will offer you a    Medieval II Total War is a strategy game to rule them all! A huge leap since Rome Total War, Medieval II almost perfects the beauty of large scale battles, and international war.

    The graphics are stunning - especially since this was made in 2006. The music and game-play are breathtaking, even though the AI do still struggle on the battlefield occasionally.

    This game will offer you a mesmerizing experience in a time of Total War!    … Expand
  51. Bribarian
    Apr 2, 2015
    9
    Probably my favorite of the entire series. Especially with all the modding that's been done.

    My only issue is some of the AI is garbage, and there's some unavoidable bugs.

    I also wish they would have left out the muskets and guns.
  52. compot8
    Oct 18, 2016
    9
    This will remain my favorite game of the series until Medieval3 comes along(hopefully of same quality). If you liked the new games you should definitely try this one, if you didn't than more so you need to try this proper TW.
  53. JaimeV.
    Nov 10, 2006
    10
    No other game conveys the true epic nature of warfare in the middle ages and beyond. Rome Total War was an epic game, and after playing this for a day solid its every bit better. The Creative Assembly are a fantastic studio, and Sega are in real danger of becoming a very good publisher.
  54. CBass
    Nov 15, 2006
    10
    Clearly based on the Total War Rome engine, but simply better, smoother and prettier. AWESOME.
  55. BrendanP.
    Jan 22, 2007
    10
    My new favorite game, infinite playability, Great AI with the new patch, incredible graphics, good sound, great soundtrack, everything is amazing.
  56. ConorF.
    Jan 7, 2007
    9
    Excellent and long game that I still have yet to finish in the long Grand campaign. The AI in the game can sometimes be pretty stupid but I have been on the verge of wipeout from one of the AI on hard mode. I wish there were more multiplayer aspects in the game though, and the naval battles are pretty lame but nothing that isn't bypassed. For those that are saying that it is a Excellent and long game that I still have yet to finish in the long Grand campaign. The AI in the game can sometimes be pretty stupid but I have been on the verge of wipeout from one of the AI on hard mode. I wish there were more multiplayer aspects in the game though, and the naval battles are pretty lame but nothing that isn't bypassed. For those that are saying that it is a "dissapoinment" from Rome, it's the same game but with different textures. That means same problems, same graphics, same AI.… Expand
  57. AlexX.
    Jul 28, 2007
    10
    If anything this game has potential. Move that out of your way and you will see a game far beyond any game that has ever been made or even thought of. This game is simply magnificant on the largest scales I have ever seen. Watch as thousands of men battle it out in an epic fight to the death. Or conquer the world in the grand campaign. Ambush your enemies, assassinate generals, forge If anything this game has potential. Move that out of your way and you will see a game far beyond any game that has ever been made or even thought of. This game is simply magnificant on the largest scales I have ever seen. Watch as thousands of men battle it out in an epic fight to the death. Or conquer the world in the grand campaign. Ambush your enemies, assassinate generals, forge diplomacies, crusade, jihad, and wage total war on your enemies! Medieval 2 throws you into one of the bloodiest ages in recorded history in a strategic fight for world domination or the survival of another bloody day. Yeah, it was great.… Expand
  58. TheMan
    Dec 10, 2006
    10
    Absolutely amazing. This game is a huge leap in the Total War series. There are 100's of different units, lots of empires you can play that have all unique units. The graphics are amazing, and the men on the battlefeild actually fight in good detail, unlike previous Total War games. It's a must buy for a RTS (Real-Time Strategy) and TBS (Turn Based Strategy) fan.
  59. AS
    Dec 7, 2006
    7
    I have mixed feeling with this game. I am glad that devs continued to explore the TW franchise further and the Medieval period is much enjoyable, al lest for me. The graphics are great, and the sense of individualism for each solider in the unit, gives the game great sense of reality. The battles not only look good but they also feel right. However, facing numerous bugs during the game I have mixed feeling with this game. I am glad that devs continued to explore the TW franchise further and the Medieval period is much enjoyable, al lest for me. The graphics are great, and the sense of individualism for each solider in the unit, gives the game great sense of reality. The battles not only look good but they also feel right. However, facing numerous bugs during the game play makes me want to go back to old RTW and play some of the communities mods. And while most of the bugs are not critical, they do cause a great deal of frustrations. One this is for sure, this game is in desperate need of a patch! In the other hand, I have not noticed any crashes, slowdowns or other performance issues with the game. I wish I have waited unit the patch came up; I would have had much higher opinion about the game.… Expand
  60. DanielB.
    Mar 26, 2007
    10
    When the units obey your orders, Medieval II is an amazing spectacle and a fun game to play. Not only are thousands of hand-chosen soldiers fighting at your command, but cities rise and fall at your leisure based on war, diplomacy, sabotage, and assassination. This game isn't perfect, but it deserves far higher than an 8.6 average rating, so I'm throwing in a 10 to make up for When the units obey your orders, Medieval II is an amazing spectacle and a fun game to play. Not only are thousands of hand-chosen soldiers fighting at your command, but cities rise and fall at your leisure based on war, diplomacy, sabotage, and assassination. This game isn't perfect, but it deserves far higher than an 8.6 average rating, so I'm throwing in a 10 to make up for the lack of enthusiasm.… Expand
  61. MichaelC.
    Apr 15, 2007
    10
    I am also a long time Total War series fan, and I'll admit I had very, very high expectations when I heard M2TW was coming out. After playing Rome Total War for two solid years, I was hesitant on just how the next game could hope to compete with Rome. Wow, was I surprised. Medieval 2 takes all the great elements developed from Rome and improves on them lock, stock, and barrel...or I am also a long time Total War series fan, and I'll admit I had very, very high expectations when I heard M2TW was coming out. After playing Rome Total War for two solid years, I was hesitant on just how the next game could hope to compete with Rome. Wow, was I surprised. Medieval 2 takes all the great elements developed from Rome and improves on them lock, stock, and barrel...or sword, shield, and pike! Visually, the game is just stunning. You only need try one demo battle to see that for yourself. Not only that, the gameplay is addictive, fun, and challenging, especially on the harder difficulty settings. Everything from the music, to the interface, and even the manual and packaging is top-notch. Admittedly, the initial release of the game contained some show-stopping bugs. However, with the first, and now second, patches available, the game now plays as it was intended. And it's worth every dime. I definately would highly recommend this game to any serious strategy gamer who is sick of the tired, boring, and now just stupid RTS gaming engine that most modern "strategy" games employ. It's truly an awesome game.… Expand
  62. ChrisS.
    Apr 4, 2007
    10
    This game is much better than the first few. You can actually see your soldiers and tactics also work. The new combat system and agents really improve gameplay along with things like the pope and crusades.
  63. EthanY.
    Jun 26, 2007
    10
    A brilliant game from a brilliant company, Creative Assembly has found an award winning formula. The game focuses on managing a nation into an empire and commanding armies throughout the land makes this an enjoyable and rewarding game. With 17 playable factions, each with its own strength and weakness give this game an astounding amount of replay value. There are many strategies you can A brilliant game from a brilliant company, Creative Assembly has found an award winning formula. The game focuses on managing a nation into an empire and commanding armies throughout the land makes this an enjoyable and rewarding game. With 17 playable factions, each with its own strength and weakness give this game an astounding amount of replay value. There are many strategies you can employ on and off the battlefield whether it be flanking an enemy unit or manipulationg religion to call crusades against a bothersome opponent. An overall graphically appealing game with a perfect balance of medieval era warefare strategy/tactics and diplomacy. Note: It is worth mentioning that there are many fan sites with mods to enhance or change certain gameplay aspects.… Expand
  64. Tom
    Dec 10, 2008
    10
    People are complaining about 'buggy' cavalry, when really it is fixed. I was stumped at first, until i worked out the new formed/unformaed charge system. In rome a cavalry unit could be charging one way, and quickly turn around and smash into an enemy flank, without stopping. Is this realistic? in med2 a charge has to have time to gather speed, and stay fairly straight to be People are complaining about 'buggy' cavalry, when really it is fixed. I was stumped at first, until i worked out the new formed/unformaed charge system. In rome a cavalry unit could be charging one way, and quickly turn around and smash into an enemy flank, without stopping. Is this realistic? in med2 a charge has to have time to gather speed, and stay fairly straight to be effective, and I much prefer this........ to the idiotic AI, simply put the difficulty to very hard/very hard, and you will have bigger armies coming at you while your supposedly 'equal' troops are inferior, and that erquires some clever tactics. good times, brilliant game.… Expand
  65. jp
    Nov 14, 2009
    9
    Good game, bravo!, but no Rome:Total War.
  66. DerekV.
    Nov 22, 2006
    10
    This looks like the best Total War game yet! My only problem is why they have to include sexual themes in it. A deffinit buy for me.
  67. RomanfoolR.
    Mar 12, 2007
    10
    I really like this game, i was a big fan of Rome Total War and when this came out I had to be the first to have it. I dont really have a problem with the calvery charge cause I never use horsemen anyway. I am all infantry, I love the heavy infantry and archers that the English provide. top notch. I would recommend this game to anybody with a beasty enough computer to run it. Awsome game, I really like this game, i was a big fan of Rome Total War and when this came out I had to be the first to have it. I dont really have a problem with the calvery charge cause I never use horsemen anyway. I am all infantry, I love the heavy infantry and archers that the English provide. top notch. I would recommend this game to anybody with a beasty enough computer to run it. Awsome game, my favorite at the moment.… Expand
  68. I
    Dec 13, 2006
    10
    I played All of Total War Games, and I can say, by far, this is the best one, I will not inclide the bugs because they release patches so there is no reason to complain about them, the game is great. graphics=10 gameplay=10, for newplayers, it might be hard to learn, but I'm sure people will enjoy it.
  69. Chmero
    Jan 7, 2010
    6
    Well, first of all, the problem in sieges where infantry will fan out when ordered to attack so only 5 guys at a time go at the enemy, archers on top of walls or inside the city fire 3-7 arrows and usually in random directions, making ranged combat while defending virtually impossible. I get the whole cavalary charge thing, makes perfect sense, but why the hell can't they take down Well, first of all, the problem in sieges where infantry will fan out when ordered to attack so only 5 guys at a time go at the enemy, archers on top of walls or inside the city fire 3-7 arrows and usually in random directions, making ranged combat while defending virtually impossible. I get the whole cavalary charge thing, makes perfect sense, but why the hell can't they take down routed enemies? I have to tell them to move past the fleeing enemy, and when they're on top of them, then tell them to attack so that they actually do anything. Also, cavalary has the same problem as infantry while inside cities, they fan out in a cloud when ordered to attack. Other than those bugs, the game is divine.… Expand
  70. JimCorbett
    Sep 3, 2012
    8
    Pretty good, but full of bugs. The gameplay is just as good as Rome, sieges are even better in my opinion. I absolutely hate the Mongols and Timurids though, they have massive armies that are almost guaranteed to not be destroyed unless you are able to mass thousands of troops to meet them right when they spawn on the campaign map. That, with the combination of many bugs/glitches, makesPretty good, but full of bugs. The gameplay is just as good as Rome, sieges are even better in my opinion. I absolutely hate the Mongols and Timurids though, they have massive armies that are almost guaranteed to not be destroyed unless you are able to mass thousands of troops to meet them right when they spawn on the campaign map. That, with the combination of many bugs/glitches, makes this short of being a great game.… Expand
  71. Cyntax3rr0r
    May 22, 2012
    10
    This is one of my favorite 4x strategy games off all time. I find myself constantly going back to this title. The weight of the religious influence seems accurate for the era and makes for a delightfully corrupting good time. Want a free pass to do whatever you please to Christendom? Well thatâ
  72. NinerJonny
    Jul 11, 2012
    10
    Six years later and this game is still the best Medieval strategy/simulation game ever made. Until they decide to make Medieval III, this is the game to own!
  73. Damascus
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    Because of the unique mod-ability of this game, it's still in 2013 one of the very best computer games of all time and the best of the total war series.

    The Third-Area mod makes for the best Lord of the Rings game ever made!

    The Call of Warhammer mod makes for the best Warhammer game ever made!
  74. FungS.
    Mar 6, 2008
    6
    Way too many bugs. Especially the bug where you order your men to attack, and only a handful of a 120 man unit actually do any fighting. Or maybe the bug where your cavalry breaks an enemy unit, but decide to stand still while the routing unit runs away, and then when you order them to chase the unit down, they run around in circles instead. Clearly, this game needs patching, but we Way too many bugs. Especially the bug where you order your men to attack, and only a handful of a 120 man unit actually do any fighting. Or maybe the bug where your cavalry breaks an enemy unit, but decide to stand still while the routing unit runs away, and then when you order them to chase the unit down, they run around in circles instead. Clearly, this game needs patching, but we can't even rely on the developers to do this! Just like Rome, the game community does the patching itself. Maybe the unofficial patch for Rome that fixed some 200 plus bugs could be remade for this game.… Expand
  75. MeestYkLt.
    May 27, 2008
    5
    Vanilla mode this looks just like Rome:Total War but only worse. Given, graphics improvements and sounds match the period, I can't help but notice so many familiar flaws while either trying to run down infantry with my cavalry, OR, battling it out with naval engagements, which, by the way, blows. Let's not even get into diplomacy here, someone's definitely dropped the ball. Vanilla mode this looks just like Rome:Total War but only worse. Given, graphics improvements and sounds match the period, I can't help but notice so many familiar flaws while either trying to run down infantry with my cavalry, OR, battling it out with naval engagements, which, by the way, blows. Let's not even get into diplomacy here, someone's definitely dropped the ball. Overall, it could've been a pleasant and award winning game. A disappointment. Lets' only hope Empire:TW will keep TW series afloat.… Expand
  76. K.R.
    Jan 11, 2007
    5
    Fans of the earlier games seem to be carried away with enthusiasm for improvements, without assessing the real problems with this game. Issues are: 1) Lack of guidance about performance tuning, which can completely cripple the real time battles, 2) Severe bugs, such as not crediting your account with significant amounts of money after a major effort capturing a city, 3) Unhelpful Fans of the earlier games seem to be carried away with enthusiasm for improvements, without assessing the real problems with this game. Issues are: 1) Lack of guidance about performance tuning, which can completely cripple the real time battles, 2) Severe bugs, such as not crediting your account with significant amounts of money after a major effort capturing a city, 3) Unhelpful information about how to use pivotal pieces such as diplomats (why are there several options for bribery thrown together...that are not accepted?) and merchants (are they supposed to move from resource to resource, or not?), 4) City improvements which, even though financially ok, cannot be selected... the list goes on. Is the game worth playing? Yes. Is it worlds better than a score of other games? No. Use a mid- to high-end computer, and be prepared to spend some considerable time in forums figuring out how it works.… Expand
  77. Meatcritic
    Oct 26, 2008
    3
    Unforgivable bugs make the game nearly unplayable. Veterans of Shogun: Total War will remember units ignoring orders issued to the unit group. Well, 3 releases later, CA still hasn't figured it out. AI is practically incapable of launching a siege, typically knocking down the first ring of walls and not bothering to move on to rings 2 and 3. Once repelled, the sieging attackers stop Unforgivable bugs make the game nearly unplayable. Veterans of Shogun: Total War will remember units ignoring orders issued to the unit group. Well, 3 releases later, CA still hasn't figured it out. AI is practically incapable of launching a siege, typically knocking down the first ring of walls and not bothering to move on to rings 2 and 3. Once repelled, the sieging attackers stop their rout just outside the city walls, making you hunt them down one by one before victory is declared. Cavalry doesn't charge or run down fleeing enemies; infantry units fan out into large clouds when ordered to attack, creating a front line consisting of 5-10% of the unit; AI battle strategy seems to consist of standing still, being picked apart by arrows, and trampled to death from the front, rear, and sides as you visibly march your armies around its forces. Difficult to believe the game underwent minimal (if any) beta testing. Sega should have released a flexible engine and allowed the mod community to design the rest. (Did I mention a bugfix mod exists solely to correct critical errors CA was too lazy to fix? One community member even sent CA a corrected version of the game files, and the developers still implemented the fix incorrectly in the patches.) Do not buy, and don't buy Empire: Total War until you've played a bit of the game and can verify the same mistakes aren't repeated for a 5th time.… Expand
  78. RichK.
    Nov 30, 2006
    4
    Major let down after the fabulous Rome: Total War. The campaign map graphics and unit cards are horrid. The battle graphics and animations are good, but the AI is so bugged most battles are won or lost based on which army gets the most bugged units. Troops regularly get stuck going through breached walls and gates and just - stop - blocking the way of all other troops. About half the time Major let down after the fabulous Rome: Total War. The campaign map graphics and unit cards are horrid. The battle graphics and animations are good, but the AI is so bugged most battles are won or lost based on which army gets the most bugged units. Troops regularly get stuck going through breached walls and gates and just - stop - blocking the way of all other troops. About half the time the AI will completely shutdown and the entire enemy force will just sit there and get decimated. Diplomacy is non-sensical with allies regularly attacking you for no reason what-so-ever choosing to attack your largest army and fortified city with one unit of Archer Militia then refusing to agree to peace even when they have been reduced to one city left with no troops and under siege from your army. Makes great screenshots nothing more.… Expand
  79. LysanderS
    Sep 20, 2009
    3
    Horrible. Compared to RTW, this game is terrible. Cavalry have become nothing more than targets for enemy archers to waste arrows on. No longer can you charge down an enemy. No longer can you charge down a ROUTING army. Cavalry are incredibly slow, and tend to glitch between having lances out, and having swords out. Then there's the fact that most units, ESPECIALLY in seiges, will Horrible. Compared to RTW, this game is terrible. Cavalry have become nothing more than targets for enemy archers to waste arrows on. No longer can you charge down an enemy. No longer can you charge down a ROUTING army. Cavalry are incredibly slow, and tend to glitch between having lances out, and having swords out. Then there's the fact that most units, ESPECIALLY in seiges, will ignore your orders, and a handful of the group will run in circles. The addidtions and changes from RTW can be counted on one hand. Useless princesses, which are like terrible diplomats, castles, which aren't exactly worth it other than for their millitary units, the pope, which is like a more annoying Sennate (SPQR). Diplomacy is terrible at best, but the campaign can be fun if you can learn to forget all of the horrible bugs.… Expand
  80. JeffY.
    Jan 30, 2007
    6
    Mixed feelings about this game. The graphics are certainly pretty enough when turned all the way up; artillery, archery, and cannon fire effects look especially impressive. Music and sound work is also top-notch. In all other respects, it seems inferior to its predecessor, Rome: Total War. Perhaps I am biased towards the Rome time period, but the Medieval II unit selection seems more drab Mixed feelings about this game. The graphics are certainly pretty enough when turned all the way up; artillery, archery, and cannon fire effects look especially impressive. Music and sound work is also top-notch. In all other respects, it seems inferior to its predecessor, Rome: Total War. Perhaps I am biased towards the Rome time period, but the Medieval II unit selection seems more drab and boring. As already noted, cavalry also has lost a lot of its effectiveness... they will go from charging into the rear of a group of enemy archers, to cantering up and inviting them over for dinner. They play like fast-moving infantry, which is nice but not worth the price premium and certainly not what a cavalry unit should be. The campaign map also seems no deeper than in Rome, with pretty much all of the same problems -- neutral ship blockades, strange time scaling issues, and so on. All in all, this would have rated an 8 or 9 if it were the first game of its genre... after Rome's strong showing, it seems a little weak.… Expand
  81. TBOne
    Dec 30, 2006
    6
    I'm pretty disapointed. All the annoying things about Rome are still there. What is the friggin point of the princess unit? Why does it take 20 years for a diplomat to reach Russia? Why does naval combat completely blow? After you've taken 9-10 provinces it turns into a micro-management nightmare. Too many spies. Too many assassins. Too much clicking. You end up having the I'm pretty disapointed. All the annoying things about Rome are still there. What is the friggin point of the princess unit? Why does it take 20 years for a diplomat to reach Russia? Why does naval combat completely blow? After you've taken 9-10 provinces it turns into a micro-management nightmare. Too many spies. Too many assassins. Too much clicking. You end up having the battle of hastings 3 times every turn as computer allies turn on you because you've become too powerful. The battles ARE brilliant. The strategic map needs a major overhaul. How can a neutral navy blockade your fleet? you cant move through them? Ridiculous. Buy it when its 19.99 and then you'll get your moneys worth.… Expand
  82. DominickM.
    Jan 11, 2007
    6
    I've been a fan of this series since Shogun, and I concur that this latest installment has sharp graphics and is generally well produced. However, as far as the grand strategy game goes, the AI still hasn't been fixed. All the bugs from Rome still exist here, and battles against the computer (castle siege in particular), remains pathetic and makes the campaign rather boring. Fix I've been a fan of this series since Shogun, and I concur that this latest installment has sharp graphics and is generally well produced. However, as far as the grand strategy game goes, the AI still hasn't been fixed. All the bugs from Rome still exist here, and battles against the computer (castle siege in particular), remains pathetic and makes the campaign rather boring. Fix the AI and this game is an instant 10.… Expand
  83. TomS.
    Nov 21, 2007
    5
    I agree that the AI is terrible in all parts of the game. For example the AI attacks a castle/town the same way every time. It either knocks down the gate with a ram or destroys the walls on each side of the gate and then just lines up all the troops and performs the medieval death march. If there are two enemy armies only one will have built rams etc so the second army just sits there or I agree that the AI is terrible in all parts of the game. For example the AI attacks a castle/town the same way every time. It either knocks down the gate with a ram or destroys the walls on each side of the gate and then just lines up all the troops and performs the medieval death march. If there are two enemy armies only one will have built rams etc so the second army just sits there or will march all the way around the castle to the breach. So you never have to defend against more than one army at a time. This style of programming is typical. AI is almost always is the last thing on the production list. Games are release with poor AI and great graphics and sound because we as gamers will buy games because they look and sound great. Also creating good AI takes time and good programmers and the industry is only interested in hiring programmers that can make the game look nice. That is what sells games. Only we can change that by not purchasing games with bad AI. But that is not going happen because that would upset the profit margin. This has been going on for a very long time. To bad.… Expand
  84. Budget_Security
    Jul 5, 2014
    6
    My friend brought this game over and I was pleasantly surprised (I prefer more hardcore games like Victoria). So I got the Gold edition from the bargain bin. The hotseat multiplayer mode is great fun if you have some friends and a lot of time to kill. This is a good game but not a great game because: it is still too arcade, the highest difficulty level is still way too easy, the AI isMy friend brought this game over and I was pleasantly surprised (I prefer more hardcore games like Victoria). So I got the Gold edition from the bargain bin. The hotseat multiplayer mode is great fun if you have some friends and a lot of time to kill. This is a good game but not a great game because: it is still too arcade, the highest difficulty level is still way too easy, the AI is quite bad, the battle autoresolve is very unbalanced and the controls can be temperamental. Good mods like Stainless Steel 6.4+ address some of the flaws. 5/10 for base game, 7or8 out of 10 for Stainless Steel mod.… Expand
  85. turkolainen
    Apr 20, 2012
    2
    I find this game to be the most frustrating game I've played in my entire life. Why? Among others, there's the fact that:
    1. Units tend to disobey your orders ALL THE TIME when in battle
    2. economy totally sucks in this game. it's vague, unpredictable and just plain irritating 3. unit damage doesn't make any sense. it's impossible to tell if your archers are doing any damage in battle, or    I find this game to be the most frustrating game I've played in my entire life. Why? Among others, there's the fact that:
    1. Units tend to disobey your orders ALL THE TIME when in battle
    2. economy totally sucks in this game. it's vague, unpredictable and just plain irritating
    3. unit damage doesn't make any sense. it's impossible to tell if your archers are doing any damage in battle, or that your cavalry is actually DOING SOMETHING. there is no such thing as a total HP meter to see if you are actually winning or not. too annoying!!!
    4. the AI in campaign maps tend to attack you for no freaking reason at all. last time i played, suddenly the Roman Empire just decided to attack me for no reason, along with the Danes and the French. their behavior is beyond idiotic
    5. you will be excommunicated for the most simple things. too frustrating
    6. conquering lands takes FOREVER. it's too much of a struggle to just take a single freaking city
    7. the overal battle system is complete crap. automatically resolving battles is NEVER in your favor
    8. you cannot choose every faction by default. this game wants you to complete the 50 hour campaign of 5 factions before you can play as the race you want. why not just make every faction playable by default??
    9. building stuff is lineair and does not have any depth. you build a tannery to get leather armor. you build a fletchery to get archers. you build a stable to get cavalry. this DOESNT feel like i'm building a city at all. it's lame
    10. the overall repetitive gameplay. conquering other factions requires you to do the same things 50 times over and over again
    i can go on like this for a very long time. please, don't buy this game. it's really bad    … Expand
  86. ZioR.
    Dec 10, 2007
    0
    Compaired to the orriginal Total War games, this one is terrible. It's slow caimpaign play makes waiting for each battle a chore; the battles may have good graphics however, there is to few of soldiers for them to be truly "epic"; and multiplayer over the internet for this game is virtually dead. I give this game 2 thumbs down, and if I had known this game was this bad I Compaired to the orriginal Total War games, this one is terrible. It's slow caimpaign play makes waiting for each battle a chore; the battles may have good graphics however, there is to few of soldiers for them to be truly "epic"; and multiplayer over the internet for this game is virtually dead. I give this game 2 thumbs down, and if I had known this game was this bad I wouldn't have wasted my money on it. It is a dissapointment for the Total War series, they could have done much better.… Expand
  87. shinequalivingston
    Nov 16, 2006
    0
    This game be hitten all up on my grillz homies, i be goin dlown to da mall bein all cool and sh*t and these peeps would be knockin at my crib sayin how east side this game was u heard me son. my peeps would never buy this sh*t and neither should you, you heard me you white people i dont give bout you wiggers so... dont be playin hatin home g's
  88. CharlieY.
    May 31, 2008
    9
    This game is amazing but i still liked the original Total War map and pieces style ie: shogun total war.
  89. Adrianor
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    Although M2TW was released 5 years ago, it's still an incredible game. Want to conquer all of Europe, North Africa and part of the middle east? Maybe even the New World? All of that is possible. And, let's not forget the epic battles with a large variety of troops.
    Plus, there are also great mods for the game that'll take it to the ultimate step. It's a must buy for every strategy game fan.
  90. theirrelephants
    May 15, 2016
    4
    Build pretty cities and stare at them amazed on the strategic map.

    Then realize the single player campaign is garbage because CA can't write AI to save their lives. You can win any siege with 1-3 units of any kind and ballista/cannon towers. Move unit outside of walls. Enemy will charge in. Walk back inside castle. Enemy slowly retreats while getting hit by tower fire. Rinse and    Build pretty cities and stare at them amazed on the strategic map.

    Then realize the single player campaign is garbage because CA can't write AI to save their lives. You can win any siege with 1-3 units of any kind and ballista/cannon towers.

    Move unit outside of walls. Enemy will charge in. Walk back inside castle. Enemy slowly retreats while getting hit by tower fire. Rinse and repeat. Uninstall game in anger.

    Shogun Total War (1) was better.    … Expand
  91. Tripnip14
    Dec 30, 2012
    5
    Could have been much better. The AI is broken in too many ways to put in words, and there are problems with units not following orders. There are a crap load of mods though. Nothing like Rome or Shogun 2.
  92. stern
    Dec 30, 2012
    5
    A bland and repetitive game where CA offers the same engine, the same mechanics of map painting of Rome Total war with graphics that would be considered inadequate 10 years from the release.
    Is so hard to invest in the artistic department? I felt shame for the developers when I saw the outdated menus, the poorly created icons and protraits, and the freatureless fortresses that were    A bland and repetitive game where CA offers the same engine, the same mechanics of map painting of Rome Total war with graphics that would be considered inadequate 10 years from the release.
    Is so hard to invest in the artistic department? I felt shame for the developers when I saw the outdated menus, the poorly created icons and protraits, and the freatureless fortresses that were supposed to represent my settlements.
    If previous titles offered a smooth battle, in Medieval 2 the units are unresponsive and buggy. The AI is totally absent, they are as incapable of capitalizing on chances as they are of accepting your peace offers when they have only one city left and you are besieging it with a doomstak, like any sane human player would do. The factions are empty, you'll grow tired of spamming always the same units, the mechanics are disfunctional with broken economy, broken upgrade trees, broken unrewarding units and broken religion. There is no geopolitics whatsoever, religion spread and priest production is unrealistic, assassination/sabotage is unrealistic, the game is ahistorical... After some time playing, supposing you have eaten other factions, you'll get bored very easily. Sieging is so damn broken I can't even understand the logic behind upgrading your wall levels.
    The music is great, really, all the rest is crap.
    Paradox is a company able to portray geopolitics in their maps, CA not.    … Expand
  93. Dragon_Fly
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    I play tons and tons of games many of them great and many of them awful. But this is still one of the best games ever made in the last 10 years.

    I wish they would just remaster it. It's the best bang for your money; as long as you don't mind looking at graphics that are nearly a decade old.
  94. Izoeros
    Apr 26, 2022
    7
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  95. Dusty_Hayes
    Jul 10, 2012
    8
    Medieval II: Total War after 6 years is still a decent 4x strategy game, single player campaign is nice, has a great custom battle mode (which is better than TW-Empire's) & the Gold Edition (Medieval II: Total War + Kingdoms Expansion Pack) can be picked up on amazon/play.com for less than seven pound whats not to like.
  96. Jarec
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    Awesome game, my favorite of the total war series by far. I cannot wait to see what they do with the next version. Only thing to improve really is the Americas part. 'Nuff said.
  97. kane148
    Aug 13, 2012
    9
    This was the second Total War game I played, the first being Rome, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved this game even more. Many improvements were made for this game, such as militia units, fortresses, larger unit queues, and more advanced diplomacy. Like any game, this one has its faults (e.g. bugs, bad AI), but overall it was a very fun game to play. I very much enjoyedThis was the second Total War game I played, the first being Rome, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved this game even more. Many improvements were made for this game, such as militia units, fortresses, larger unit queues, and more advanced diplomacy. Like any game, this one has its faults (e.g. bugs, bad AI), but overall it was a very fun game to play. I very much enjoyed the addition of castles and upgradable turrets, which offered a much more secure defense for contested areas, as well as the introduction of traders, which can be very useful for developing strong economies. I'd definitely recommend this game to anyone who likes strategy games, especially fans of the Total War franchise.… Expand
  98. CrusherTM
    Dec 22, 2012
    8
    Medieval was not my first contact with the Total War series. Before that I was in Rome: Total War, and therefore many mechanisms was not foreign to me. That's right - I had the impression that I play the same thing, only that transferred to the Middle Ages. You can not deny the charm and expand the game, it certainly needed in strategy games. Fortunately, that Rome was a good game.Medieval was not my first contact with the Total War series. Before that I was in Rome: Total War, and therefore many mechanisms was not foreign to me. That's right - I had the impression that I play the same thing, only that transferred to the Middle Ages. You can not deny the charm and expand the game, it certainly needed in strategy games. Fortunately, that Rome was a good game. Medieval Thanks is also very good, but not perfect. My score was 8, I think fair.… Expand
  99. vangomaextreme
    Sep 8, 2013
    9
    Getting slightly out of date now but still a fantastic game. The graphics for its time were groundbreaking and the scope of the game is huge but best of all manageable and keeps you involved. The real time battles are breathtaking and challenging but allow you to develop your skills as the campaigns unfold. Still one of my favourite Total War games and a great look at this fascinatingGetting slightly out of date now but still a fantastic game. The graphics for its time were groundbreaking and the scope of the game is huge but best of all manageable and keeps you involved. The real time battles are breathtaking and challenging but allow you to develop your skills as the campaigns unfold. Still one of my favourite Total War games and a great look at this fascinating period of history. A benchmark even today in the strategy game genre.… Expand
  100. Boogsbay
    Feb 16, 2013
    10
    My first Total War game. This game is pretty good it actually gives you a feeling that you're actually controlling and keeping peace in your faction and in your settlements. The game's graphics is good and combat is nice but sometimes your units won't listen which is really annoying sometimes. Mods help make the game better and add some extras like better combat and some historic events soMy first Total War game. This game is pretty good it actually gives you a feeling that you're actually controlling and keeping peace in your faction and in your settlements. The game's graphics is good and combat is nice but sometimes your units won't listen which is really annoying sometimes. Mods help make the game better and add some extras like better combat and some historic events so that's not a bad thing.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2006
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. PC Gamer
    90
    A bigger, prettier, and more addictive game that leaves even the series' most recent efforts in the dust...If you think "Rome: Total War's" battles looked good, especially for the number of units on-screen at once (i.e., thousands), Medieval II will blow you away. [Dec 2006, p.28]
  2. PC Gamer UK
    94
    Mesmerisingly challenging... If there's another wargame that blends geopolitics with tactics this brilliantly, or portrays war so memorably, then I'm unaware of it... The new king of wargames. [Dec 2006, p.56]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    94
    Take the contents and theme from Medieval. Mix them with eye candy from "Rome," add some spice and you have a winner on your hands. [Dec 2006, p.82]
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