Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 301 sampled Steam reviews (285 positive / 16 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Controls & UI5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Controls & UI31% mention it
- Bugs & crashes31% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
85%
26 reviews
5-15h
81%
36 reviews
15-40h
100%
53 reviews
40-100h
95%
44 reviews
100h+
98%
142 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 88 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 90 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 93 | 6 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 94% | 88 | 63 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.5, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 37,302 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 180 reviews sampled · 141 total reviews in window · weighted 129.7 up / 9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (38)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 93
“This is the latest and most outstanding title in the Total War franchise, any history RTS buff or fan of the series would be psychotically imbalanced should they choose to pass on this.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“A success despite a few frustrations that pop up along the way and is a must buy for both fans of the Creative Assembly’s previous efforts as well as strategy fans in general.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A bewigged, flouncing, educational "Rome." Wonderful stuff. [Christmas 2006, p.88]”
- 90
“The beautiful visuals and the turgid music and sound coalesce to create epic battles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Though familiar, MTWII is breathtaking in its depth, fiendishly challenging in all the right ways and a big old phlegmy spit right in the eye of anything else foolish enough to claim ownership of the strategy crown.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“"Epic" doesn't quite begin to describe the scope and scale of the latest Total War game--there's a lot of strategic depth, with plenty of amazing combat to enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A bigger, prettier, and more addictive game that leaves even the series' most recent efforts in the dust...If you think "Rome: Total War's" battles looked good, especially for the number of units on-screen at once (i.e., thousands), Medieval II will blow you away. [Dec 2006, p.28]”
- 88
“Fans of the Dark Ages will definitely get a nice playing experience, and for them as well as for the rest of the RTS fans, Medieval 2 can easily be considered one of the best games this genre has to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“Overall, Medieval 2: Total War is an excellent real-time/turn-based strategy experience and definitely warrants a look, if not a sure-fire purchase, by fans.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Longtime fans of games like "Rome: Total War" may fault the game for not adding more, but if you're looking for a solid strategy title, Medieval II: Total War delivers.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There are still some strange artificial intelligence quirks in both the turn-based and real-time aspects of the game, and it appears that the Total War franchise is starting to steer away from more casual players who would prefer a little less realism in their game. Still, Medieval II presents a great challenge.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The variety of units is amazing and it's easy to get caught up in multiplayer skirmishes. Granted, infrequent AI bugs may cause a few annoying moments, but that can easily be fixed with an update in the near future.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
PC Gamer
ActionTrip…and 26 more tracked reviews.