E3 2006: Medieval 2: Total War impressions

Creative Assembly continues its very successful Total War strategy game series with a successor to Medieval, and we had a demonstration at E3. After only a few minutes in front of the screen, we realised that this will be the most comprehensive game in the series yet, and that it will correct the weaknesses found in Rome: Total War. Strategy fans are advised to plan some time off for this one.

Medieval 2 spans from the year 1080 to 1530, and this has allowed the developer to include some world-wide events, which serve to keep the campaign interesting. In addition to the almost obligatory Mongolian invasion, the game has other famous events such as the discovery of the Americas, which causes all European nations to enter into a struggle for American resources such as tobacco.

Remember to call the Pope often

Like in the first Medieval game, you must once again conquer all of Europe and Northern Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and Russia. But Creative Assembly realised that the campaign was too boring in the long run in Rome: Total War, and this is why big events like the ones above have been included. There are also lots of other interesting details. Assassins have returned in this game, and a nice little 3D sequence will show the outcome of attacks. Another great influence on the campaign comes in the form of religion, and you must stay on good terms with the Pope (if you command a Catholic nation), because friends of the Pope get a say in deciding where the next crusade will go. So remember to build lots of cathedrals and dispatch priests to all of your provinces to keep heathen tendencies down.

No more clone wars

You no longer command an army of clones in this game. All the soldiers look different, because the computer will randomly choose faces, uniforms, colours and weapons from a list of available appearances. Even the lances are different when you examine a division closer. Obviously the list of available appearances is not infinite, so you will see the same items or traits from time to time, but in general, Total War has never looked as lively as Medieval 2. The difference is far more dramatic that I’d expected, because in addition to the looks, the animation has also been improved, and the battles now look even more realistic than before. Your units even have different attacks depending of the opponents and their gear.

Terrain has also become a more tactically important factor, because there are now impassable regions. This can be utilized in various ways in battle, for instance to secure a flank completely or to force the enemy to take long detours while you fire upon him. Another new addition is the ability to take prisoners. During the battles you will be able to capture enemy soldiers, and your treatment of these will affect the reputation of your general. Should you choose to kill them all, the general will become known as a barbarian, which will frighten enemy soldiers. You can also have generals with a reputation for drinking, and these will make their opening address in a drunken voice (funny how there is no mention of good, humane generals in your description –Ed.)

A high point for the Total War series

Creative Assembly has been ambitious both in terms of sound and graphics. The number of speeches in the game has been doubled, and the total number of sound clips comes to a whopping 18,000, complete with eight different dialects. The music is dynamic, and will not only reflect the general part of the world in which you are fighting, but also how the fighting is progressing.

The graphics engine has been built from scratch, and now handles deceased soldiers in a completely different way, for instance. They used to be 2D sprites, but this time we get 3D models that stay on the battlefield until everything is over. This gives a far better impression of the horrors of war.

Creative Assembly points out the three most important lessons from Rome: Total War: 1) no more samey-looking soldiers 2) a far superior AI and 3) a deeper campaign. We will see the result of their endeavours this November, but after the demonstration I cannot doubt that Medieval 2 will be the best Total War game to date.

Source: Boomtown Denmark
English version by: Jonatan A. Allin (neonwolf)