Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition

"definitive edition" ui is skewed at high res and will lead to you not being able to click on towns unless they're in the center of your fov, ui is also the same res as it was 20 years ago, which is not pleasant to use on a 4k monitor, as everything is oversized and blurry, the speed of your camera is also tied to the framerate, trying to alt tab fucks up all of your background window placements

this isn't a negative review of the game, its a negative review of a "definitive edition" that despite asking for more money, doesn't fix half of the things that makes an old game annoying to play on modern hardware, this is just a cash grab.

Greatest of all total war games. Most hours spent on Stainless Steel + Divide and Conquer mods.

Have played this game ever since it first came out. In my eyes still one of the very best in the series (the others are Shogun 2 and Rome II). Just hope there will be a Medieval III someday.

I like the game except it crashes too much saying unspecified error if it wasn't for that I would recommend it to others. This game was my young adulthood tbh

Total War: Medieval II – Definitive Edition is a timeless strategy gem, blending intricate empire management with epic real-time battles across medieval Europe and beyond. The Kingdoms expansion and vibrant modding scene, keep it fresh, though dated visuals and a steep learning curve may challenge newcomers. A must-play for history and strategy fans.

We can talk about all kinds of aspects of the game that are just amazing. The physics, the music, the overall atmosphere, the gameplay, the available mods and so on.

But for this review, I want to highlight the battles. A few times per campaign, you enter a massive battle lasting almost an hour, where you have to go deep, with most of the troops slain and one last charge with your general and 8 or 10 of his surviving knights into the remaining enemy line, barely succeeding victory. Those moments are simply the best gaming experiences you can get and is unmatched by any other total war game, or any game in general. For me Medieval 2 will always be the best game of all time.

After the release of Rome Total War Remastered this one is no longer the peak example of classical TW approach to the campaign map.

Personally, I dislike the changes in controls during RTS combat, but I really appreciated back in the day the improvements to the campaign gameplay compared to RTW 1.

Just like RTW Remastered, MTW2 is still relevant to play or event replay today as it was 5 years ago or back at release.

I would recommend it especialy to people weirdly enjoying the newer TW format from Rome 2 onward that I just don't get a feel for despite the improved RTS animations and some controls and UI features. The simplified campaign just isn't good for people that claim to want to play STRATEGY games.

This game has the ideas of Crusade and Jihad, scripted events which make it so much different than other Total War games. Very unique and always fun.

amazing for someone seeking diverse strategy, love the game, easpecially playing with friends

I will make it simple :

You need this game in order to play The Third Age Total War, Divide and Conquer. Therefore, it's a great game.

(The base game is cool too)

Played in 2025 for the first time ever and it holds up amazingly if you can get past the dated graphics but the mod known as "stainless steel" helps with it well making the game even better.

It's an old grandpa that still rocks today. Like the first Shogun and Rome, these games were designed by the original Creative Assembly's developer team who did it out of passion and love. Nowadays, CA don't make games like these anymore. If you are like me, a casual player who doesn't have much gaming time to micromanage 20 - 50 cities, this game is for you because it's one of very few TW games that have an "auto building" system that you can just let the computer manage the cities for you so you can just form your armies and lead the soldiers to battles without having to worry about finance or constructions. Sadly they don't include a system like this in the newer TW titles anymore.

Good old classis that aged well, there is nothing more to add. This game is just gold!

One of the best strategic games ever made. A great mix of economic strategies and military tactics!

One of the most fun strategy games I've ever played. Factions are different enough that no one play through is the same and the added events are great still holds up to this day.

There are a few games that are ageless pinnacles of video games: Age of Empires 2, the first three Halos, Half Life 2, Skyrim, etc.
This is one of those timeless games. It is one of the games we hold as the standard.
And for a good reason.
Now go conquer.

Still an entertaining game, graphics and UI is quite old but you don't need to be someone who grew up playing this to find this game a gem

Even 20 years later, Medieval 2 continues to be easily the best Total War game ever made.

Its the best total war at the time at least, other then maybe rome? Mods make some interesting games. A must buy at the time but maybe dated to some by now. If future total wars continued at this standard every game would be a must buy.

The jank is acceptable for a game of its age.

This game is fun, especially when you take the time to learn strategies. holds up well for its age

Still one of the best. Great tech system, good economics and fun combat.

just finished a long and sweaty campaign as the french and found that the mongols aren't even playable. sad. but the gameplay and learning of every nation's units and buildings is actually very good and it has become my new addiction.

One of the best total war games I have tried so far (competing with Shogun 2). Even if aged the graphics still hold up well.

Don't let my Playtime fools you. I played this more or less non-stop since 2022 and it destroys my life. Bias Score 10/10...

One of the greatest Total Wars in a list of great Total War games, deserves a remaster like Rome Total War.

I love this game. As a huge fan of medieval history the base game itself is already excellent. With Stainless Steel 6.4? this game is legendary. The battles feel great and the campaign map is immersive. Definitely worth a buy even when it was full price.

incredibly fun, an absolute classic of the total war series

Good game.Simple on the surface but once you look into it, there's quite a lot of depth to it. I just wish it was better documented.

Fun game, played it a while back, and I'm just getting back into it. The controls are less intuitive than I remember, so I'm not sure if it's nostalgia, but I would definitely recommend the game.

i have dl the game & have the other campains in the folder but cannot acess yo play any ideas?

It's an absolute classic from the golden age of the Total War series. If you don't already know why you should buy this game, you're probably too young to appreciate it...

When I think "Total War," I think Medieval II. When you think "Total War," you think Medieval II. It is THE Total War game, and this is someone who's introduction into the series was Shogun II.

I've played quite a few Total War games. Rome II, Shogun II, Napoleon, Empire, but the one I constantly come back to download is Medieval II.

If you're starting with the Total War series, I do not recommend Medieval II enough. Sure, its got its hitches, the pathfinding, the AI being dumb, and simplistic systems to make it show its age, as well as its graphics, but its a great starting point for the series.

For grand strategy, start with the best, and in the case of the Total War games, "the best" is Medieval II.

A classic gem in the Total War series, Rome II offers deep strategy and immersive gameplay. While the Steam Workshop hosts numerous mods, exploring community forums like Total War Center and Nexus Mods can uncover hidden gems that enhance the experience even further. For its time, it's arguably one of the best entries in the franchise.

Probably still the best war game around. Endless variations to play and units.

The Greatest strategy game ever created on HD platforms. Bar none. Outside of old ass games like risk and others from original eons past this game has the greatest of literally everything
Greatest re-playability
Greatest armies and camp placements
Greatest map design
Greatest era for Total War (unless they ever finally do 1 of the world wars)
Best UI style and keybindings
Still has romeshell aka the cheat menu incase you wanna have fun
Arguably outside of rome total war the original it has the best OST
Greatest mods for a total war game at all.
It has NO bs DEI bullshit, no nonsense pumped into the game. It's from a time when games were games when games were fun when games were enjoyable when games were competitive when games challenged you.
Do not ever forget the golden age of gaming.

It offers a similar addicting gameplay loop to Rome, but I don't like it as much, due to the Catholic factions being shackled to the Pope. In other respects it's fairly good... I like being able to recruit multiple units per turn in a single settlement, which Rome didn't have. Very Hard difficulty can be frustrating if you don't want to be hyper-aggressive, as a bunch of factions from near and far will beeline to your lands and besiege you forever.

Old but gold. I wish they create a new one or at least remake it for the 2020s. I remember having this way back and likely poured at least 800 hours into it.

I especially liked using the Stainless Steel mod with this game. It adds great depth and better balance to the gameplay.

Peak replayability and tons of mod content, truly a timeless classic

An absolute classic. Despite its age it is still very easy to get sucked into this. When I downloaded it first a few years ago I poured in nearly 100 hours in little over a week. It stole my life for a time. It is definitely accessible, probably one of the easier Total Wars to get into and allows you to learn the ropes to then take on more difficult entries. Diplomacy is broken as all hell, only useful for some early cash, but the AI will turn on your sooner than later. I've done a number of long and short plays as most factions and each offer their formula of play that gift you with their own benefits and challenges. As a result, you can replay the main campaign numerous times. The battle scenarios are particularly fun, and significantly more difficult than anything I dealt with on very hard on campaign mode. So if you get bored with he campaign, you can dive into battle scenarios for a greater challenge. 9/10 despite it being an old, clunky experience. Extremely fun and tons, TONS, of mods to download as well if you want to spice things up beyond the vanilla experience.

One of the best Total war games i have finished all factions main campaign also dlcs even if it was released in 2006 this game is still a masterpiece i have 2.300 hours in this game and its enough to understand why i rate this strategy game 10/10 one of the best total war game ever i recommend this game if you are fan of total war games.

Love this game. That being said I am forced to reboot it often during the game due to the graphics.

Only reason this review is negative is because the game is seriously outdated for modern computers and regular TW players will struggle to navigate things like the clunky camera controls. On all other aspects, this game is phenomenal and probably the peak of TW.

Consider this review more of a plea for a Rome TW-style remaster with modernized controls and stability for modern systems. If that happened, this would easily be a far better game than the average modern TW

One of the best games of all time. I originally bought this game on disc in 2009 out of a salvation army. I played it endlessly in my childhood. Here as an adult I still come back (as you can see) and run a campaign or three. If you want to see total war at its pique, maybe not graphically but as a tactical medieval battle simulator, god please give it a try.

very good strategic game, still great now.

classic nostalgia a great game if you are new to the total war series arguably the best of the historical total war installments but it is a little clunky compared to the newer installments and the diplomacy is atrocious but other that that its definitely a fantastic game.

Total classic, one of the best in the series. Building up a kingdom from the dark ages into the age of discovery feels rewarding. Factions feel unique varied. jihad and crusade mechanics really spice the game up. The battles are fun, but have a tendency to be slow and grinding, some factions start in large regions making progressing painfully slow. Graphics still look pretty good. It is recommended if you are into this kind of thing,

Everyone has their reasons for their favorite Total War game. This one's been called Best-in-Class and the Granddaddy of the series. I won't argue with those points

In terms of a sandbox experience, this might be the most versatile of the series.

I only wish the camera and AI were a little better. Then again, some of the AI exploits make this game a joy to play. The ability to push away monster armies with a box of spears blocking the gateway is fun to watch.

Soundtrack, visuals and game play are all there. Definitely worth your time to look into.

fun.

there are some iffy game mechanics, however, it's still a solid total war game.
It's fun, and it honestly has a better country system, showing upfront the countries strengths and weaknesses.
however, things like camera, and just overall polished-ness leaves a little to be desired: not anything to be desired from an old game, but some to be desired nonetheless.

best game of my childhood, adolescence and maturity - steam says I only played 50+ hours but I have thousands on the "free" version kids from E Europe usually play.