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Console:	IBM PC
Region:
Year:	2002
RFG ID #:	U-016-S-12120-A
Part #:	32248
UPC:	04775350519
Developer:	Creative Assembly
Publisher:	Activision
Rating:	(ESRB)
Genre:	Strategy
Sub-genre:
Players:	1-8
Controller:	Keyboard & Mouse
Media Format:	CD-ROM x2

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• 13 of 7621 collectors (0.1%) have this game in their collection
• 1 of 7621 collectors (0%) have this game in their wishlist.
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The sequel to Shogun is much larger in scale, has many more factions each with unique units instead of bonuses to units everybody can get, and focuses so much more on the religious politics that it is a much more satisfying gaming experience than Shogun. That said, the gameplay engine is largely the same. Battle graphics and UI is unchanged, the campaign map is in the same board game style. Medieval was the first game to include seige battles, something that would become a mainstay for the entire series. There's just so much more to the game that it makes for a breathtaking advancement, the proper evolution of a sequel! It released in August of 2002 to even more critical fanfare and higher sales than Shogun. The Creative Assembly had moved away from Electronic Arts and as a result, Medieval: Total War was published by Activision (nowadays that's like courting the axis of evil, wait until Sega enters the ring!)

This game did start a meme among the fans of the series though, and that meme is the rule that the Pope is a massive dillhole. He'll excommunicate you for some stupid reason and then forget about it if you just give him some money, wait for your king to die, or kill him. Being excommunicated was the best time for expanding, because who cares about the Pope?

Medieval also gives some more immersive and strategic choices. You get the ability to assign a governor to your newly conquered province, if you're interested I have a few hints. In highly economic provinces use a guy with high acumen, in a province with naturally low public order or with a different majority religion, use a guy with high dread, and always use somebody with high loyalty. These random provincial governors never die though. You could be 200 years into the campaign, with the Mongols invading, and that guy you made governor in turn two is still alive. It was nice for something to do, but it wasn't fully realized.

Medieval continued the tradition of having an expansion that was based on an invasion. This time it was the Viking Invasion, as the Mongol invasion was included as part of the base game. The Viking Invasion takes place during the petty kingdoms period of the history of the British Isles, even letting you control a personal favorite of mine, the Picts! Those sneaky bastards resisted the Romans and invented the kilt! Many modern differences between the Gaels of Ireland and Scots can be traced to the independently minded Picts.

I personally believe that the music in Medieval is the most immersive and beautiful of the series. It really feels like it belongs to the period in question, and is completely non-intrusive, using sound effects such as the chirping of birds to break up the songs so they do not feel monotonous. The Muslim factions even have a different overall score than the Christian ones. Jeff van Dyck was the composer of the soundtracks for both of The Board Games.

bombatomba's Review