P
ut your standard RTS in a blender with Civilization and you’ve essentially
got the Total War series of strategy games, which combine equal parts
turn-based play and real-time point-and-click fare to give you a strategy
experience unlike any other.
Medieval II’s epic campaign spans the years 1080 to 1530, which encom-
passes the First Crusade and the dawn of the Renaissance. Unlike in the first
Medieval, this time you get to play with gunpowder, which means your army
can field rifle/missile infantry, cannon, and even rocket artillery. There are 21
playable factions representing hundreds of units in the game, ranging from the
core English, French, and Spanish factions to the Turks, Byzantines, Moors, and
Egyptians. Whichever group you choose, the goal is the same: Become the most
powerful country in the world!
This task may be accomplished through sheer brute force on the battle-
field, savvy diplomacy, or a bit of both. The game plays out at the macro level
on the turn-based adventure map, where you must decide which buildings and
units to construct in each of your cities, as well as where to send diplomats,
priests, traders, and—naturally—conquering armies. The AI then gets to do the
same, and when two opposing forces decide to lock horns, you can elect to take
control of things at the micro level—down in the trenches commanding your
troops. (Or you can let the AI auto-resolve the battle, based solely on strength of
numbers, but what fun is that?)
Battles may involve literally thousands of troops, which you command
in typical RTS fashion, and great effort has gone into making them all look dif-
ferent on the battlefield (whereas in the original, armies looked like hordes of
zombie clones). When two large armies clash, the resultant carnage is truly
something to behold!
Overall, the AI puts up a decent challenge, more so on the world map
than the battlefield, however. Our only other complaint is that the naval aspect
of the game blows—it is essentially unchanged from Rome’s lackluster effort
in this area.
But don’t let that stop you from experiencing what is the biggest, most
visually stunning, and deepest Total War game yet—and that’s
saying something.
—Steve KlettMedieval II: Total War
Rotting cows + boiling oil + flaming arrows = hours of fun!
M
arvel: Ultimate Alliance scrapes every corner of the Marvel universe for
an all-encompassing comic-book adventure that’s a pleasure to play—
even if you can’t tell the difference between Thor and Beta Ray Bill. For those
who can, this game is guaranteed to give you a nerdgasm.
Earth’s mightiest superheroes band together to combat Dr. Doom’s
alliance of villains, dubbed the Masters of Evil. The Latverian monarch has
plans to steal cosmic powers that will grant him the powers of a god, and
your quest to stop him takes you from the depths of Atlantis to the gates of
Valhalla, punching and smashing multitudes of minions along the way. We
were impressed by how well the epic comic tale translated into the game,
which rivals Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet saga in scale.
In each mission, you lead four heroes—selected from a roster of
20—most of which are unlocked throughout the game. Familiar characters
like Spider-Man and the members of the Fantastic Four are suitable for the
uninitiated, but diehard comic fans will get a kick out of using more obscure
champions like Ms. Marvel and Deadpool. We were even more impressed by
the number of villains that make cameos as minibosses. The Winter Soldier
(Captain America’s sidekick turned evil), Scorpion, Bullseye, and the dragon
Fin Fang Foom all stand in your way, and that’s only in the first level! The
game boasts over 140 characters—a marvelous achievement in its own right.
Even though the “dungeons” that make up each level are straight-
forward and filled with simplistic puzzles, the variety of environments and
enemies kept us sucked into the button-mashing gameplay. Manageable
RPG elements grant you cool new abilities and skills, while plenty of
unlockable skins and bonus materials extend the already lengthy lifespan of
the single-player game.
The PC version is $20 cheaper than the Xbox 360 edition but looks and
plays the same as its next-gen console counterpart. The only differences are
the lack of two bonus characters (Colossus and Moon Knight) and a less-
polished multiplayer interface. Firewall and router settings may need some
tweaking before you can jump into a co-op game.
It’s not often that the two sects of geekdom come together so flawlessly
for such an enjoyable gaming experience. Hopefully, Marvel: Ultimate
Alliance will give gamers reason to
venture into the comic-book
world, and vice versa.
—NormaN ChaNMarvel: Ultimate Alliance
Incredible comic-book action without any onomatopoeia
9
medieval ii: ToTal war
$50, http://www.totalwar.com,
ESRB: T9
marvel: ulTimaTe alliance
$40, http://www.marvelultimatealliance.
com, ESRB: TMedieval II: Total War takes the series back to its roots, with even
bigger armies, more glorious visuals, and more splendiferous
castles to lay siege to.assembling special squads like the avengers, Fantastic Four, or
X-men gives team bonuses. february 2007 MAXIMUMPC