Note: This is a review for Europa Barbarorum II a modification for Medieval II Total War.
It has been six months since my army has left our capital city of Bactria. Gone are the fertile valleys of our homeland replaced with the cruel unforgiving Himalayan Mountains. Unexpected resistance from the hill tribes has forced us south, abandoning the Khyber Pass in place of the Gedrosian desert. My advisers warn me of this place, a vast plain of nothingness that has broken the backs of many an army. Yet this desert is all that separates us from our ultimate prize, the wealthy city of Opianna. Known as the jewel of the Indus Valley, its acquisition will not only give our kingdom control of the coveted trade routes to the east, but will firmly establish our claim to India. While the troops grow weary being so far from home, they trudge on knowing they walk in the footsteps of Alexander the Great. Spirits begin to rise as Opianna is finally sighted on the horizon. A large cry echoes through the ranks, the troops know what awaits them behind the city walls, fortune and glory! The siege is prepared…
Excuse the cheese but this is Europa Barbarorum II! The above story is just one of the many tales to be had in this highly anticipated modification for Medieval II: Total War! A project seven years in the making, EB II is the pinnacle of both strategic game play and historicity. Set in classical antiquity (272 BC to be exact), the modification is a true love letter to the ancient world. Born out of a desire to accurately represent all factions in the original ‘Rome Total War’, the Europa Barbarorum series has succeeded in satisfying the appetite of the most diehard fans of history. Want to battle Carthage for control of North Africa as the Numidians? Expel the Greek invaders from Asia Minor as Pontus? Or recreate the Roman Empire in your own fashion? Europa Barbaroroum allows you to do all of this and so much more.
Before we can get into the mechanics of game play I really want to focus on the authenticity of this project. After all, this is what sets Europa Barbarorum apart from the countless mods available in the Total War series. For the historical purist out there, this is your game and dare I say you might learn a thing or two! So don’t expect to find any Romans speaking the King’s English here, oh no, you will be addressed in Latin! The Greeks speak Greek, the Carthaginians speak Phoenician, and yes the snozberries taste like snozberries. In addition, every unit at your disposal is referred to by their historical name of old. So don’t call that unit an archer, but rather a Toxotai, and don’t you dare say Celtic Spearman, we call them Uisusparos Kingetoi (ok maybe not). You get the picture though; this isn’t a watering down of history for the layman.
In fact, the EB team presents us with a multitude of accompanying essays for units, generals, and various regions of the world. Often I find myself taking a break from managing my empire, to read up on these essays. From the history of the Iranian plateau, to why the mercenary Batoroi kick so much ass (and boy do they), you simply can’t help but engrossing yourself in EB’s world.
Immersion is further cemented by the excellent original soundtrack that this modification has. Utilizing instruments and scores of the classical era the mood is set from the first note. These are the types of tracks you’d expect to hear in a high budget documentary and I tip my hat to the creators of these musical pieces.
Clearly the EB team did their part with the historical aspects of the mod, but how is the gameplay? Is this just another Total War mod with a fresh paint job? Truth be told the gameplay is a mixed bag, plenty of things I find intriguing and plenty of features that no doubt will turn others off. For starters, we are presented with a total of 28 factions to choose from, massive indeed! There is a healthy mix between the behemoths of old; Carthage, Seleucid, and Ptolemaic empires, and small upstarts like Pergamon, Hayasdan and Bosphora. What is more impressive is the fact that each faction is entirely unique from their unit rosters to victory conditions!
In my own campaign as Bactria I found myself as a vassal of the much larger Seleucid Empire. Through clever scripting I was actually forced to pay the Seleucids a hefty sum of tribute every year. When I finally decided to declare my independence, my actions triggered another scripting event in which I began a long and hard fought battle for autonomy. As the game put it, the might of Asia was to be unleashed upon me. Eventually I was able to get the Seleucids to sue for peace and respect my independence. Never in any Total war game have I experienced such clever use of scripting mechanics.
As for the graphical prowess of Europe Barbarorum, it has its highs and its lows. Unit models truly shine and are stunning representations of their true historical counterparts. From intricate Greek shields, the tattered look of a Celtic army, to the heavily armored cataphracts of the Parthians, histories armies are finely displayed in all their glory.
EB isn’t without its graphical faults though, the most glaring of which is the over world map. Often in Total War mods the overworld map is meant to be the definitive showpiece. Unfortunately EB’s overworld map is very simplistic and dare I say bare bones. For a mod so many years in the making, I was expecting to see some rich topography. The rolling hills of Italy, the daunting steppes of Central Asia, and what we get is another run of the mill world map. Yes this mod is running on an engine that is nearly a decade old, but if you really want to see what an overworld map can be in Medieval II, look no further than The Third Age Total War map. Hopefully an upgraded variant will be released in subsequent patches.
While Total War Games have always required patience from the player, Europa Barbarorum demands dedication. I’ve spent a good hour in-between turns without ever even fighting a single battle. This was due to me trying to figure out the modifications ‘culture mechanic’ which is integral to expanding your influence in your provinces. Understanding exactly how this system works though is another story. In practice, like past Total War games, culture represents your religion. The more it is spread, the happier your province will be. Conquer a region that does not share in your beliefs, and expect an unhappy populace. Easy enough to understand, but the tweaks that the EB team has made had my scouring forum pages trying to figure out just what I was doing wrong. If the modification is going to be this detailed, at the very least its install file should come with an instruction manual.
Now let me address my biggest gripe with EB II, the length of its battles. When it comes to past Total War games there has always been an arcade like element to them. Your typical battle would go as such: a few minutes of positioning and skirmishing, the initial clash and two to three minutes later the subsequent fleeing of the opposition. In EB battles are painstakingly drawn out and while the initial purpose is meant to represent the true historical lengths of battles, it really has more to do with poor balancing issues. A unit of archers should not be able to go toe to toe with a heavy cavalry unit. Rarely will an opposing unit every retreat no matter the odds. This results in a series of Pyrrhic victories that ultimately makes the game more difficult than it should be.
When it comes down to it, Europa Barbarorum II offers a wealth of both game play and knowledge albeit wrapped in a steep learning curve. This is something I hope that I have emphasized in this review, ‘learning.’ There is a solid modification here but it’s going to take some time to get used to it. Hopefully subsequent versions of the mod will address issues of balancing, the world map, and the after mentioned culture mechanics. Because once those issues are resolved, we will ultimately be looking at one of the greatest modifications for any Total War game period.
The Elder Scrolls: Total War mod team has announced that The Elder Scrolls: Total War 2.0.2 is available for download.
PC Invasion: Classic Total War games such as Medieval II, Empire, and Napoleon now have their Definitive Editions which includes all the DLC. Players who already own the respective base games get the DLC as a free update.
Feral Interactive announced today that Medieval II: Total War Collection will be released on Steam for both Mac and Linux on January 14th.
Finally is right!! I know a handful of people that this will make very happy
