The camera system during battles requires some acclimation, but, once the system is mastered, you can quickly zoom in on hot spots and out for a broad view. Fortunately, most battles are evenly matched and a real joy to fight. However, numbers are king, and though undermanned and out-gunned armies can triumph, it takes superb generalship and some luck (generally in the form of blunders by enemy generals).

Archers can decimate the ranks of foot soldiers, halberdiers tear through cavalry groups, and siege units take down castles. As in most real-time strategy games, favorable unit match-ups are an imperative part of victory.

Battalions react to the battle with messages like 'Happy flanks are protected' or 'Worried by so many casualties,' allowing shrewd commanders to gauge troop morale and prevent the embarrassment of routed troops. Directing an empire on the strategic map is complex and rewarding, but the titanic tactical battles, involving thousands of troops, siege engines, and horsemen, make the game great.Īs the general in charge, you command armies during the tactical battles with up to 16 battalions of troops, each consisting of up to a hundred soldiers controlled as a single unit. Medieval: Total War's opening cut-scene talks about a 'brutal age' when 'a few forged their destiny.' The grisly delights available to the 'few' are then presented in a mixture that combines the gameplay of the Civilization series and real-time strategy games like Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings by offering both map-based strategic planning and tactical real-time battles.

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