Medieval 2: Total War announced

By Rob Fahey Published 20 January, 2006

SEGA gets entirely aggressive.

Sega Europe has announced the next title in the Total War series of PC strategy titles, with UK-based developer The Creative Assembly (which Sega liked so much that it bought the company last year) set to return to the medieval era for the fourth instalment in the acclaimed franchise.

Medieval 2: Total War will be on shelves later this year (the official date is being given as "winter 2006") and looks set to build significantly on what was offered in previous games in the series - which kicked off with Shogun: Total War before moving on to the original Medieval: Total War title and the most recent game, Rome: Total War.

This next title in the series will see you playing through some of the most unpleasant years of western history, leading your armies through Europe and the Holy Land, before discovering America and heading off to deal with the locals in the form of the Aztecs.

The game is promising a far superior terrain system to its predecessors, with the ability to create interesting new landscape features such as cliff-top castles, as well as a detailed building damage model and better siege warfare. There will be 200 new units, and you'll be able to see 10,000 of them on the battlefield at once.

Perhaps most exciting, however, is the promise of a totally revamped multiplayer system - which will allow players to confront each other in multi-battle campaigns, a feature which is likely to bring a smile to the faces of many fans of the series.

"Medieval 2: Total War is the result of 7 years continuous development of the Total War series and has been designed to appeal to all gamers, not just hardcore strategy fans," according to Creative Assembly boss Mike Simpson. "Each game in the series has outshone the previous one and Medieval 2: Total War is no exception."

Speaking of shiny things, you can see the first screenshots of Medieval 2: Total War by clicking on this bit of helpfully highlighted text. Genius!

Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • PortJourno #1 6 years ago

    YEEEEEEEEES!!!

  • ave #2 6 years ago

    Shogun's still the best of them all :/

  • Wolfman #3 6 years ago

    ^^^

    The truth!

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #4 6 years ago

    The shots have just popped up, too.

  • BillGaitas #5 6 years ago

    good news


    WAR KILL KILL DESTROY ... its true what they say, the simplest things in life are also the greatest

  • CrunchinJelly #6 6 years ago

    Sega are really getting them to whack these out at a fair rate, aren't they?

  • kangarootoo #7 6 years ago

    Nobody does it better.

    Wow, those screens are rather groovy. Shiny, shiny armour.

  • lemonfist #8 6 years ago

    Wow, the cities don't look like crap anymore. Maybe there'll be some civilians around too, who you could then slaughter to boost battle morale. Would be awesome.

  • MrChuckles #9 6 years ago

    Awesome, Rome:TW was the first one i really got into, but i always liked the medieval setting better.


    Shogun never worked on my machine, crashed whenever a battle kicked off :-(.

  • Arganoid #10 6 years ago

    I reckon it should be called "Medieval: Total War 2"

    Would be nice if they did a Civilization style one, where it progresses through the various ages of warfare.

  • Errol #11 6 years ago

    REALLY looking forward to this one. Still play RTW regularly.

    Top game.

  • GuiltySpark #12 6 years ago

    argh

    nooooooo

    i read that as "medievil"

    : ( im kinda dissapointed now

  • Stickman #13 6 years ago

    Humph. Don't see what's so wrong with Napoleon....

  • Empedocles #14 6 years ago

    He was small and french - need we say more?

  • Collie #15 6 years ago

    It looks awesome. I see EG has put its mark on the images, despite them not being exclusive to the site. Tis always amusing when sites do that. You also get it with games blogs where the little people in charge pretend they've got exclusive content.

  • Cregser #16 6 years ago

    They've moved from Activision? How now brown cow?

    I reckon it should be called "Medieval: Total War 2"

    By your reckoning it should really be called Medieval 2: Total War 4 then, no? o_0

    Collie, maybe bandwidth is an issue and the reason they stamped images on their server? 0_o
    Edited by 1 at 21/01/06 @ 18:39

  • Bezzy #17 6 years ago

    "I reckon it should be called "Medieval: Total War 2"

    Would be nice if they did a Civilization style one, where it progresses through the various ages of warfare. "

    I thought they did?

    Or do you mean, more-so? Through-out the ages? Might shut up those people complaining about horses beating apache helicopters in Civ, I suppose, although I can think of a few scenarios where that could happen:

    *Phone ringing*
    Black Knight: Hi there
    Apache Pilot: Hey.
    BK: Sooo... I was just wondering, uuuuhm...
    AP: What?
    BK: Uhhhhhhh...
    AP: What do you want?
    BK: Well, I just wanted to talk, y'know? Talk about stuff...
    AP: Look, I really don't have time to talk to you. You're on the other side.
    BK: Yeah, about that...
    AP: If Ghandi finds out I'm talking to you, he's gonna be pissed. Won't eat for a week.
    AP: ....
    BK: Well, I wasn just wondering...
    AP: By the way, if you're fucking with me, I'm going to have to kick your ass. My guns shoot wherever I look, okay?
    BK: Well hey now! Calm down! Calm down! Hear my out a second. Jeez louise! Okay, I just wanted to say that, all this fighting and stuff? It's getting me really down and stuff?
    AP: I bet it does. Your technology is from the 15th century, and you don't have funds to upgrade to mechanized infantry. You're gonna lose tomorrow. I'm gonna look right at you, and... and that's it. I look at you, and you lose. Cos my guns, I don't know if I mentioned this, but my guns, they shoot wherever I look. WHEREVER I FUCKING LOOK.
    BK: ... okay, I'm sensing some hostility?
    AP: It's the pre battle meds. They pump us up with this crap so that we can look at people better. Look at them *explode*.
    BK: Okay, well, I was just thinking that, y'know, maaaaybe, it might be nice to have a drink and a funny cigarette or something like that?
    AP: I guess that'd be alright. Where?
    BK: The Hog and Horse Horse themed pub ofcourse!
    AP: Does the parking garage have atleast a 5.2 meter blade span?
    BK: Oh jeez, I'll just check.... Yeah, yeah it does?
    AP: Good. I'll bring the chopper.
    BK: Sure, yah, that'd be greeat.
    AP: We'll meet tomorrow at 1700 hours. This conversation is terminated.
    BK: Sure! Well, I'll see you on the morrow then! Say, how big is your fuel tank?
    AP: ........
    BK: Hello?
    AP: .....
    BK: Helllooooo?
    AP: ......
    BK: He must have hung up. Huh. Funny guy!

    *THE NEXT DAY*

    The Black Knight gets the Apache pilot really drunk, and then pours about 20 1 kilo bags of sugar into the Apache Longbow's fuel tank.

    *THE NEXT DAY... AFTER.. THAT.. ONE*

    The Apache blows up after a hung over Apache Pilot decides to skip a few key flight checks... hey, it could happen!

    And that's why, you DON'T FUCK WITH THE BLACK KNIGHT.

  • UncleLou #18 6 years ago

    I can't bloody wait. I am glad they're doing another Medieval game, and it'll be released this year, too. Good decision to reuse the Rome engine (I guess that's what they do) and give us a new game so soon before (I assume) starting from scratch again with a new engine and possibly a new era.

  • Errol #19 6 years ago

    I still wish they'd do a Napoleonic era game.

  • UncleLou #20 6 years ago

    Did anyone play Imperial Glory, btw? It's dead cheap now.

  • Amajiro #21 6 years ago

    Imperial Glory may be cheap but it's still disappointingly crap.

  • Errol #22 6 years ago

    Cheap crap then.

  • UncleLou #23 6 years ago

    Ok. :)

    I didn't think the demo was that bad at the time, but the bad reviews put me off. I wonder whether it might have influenced CA's decision not to make a Napoleonic era game. Not that it was crap, but its mere existence, I mean.

  • WoodenSpoon #24 6 years ago

    I played the demo but was put off by the scores as well.

    There can't be many other eras apart from the Napoleonic that they'd want focus on after this though, they've covered the most popular 'themes' from history already and I dont see them going for a 20th Century or prehistoric setting.
    Edited by 1 at 22/01/06 @ 18:52

  • Errol #25 6 years ago

    A Napoleonic Total War game would be amazing. With all the correct regiments, history, characters (Wellington etc etc) it could be a really stunning creation.

  • tobs #26 6 years ago

    We are holding out for an American civil war version with Sid Meier as consultant... I still love Gettysburg!

  • marilena #27 6 years ago

    I played Imperial Glory a bit and I'd say the reviews were right. Pretty crappy game, though some ideas weren't half bad.

  • nickyickywickywoo #28 6 years ago

    Played "Imperial Glory" - for anyone who hasn't - don't bother (imo). Sounds great, but once you get to play it, it's not.

    Love the total war series and medieval was my favourite (I did a medieval history degree), so I'm happy. But I'd love to see a napoleonic version, gotta say
    Edited by 1 at 23/01/06 @ 13:48

  • Moonprince #29 6 years ago

    Worse parts of all the Total war games were when you get guns, for me. Dont see how a napoleonic version would be any good. Sounds boring.

  • nickyickywickywoo #30 6 years ago

    Ok, we'll let you know when Stone Age: TW hits the shelves.

    Seriously though, each to their own...

  • MrChuckles #31 6 years ago

    What they really need to do is work with EA and have Middle Earth: Total War.

    I know there are fans doing this with the old engine, but an official game based on LOTR with some actual complexity (instead of being aimed at wrestling fans) would be rather awesome.

    /me likes wargames.
    /me likes fantasy games.

    /me is waiting for the Warhammer game out later this year.