The strategy game to own all strategy games!
Gameplay: M: TW is one of the most in-depth games in the genre. You start by choosing one of the many factions within three different time periods in the medieval era. Depending on the time period you choose, you will be given control of a certain number of provinces throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. From here, you are on your own. You can choose to upgrade your current provinces by buying new buildings or upgrading your defenses. You can choose to build up your armies and take over other provinces from opposing factions. You can send diplomats to make alliances with friendly nations and team up against common enemies. Basically, you can do anything you want but you must achieve one basic goal, take over the entire world. You must tax your citizens to create funds for your armies but at the same time, keep them happy so that they don't revolt. You must follow the rules of the Papal states, but at the same time, remember that you must eventually take them over. The possibilities are endless. This makes the online portion of the game, absolutely incredible. The amount of deception and surprises are enough to keep anyone interested. The only downfall is that when you start a game, you are in for the long haul. Each individual campaign can take days or even weeks to complete. You can save anywhere, anytime, however, so it's not like you have to keep playing until you finish. Also, if you just want a quick game, you can choose to start individual battles. These can be historic battles or custom battles. These consist of two set armies (historical are preset, custom is you create the armies), fighting in an individual battle. These take plenty of strategy to complete but nothing is better than executing the perfect strategy in the middle of a decisive battle. The historical battles consist of many real-life battles that took place and you get to control the outcome. So, whether you want to play this game for a couple of hours or a couple of minutes, there is something for you.
Graphics: The graphics are very good for a strategy game like this. The world map has a distinct, medieval feel to it that is perfect for this game. Also the battles are very detailed and if you zoom in very closely, you can tell the amount of detail put into the character models.
Sounds: The sounds are perfect. The clashing of battles, the calm, strategic music of the world map, it all works perfectly. The music falls perfectly into the background but is enjoyable at the same time. You won't be muting this one.
Value: With all the different factions and time periods and the difficulties, this won't be getting boring for quite some time. Whether you are a newbie at strategy games or an expert looking for a challenge, you won't be dissapointed. Easy is a good challenge for someone starting into the genre and Very Hard definitely lives up to it's name. Also, the length of the campaigns, the historical and custom battles, and the online multiplayer all make an incredible game that you will be playing years from now.
Overall, Medieval: Total War has something for everyone. Newbie or expert, long haul or pick-up-and-play gamer, you won't be dissapointed. If you have any interest in strategy games or even if you just want a game that will last you a while, this is perfect for you.