Total invading Viking war
Medieval Total War
Viking Invasion Expansion
www.games.activision.com/games/medieval_totalwar/index.html

Publisher: Activision www.activision.com/

And on the hills and the beaches, hordes of Vikings came.

Games up for grabs

We have a copy of Medieval Total War: Viking Invasion (PC) and Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball (XBox) up for grabs this edition. Entries should be e-mailed to ADFgamesmen@telstra.com with the name of the game you would like to win in the subject line. Please only one entry a person – subsequent entries will be discarded. Include your full name and mailing address in the e-mail or your entry won’t be accepted. Congratulations to our recent Brute Force winners: L Benning, Canberra, M Skaife, Melbourne; S Belan, RAAF Base Williamtown.

Creative Assembly and Activision won over the gaming community with their first iteration Total War, Shogun.

It was a ground breaking mix of strategic planning and mass-scaled tactical battles set in Feudal Japan. Shogun was followed by the release of Medieval Total War, which was an enhancement of the game’s system, increasing the influence of religion and the church.

It also added a wide range of siege equipment and introduced the myriad of European forces battling it out at the time.
Their latest release is the expansion disk Medieval Total War: Viking Invasion.

As the name suggests the expansion kit covers the period 793 to 1066, the Dark Age period proceeding the medieval period. It was at this time the Vikings were raiding the British Isle, plundering all in their path.

Viking Invasion installs over the original Medieval Total War and adds an additional 400 MB to the size of the original program files.

After installation, the game requires the Viking Invasion disk to run the game. Players can then select to play any of the original scenarios or the new Viking campaign.

The first thing players will notice when selecting the Viking Campaign is the different map. The map focuses on the British Isle and its surrounding regions.

The British Isle is divided into the regions that existed during the Dark Ages, which roughly split the Isles into eight even factions. There is no change to the fundamental game system.

Play is still conducted on a turn-based system with players carrying out strategic movement, raising of units and the construction of facilities, with each turn ending in the resolution of any battles that arise from the movement of troops during that turn.

Players will find the technology of the period much simpler than the other Medieval scenarios, which reflects civilisation’s backward plunge during the Dark Ages.

The Vikings have been given abilities that reflect their seafaring abilities and their desire to raid and pillage.

The Viking ships have a longer range than all other ships in the scenario and they do not require a port to embark or disembark.

The Vikings also gain most of their gold from bonuses gained by the destruction of buildings.

For players who decide to be the object of the Vikings raids, they can select one of eight factions that existed at the time.

The main goal is to repel the Vikings, convert them to Christianity as early as possible while smashing the other seven factions into submission.

The Viking campaign is a well-balanced scenario that has enough different features to make it standout from the other scenarios and goes a long way to providing a feel for the period and representing the scourge the Vikings were to the British Isles during the era.

In addition to providing Medieval Total War with a new scenario, Viking Invasion provides several upgrades to the original game.

These include a pre-battle deployment screen that allows players to prioritise their replacements, three new playable faction (the Aragonese Hungarians and Sicilians) 25 new units and the use of fire on the battlefield.

Catapults now hurl burning loads at castles, igniting wooden structures while castle defenders have had their prayers answered with supplies of burning oil.

Viking Invasion is a well produced and successful expansion.

The combined effect of a new scenario and the new additions to the original game breathe new life into Medieval Total War and makes it well worth dusting off and playing again while we wait for the release of Total War: Rome.
You must have Medieval Total War to play Viking Invasion.