Medieval 2 Total War in 2023 Is It Still Amazing?! 

*I love longbows*

Yes it is! Roleplaying with your generals, crusades/jihads and my favorite thing, upgrading the armor/weapons on the units actually changes the in battle models to reflect it. Edit: Not to mention the modding scene.

Ah Medieval II: Total War, still an amazing game. And yes, you can still change the files to unlock almost all factions. You can't unlock Aztecs, Mongols, or Timurids cuz you just lose

I always loved fighting the mongols and Timurids with late game units and leveled up generals. Pretty rare for a game to actually have a good challenge in the late stages!!

Yes please, more Medieval II! It would be awesome to see a whole campaign series.

Such a nostalgia trip! I used to play it a lot with the Kingdoms Grand Campaign mod, which added almost all units and factions from the expansions to the base campaign. Definitely recommend to give that a try if it's still around!

Medieval 2 is one of those God-tier games that just stands the test of time. One of those games they literally won't make anymore.

The graphics may be dated, but what makes battles special is the way units behave. Each soldier goes through random idle, walking / running and attack animation loops, which have different duration. They start acting on orders as soon as the loop they are in is finished. As a result, each soldier within a unit acts at his own pace and compensates to not lag behind the unit when an order is issued. This brings a sense of individuality for each unit you command. Additionally, unlike every other Total War since Shogun II, units don't slaughter each-other within seconds and maintain their spacing during combat - those behind wait to replace the fighting line of their unit. This makes battles drag on and that brings a sense of struggle to the whole battle - it feels like there's a lot at stake. Every single release since then, except Shogun 2, has fallen short of this design and it feels like you're commanding flocks of birds around, with how unnaturally AI-ish the soldier movement is. Medieval 2 is probably the only game in the Total war series that has great melee and missile sound design. Look up videos of people shooting medieval bows and crossbows and then go back and listen to the shooting sounds in M2 - the melee metal on metal, missile on metal and missile release sounds are so visceral and pay homage to how devastating those weapons are. And of course..same as the previous example, the sound design has fallen short in every other title since Shogun 2. People still play it decades later because of how well it is made. Even if you get tired of vanilla, there's so many excellent mods to try that you can play it on and off for another decade.

Would def watch more of this! I just won a campaign as HRE the other day, had a blast.

I've thought for a long time that you and Legend doing a coop campaign would be PEAK content. Always nice to see the classics on the channel.

It’s honestly amazing how well medieval two has held up. AI diplomacy is janky as shit but the battles and campaign is so good

You know, I think every time I played England in M2TW and I sent the starting spy into York, he always died.

Oh man, I’d forgotten just how much I loved this game and honestly it holds up really well even now. Think it’s time to fire it back up!

I’m going back and replaying the historical Total War games so I’m happy to see some Medieval 2. I’m playing it for the first time in years once I finish my Rome Remaster campaign.

The modding community for this game during its prime was wild.

I wonder how this kind of game progression would be received today. What if in TW: Warhammer, you had to play a campaign with Karl Frans or Tyrion to unlock the other lords and factions. Back in the day, I liked it as it gave replayability and a sense of progession but I imagine that it would cause a revolt in this day and age 😅

I really wanted you to do more things like this.and i am so happy that you did it

I'd love to see a continuation of this campaign!

Always has been amazing Probably the best Total War game

Fun fact: As England, you get to hire Sherwood Archers in the green tights.

Really wished they remastered this game like they did with the first Rome game. Don’t think it’s going to happen but one can dream.

You know, unlocking a faction after defeating them or after completing a campaign was so rewarding as a kid, few games did that back in te day

The Divide and Conquer mod is *fantastic!* You should definitely try it out, Alex!

I would love to see you play this more!

would enjoy watching a continuation of this

I had played it for days, even it has it's flaws. But I totally abandoned it after finding the Divide and Conquer mod for MED2. For starters it's set in Midle Earth fantasy world and playing with Gondor or Elves against hordes of Mordor was a thril and wastly improved the gameplay by giving the special abilities to generals (which don't die at 50-60 years old, but usualy live until they are slain in battle) and improving the diplomacy and economy...

Im playing it now.. been fun.... the worst part is the slow response of troops on the field

I would genuinely love to see some medieval 2 videos on the channel. Modded or otherwise.

Sir Steiner's counterattack when?

Hi Rambler, love your vids! Can I make a viewer request in that can more videos have a Rambler Cam. I completely understand if you don't wanna do this but personally I think your videos are really heightened when your able to visually respond to stuff and use the full breadth of the Rambler reaction. Once again love your vids and completely understand if this isn't possible, I'm happy to watch some Rambler no matter the format 😅

Nice to see some Total War videos.

Hearing someone else talk about the Third Age mod for medieval 2 ❤

Playing the iPad version last year brought back so many great memories. the Ipad graphics are so good

Ah man, nothing makes me happier than seeing you upload some old school Totar War again..

More please! Would love to see different factions

Seeing Total war 2 just hit me in the heart, always loved this game!

Turning the Welsh into a town will come back to bite you when Portugal shows up to take it, they nearly always do

I vividly remember conquering Europe just with half stack of generals and half stack of longbows

Rushing home from school to put into practice my grand campaign to invade Iberia as the Moors. Amazing game, so much nostalgia. Game of thrones mod was fun too.

I just love seeing quality historical games.

50% of the video is Alex Fawning over Medieval 2 and I'M HERE FOR IT

With the freecam mod + whatever other mods you love, it is amazing in 2023.

great fun alex

"youre not even gonna be able to get it up for my daughter..." = Alex forgetting this isnt Crusader Kings

Trying to jump on that legendoftotalwar successes

According to Legend (who has recently returned to M2), generals bodyguard is one of the best units in the game. It's heavy cav without needing anything else to get it. 2 or 3 of them in an army together and they can wreck anything that's not a cavalry army.

Still playing TTWM2 so nice to see you have a quick bash. Yeah, AI usually pops the massed ranks of Scots on to dinghy - theyll be off to a World Cup somewhere.👍

Also revisited recently, and it holds up. However microing the merchants not so much.

R.I.P. Dave. He died fighting for King and Country. o7

a fun medieval 2 fact is that they released it with bugged code so diplomacy became impossible after you declared war once. Occupying a city or castle gives you worse negative reputation than executing it. Easy to fix tho but CA never did

I play this currently, with or without mods it’s amazing.

My only problem with this game is you can expand so quick. kind of takes the rp out then youve conquered france spain and germany in quick succession. I think they just need to add more cities to you spend longer in your home region (england short campaign keeping them in britain and france for example)

If you miss the family trees they have it in 3 kingdoms total war

Wow, that player count is over 100x Redfall's.

Sometimes alex sounds like les claypool singing

I originally had it on pc back in the day , got it on my phone now , it's abit tricky at first with the controls on the latter but god almighty it's fun! Love setting up massacres on it , 2 units of longbowmen and 1 poleaxe unit defending a fort/Castle against heavy cavalry and a few infantry units... it's magnificent , deploy stakes is ridiculous... Overall The elphants , the cannons , the grand campaign everything is truly magnificent. I don't think I'll ever tire of playing this game! Just like Rome before it! ❤

do a full series with this campain

It is! I am playing it right now.

Yessss Alex an absolute banger this game 🎉

Vanilla kingdoms mod is amazing! Can play as the teutonicborder or an even more challenging Byzantine game beset on all sides w8th enemies. Great game!

The new historical title, didn't do it for many people, Alex.

Yesterday just started to play Stainless Steel mod. Its so good and fun.

medieval 2 my beloved 💘

Thanks for this review of Total Diplomacy Medieval Peace 2

My deepest condolences to you Alex, I didn't realise you were from Maidstone.

Im sure it’s still the most played game. I love it still with the mods etc. would love a Wars of the roses mod on Britannia campaign. A detailed one tho like game of thrones with earls and there sigils and own units with colours to there houses, for instance the Percy’s in Northumberland etc but do the same for Scotland and have there own units and sigils and Ireland etc. use a positions of power where if you claim the kingdom you can appoint dukes and name positions like Lord High Steward, chancellor and Lord Lieutenant. Also the church was a massive political force in medieval Europe so have positions like arch bishop of Canterbury. The different houses would give the chance to change history so instead of being one of the powerful houses like York you could be the Percy’s start of a Client state and when you get powerful enough challenge or marry into the royalty. Also add Northern France and Flanders into the mix. There’s loads they could do.

gotta try out the divide and counquer mod

old but gold

Pls do a full playthrough

I just picked this up a couple days ago! I love the ambience and music, but coming from Rome 2 its taking me some getting used to.

this game is on sale right now on Steam

Video idea: play as Denmark in Med 2 and conquer England.

cool video

Mount and Blade Bannerlord currently has my attention, the slightly more modern Total war =P

Med2 is still peak TW. Good engine, units had weight, no weird archery effects, population mattered. And the modding scene is still active. The Ai diplomacy still annoyed the hell out of me. And well York being a tiny "village" is annoying as it was the 2nd largest city in England (bar the harrowing of the North incident)

I would def love more total war!

RIP Dave

One of my all time favorites. Stil hoping for a Medieval 3 or maby a Remake of some kind

Please do more medieval 2

11:20 poor dave :(

I always considered Medieval II as a training program for my personal good manners.

This game is an good one, please play it more

Please keep playing more of it, it's what Mel Gibson would have wanted.

Yes it is. M2TW is among the absolute best of the TW franchise and turn based strats as a whole.

Best game of the total war IMO. Amazing . Medieval 3 would be a dream, take my money

Just bought the game in 5h it's done i'm so exited to play a total war game for the first time :)

Total war without blood looks so strange

::peasant kills the french king:: Historian: "And then Hugh, our glorious general, rode out and killed the french king in single combat!"

Where is that thumbnail art from?!

oof right in the nostalgia

more medieval 2 please sir

Still playing it now.

Could of edited your mouse settijg to fix the camra speed haha

Probably the best strategy game ever made... especially with the DLCS

How is this game still the pinacle of its genre after all these years? I don`t get why no one has been able to build on this game in almost 20 years despite the technology.

Wanting to kill the King of France is the most British thing ever😂

I'd have to say I like this one the most. I've got most of the Total War games and I always play this one over the rest. The most fun is using the cheats and putting difficulty on very hard. Use the Diplomats and give every faction 200k or more. You'd have to say that these games are the best value for money over other titles that can be finished in a few days. You could spend months playing this game, and not repeat any mission during that time.

I have always been suprised the never made a Medieval III still, hoping they'll give it the Rome Total War treatment

I see M2 TW I know it will be a good time (if you can get through the bugs and CTDs)

You can still do it by changing the code just did that today.