Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing detail, September 19, 2002
I've been playing computer strategy games for more than 20 years, played my first one on a green-screened Compaq with 64k of RAM, played them by the dozens, and for my money, this is the best one so far. The amount of detail is incredible, the battle scenes feel amazingly real -- you feel transported to another place and time. The strategy, role-playing and tactical aspects of the game all work together pretty flawlessly, creating a credible feel of following your regime through hundreds of years of struggle. There are some downsides -- some of the strategy aspects and diplomacy don't seem to affect gameplay much, for instance -- but the incredible attention to detail is amazing. I played Shogun Total War and thought it was cool, but this really takes the game to another level. Requires quite a bit of computer horsepower to run, by the way, when you've got 2,000 or more men battling it out. Some amazing battles, with the tide shifting back and forth, the issue undecided for hours, sometimes, the weather changing, etc., rallying troops, sending for replacements, making desperate last-ditch bids in the final minutes with your king. If you like wargaming, strategy games or if you're a history buff, this game will keep you interested a long, long time. Lots of replay value -- I've played probably 100 hours and feel like I've only scratched the surface. Haven't tried multiplayer yet. Anyway, this is guaranteed fun. The learning curve is somewhat steep, but I find the interface really intuitive. Great stuff.
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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What You Want, September 20, 2002
Don't walk or even run to buy this game - sprint. I really have an aversion to throwing a casual 5 stars at a game, but this one commands the highest rating. For six years I have scoured the turn-based and RT strategy world, having played most of the popular standards (e.g. Shogun,Shogun:Warlord Edition,AOE, AOK,Civ 2&3), and have not found a more synthesized, well-designed, and most importantly, fun game. Why am I so stark-raving excited about this game? A short list:1. Incredible detail and depth - dozens of military types and units, options for nation-building, trade, diplomacy, sabotage, seige, etc. 2. Excellent, adaptive AI. What we want.... 3. Vibrant graphics - landscapes, buildings, tips/tools screens. 4. No sloppiness or cut corners: impeccable clarity of story, instruction and playability. 5. Detailed and accurate depiction of religious, cultural and societal distinctions (Muslim, Christian, Orthodox, European, Arabic, etc.). But the most important strength: That undefinable, undeniable feeling of immersion that only the best games create. IOW, MTW takes you there - Medieval Europe. You feel the heat of the Algerian sun on your bronze Spanish helmet as you brace, spear in hand, as the Mamuluk camel warriors descend upon your unsuspecting platoon from out of the dusty desert hills. You hear and feel the tremble and terror of 180 fierce horse warriors outflank your archers. MTW taps into the reason most of us play these old world war games: It brings that sense of complete escape and excitement that makes the price of the game a sound investment. Medieval: Total War is a worthy follow-up to its predecessors, Shogun: Total War and Shogun: Warlord Edition (both of which I played and enjoyed for months). The next generation truly is better looking and more talented in this family tree.
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51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Samurai Meets Knight, August 12, 2002
The guys of the epic Shogun: Total War games have really gone for ultimate perfection with their European version. Medevil Totalwar is a truly worthy heir to Shogun (a game I recomend you try before MTW). Shogun made the gamer truly think like a Japanese Warlord. Something games like Warcraft, Starcraft, Age of Empires, ect. just don't do. It is the same for MTW in which the gammer must balance subterfuge,with all its sabatoge and murder,and the empire building grunt work of VAST armies battling over EPIC 3D battle fields(think Bravehart)! MTW takes what developers did with STW and adds SEVERAL improvements. Inquisitors from all the cultures search and destroy any heritics and any antisentement to your rule, much like the Shinobi of STW. Assassains kill rival generals and diplomats, like the Ninja of STW. But this is were things pick up were STW left off. Siegies are fought for real. Artillery pound castle walls to dust as up to 10,000 warriors, under your every order, battle it out on a real time 3D battle field were snow, rain, heat, wind, and down right nasty nature, effect the morale of your army. To control your land completely, your shores must be patroled for enemy invasion. To do this you have to build great fleets of warships, something STW completely ingnored in Japanese history. The Pope himself in Italy may call for money from you, or to crusade against other "hethen" cultures. Following his demands will ultimately throw you into the Great Crusades, but not following his holy order may also land you in some serious [trouble] when he calls for one of those crusades against you! Your blood line must be kept going if you want your empire to last forever! Marrying off your children will produce those needed heirs to your throne, but even more intrigueing is marrying them to rival factions. Doing this will open up those, "Huge...tracks off land!", when they die. It will also keep your generals from starting a civil war for your throne. Keeping track of heirs isn't automatic like in STW. If you dont keep youngins in the family a 70 year old king isn't going to have the energy to suddenly "make some heirs". Medevil Totalwar WILL be 200 times better then Shogun so if you liked Shogun you will like Medevil Totalwar. If you haven't experienced Shogun Totalwar you deffinatley should check it out. Medevil Totalwar IS going to be the best TBSG (turn based stratedgy game) and the best overall SG (stradegy game) for years to come. There is a true replay value on this one. Not even Richard the Lionheart could play this one once and master its epic size intregue and Medevil warfare simulation(that almost perfectly recreates the way war was fought all those centuries ago). Oh, and for the gammer with the "lagging software" MTW's 3D engine is absolutly incredible. The revolutionary engine makes it very easy for computers with only 64 Megs of RAM to keep up with the games HUGE battles. Battles that can sometimes take up to 45 minuets when all 10,000 max knights are running around out there! As you can see I give MTW 11 out of 10! Way to go Creative Assembly! You're the developers realy behind all of this awesomeness!
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