Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3025 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Mastertronic Ltd
• Released on: 2006-04-28
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: Windows XP
• Dimensions: .56 pounds

Customer Reviews

Addictive, immersive, challenging - still a classic
Although "Medieval II" has been out for over a year now, this first "Medieval: Total War" remains a classic. This Gold Edition contains both the original game and the "Viking Invasion" expansion pack, allowing for a variety of campaigns set between the years AD 793 and 1453.

The game is split into two sections. The first of these is the campaign mode. In this turn-based mode the player uses the map to control the kingdom at large, setting taxes, building units and facilities, managing his/her generals, moving armies and fleets, conducting diplomacy with rival factions and employing spies and assassins. The second mode is the real-time battle mode, in which the players commands his/her armies directly, positioning troops, selecting formations and tactics and engaging the enemy. The level of detail in this mode is excellent; the 3D landscapes are rendered with trees, hills, water and bridges; even the weather changes.

There are 15 playable factions on the standard (European) map and 8 on the Viking (British) map. Each of these have their own characteristic units (longbowmen for the English, Teutonic Knights for the Germans, Varangian Guard for the Byzantines, for example) and each demands a slightly different style of gameplay. The standard map can also be played in one of 3 time periods, chosen at the start of each game, with more or less advanced units and facilities available according to each. There are also five levels of difficulty, making the game adjustable for all levels of expertise. Aside from the main single player game, there are a number of historical campaigns to undertake, including the Hundred Years' War (featuring the Battles of Crécy and Agincourt) and the Third Crusade. There are also four standalone battles (including Hastings in 1066), a custom battle option, a quick battle option (ideal for filling coffee breaks) and a multiplayer mode.

Indeed there are few faults to be found with this game. My biggest disappointment (and it is a small one) is that there is no manual booklet included with this Gold Edition, only a PDF copy on the disc. Because it isn't possible to view the game and the manual at the same time, it does make learning the game somewhat difficult - and it does take some time to master its full complexity. On the other hand, its very complexity means that once learned it is very immersive - almost as if one were really running a medieval kingdom.

Addictive and challenging, "Medieval: Total War" is an excellent game, and even years after its original release, still highly playable. For people with older, lower-specification machines who may be unable to run "Medieval II", the original will prove ideal. Moreover, at the low price Amazon are currently offering it, it is an excellent buy.

maybe the best Total War games?
Ok so a few reviews here have complained about the graphics(this is an old game) and controls which are fine btw, and crashes which is something they could fix with maybe a patch or visiting the total war forums for help, these things can 90% of the time be fixed in most games.

What you should know is that out of all the Total War games the first Medieval game(along with the Viking expansion) is widely thought of as the high point in the series. If you add in some of the excellent player made free mods you can download for it you easily end up with the best game in the series(and i've played them all).

Really it's about the AI and the graphics. For some reason after this game the AI in the total war games went downhill, maybe because the games were getting too complex in the battle engines? But anyway if you want a good challange rather than just a walkover this game is the best of the bunch(bar Shogun possibly). Graphics are fake 3D, the character models are still sprite based rather than the full 3D models that followed in the later games, but really in the thick of battle you wont really notice too much, and importantly this is a game where not most of the development effort went on making nice graphics, this game is more than that.

So dont be put of by the couple of negative comments, get this game(it's very cheap!) and visit the Total War website for patches and mods and enjoy this epic strategy game, the best of the Total War games.

Addicted
I've been addicted to these games since discovering them many years ago. I've wasted countless hours playing them. I get lost in there and lose all track of time.