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Last years' release of Medieval: Total War was not only one of the best games of 2002, it was also one of the best titles we've played, period. The game designers at Creative Assembly successfully merged 3-D RTS and classic board gaming strategy into one exceptional title, allowing us to experience a form of gameplay that was full of depth and originality. Not only that, Medieval: Total War also incorporated over 11 historically accurate armies, each with their large set of unique and specialized playable units. Having so many options didn't just diversify the overall gameplay, it allowed for an unmatched form of re-playability previously unseen before (well, at least for us here at The Laser). With that in mind, it was quite a surprise when Activision announced an expansion pack for MTW: we still haven't gone through all of the scenarios with the original game. Still, there maybe voracious RTS gamers out there that are in need of a fresh dose of Total War action, and the Viking Invasion expansion pack will do just that. Unlike most expansion packs, Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion doesn't just rehash the original game (which isn't always a bad thing in itself). What Creative Assembly has done this time around is almost completely re-design the game, changing the game at the core. For starters, Viking Invasion doesn't actually take place in the Medieval historical period. The timeline of the game lies some 300 years prior to the events surrounding MTW, giving history buffs a chance to participate in many lively events proceeding the rise of the great nations. Believe us when we tell you that three centuries of history makes a whole lot of difference when it comes to RTS gaming.
Beyond the new trappings and features surrounding Viking Invasion, the game is essentially like the original Medieval: Total War. Everything that you loved (or hated) about the original lies within the expansion. To us, it's still a great game no matter how you look at it, providing long hours of quality entertainment and gameplay. The fact that Creative Assembly went out of their way to produce one final piece of work with this particular engine and theme is a testament to their love of the craft (apparently next year's Rome: Total War is being built around an entirely new RTS engine). The $29.99 price tag that hangs on Viking Expansion might seem a little steep at first, but just like MTW, the hours of replayability will keep this game on your computer for a long time to come.
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Starting
in the year 790 AD, players can assume one of eight new historically accurate
factions to begin their campaign. These include the Saxons, Scots, Irish, Welsh,
Picts, Aragonese, Sicilians, Hungarians, and the Vikings. With the new playable
factions comes new warring units such as the dreaded Viking Berserker, the Saxon
Huscarles, the Arabic Faris Cavalry, and the Hungary Jobbagy Infantry. New
weapons and tactics have also been added to the fray including the dreaded Organ
Gun, village pillaging, castle burning, flaming arrows, and even anti-siege oil
canisters. The new units and tactics
aren't the only changes fans of MTW will notice. Viking Invasion has a
completely redesigned campaign map, centering the majority of the action on the
British Isles and Scandinavia. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise since
the reoccurring theme of the game deals with the invasion of what will become
the United Kingdom. Players will also notice an improved feature of the game
that deals with a pre-battle screen. This little gem allows gamers the ability
to plan reinforcements as well as scout out enemy forces before actually taking
to the battlefield. This made the 3-D RTS aspect of the game much more playable
and realistic in our opinion that with the original game, allowing us to take
much more of an active part in the grand battles that would arise.