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[Alex Connolly]

Prussia in the XIII century is the last stand of Paganism in Europe. Wild plains and forests inhabited by wild people. A fearful place...the Teutonic Order Brothers prepare to conquer it by fire and sword.​

THE GAME

Real Warfare 2 continues the series of historical real-time strategy titles depicting various periods of civilization and its development – from the Dark Ages to the modern era. The new installment in historically accurate tactical real-time wargames offers two closely interconnected layers of gameplay:​

Strategic map – real-time, living, integral world offering full freedom of actions and incorporating quests, dialogs, RPG elements and story progression.​

Tactical battles – carry out your strategic decisions on the battlefield, for example commanding an assault on a vital castle.​

Play as Komtur of the Teutonic Order - overcome the furious resistance of the pagans and their numerical superiority to claim new lands for your order in the story-based campaign that consists of over 25 battles and an unlimited number of random fights. You must gain experience, build up and maintain a victorious army, all in low resource conditions.​

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimal requirements:

OS: Windows ® XP Service Pack 2, Windows ® Vista
CPU: Intel Pentium ® IV 2.0 GHz or AMD ® 2000+
RAM: 512 MB
Graphics: GeForce MX400 or Radeon 8500 or higher
Free space: 3 GB
Sound card, keyboard, mouse, DVD-ROM
Online game: high speed Internet connection - 128kb/s or higher​

Recommended requirements

OS: Windows ® XP Service Pack 2, Windows ® Vista
CPU: Intel Pentium 3.2 GHz or AMD 3000+ or Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6
RAM: 1.5 GB
Video card: GeForce 7900 or Radeon X1900 or higher
Free space: 3 GB
Sound card
Keyboard, mouse, DVD-ROM
Online game: high speed Internet connection - 256kb/s or higher​

SCREENSHOTS

Strategic Mode:

Tactical Mode:

VIDEOS

First Trailer
Release Trailer​

IMPRESSIONS:

James Allen of Out Of Eight/Wargamer:

I wasnt expecting much from Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades. I figured it would be just another cheap rip-off of Total War, hoping to cash in on yet another unoriginal replica. How wrong I was. This game excels thanks in part to its detailed unit attributes: clear data, from armor ratings to attacks on the flanks, is used to determine when units will rout, resulting in more authentic battle results and interesting tactical gaming.

AVAILABLE:

Gamersgate
Steam
D2D​

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Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Hierosolymitanorum

Brethren of the Teutonic confraternity...the purging of the Pagans begins this morn. The weak of will and heart will find no comfort in the North. This invitation under the auspices of Konrad I to draw Christendom across Eastern Europe at the tip of sword, lance and arrow shall be accepted with the greatest of fervour and sense of honour, as those abhorrent curs that stalk under the unholy moons of Pagan falsities will be rent, lest their foulness encroach further than the taint therein which they dwell.

The purging of the Pagans begins.​

 

[Alex Connolly]

I knew it was Triple A season for many, but dear me...is it the lack of prestige?!

I'll run with the notion that Real Warfare 2 pundits are so deep into the game that they've no time to comment. Amazing game thus far, but incredibly punitive. One of the toughest in the business, so if that's your bag, leap into the saddle.

 

[Alex Connolly]

In the event someone else nabbed this...a pro-tip is to search for the rare low-level brigand bands around Toruń and gain XP for your Komtur, otherwise you will have extreme difficulty on the third battle. Grind until you can expand and afford a few mercenary irregulars or upgrade your own regiments. Holy hell, this is one hellishly tough-but-fair title.

If you want your Total War games to come on Nightmare from the get-go, RW2 is it.

 

[Dennis]

I am definitely interested in this but my problem is that I haven't even had time to play Shogun 2: Total War yet.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Dennis! This thread was looking more quiet than my Off-Road Drive OT until you wandered in.

Yeah, it's pretty heavy-going. The strategic mode isn't as deep as Shogun - which isn't particularly deep when set against the Paradox end of the spectrum - but the prep and tactical mode is gruelling. So much to consider, and that's without even thinking about the mindset of your troops...I've had to gallop my military commander after fleeing irregulars and sound the morale horn just to keep them on the field.

Can't wait to make progress towards hardened troops who'll stick with their captain. These peasant scum at the moment are two shades shy of me executing them for cowardice and treason. Incredible stuff.

 

[Sinatar]

This is on my wishlist but it's going to have to wait until I get through this pile of games I'm churning through at the moment.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Yeah, it's not one you can easily slot into the mix...a real heavy slog. Just had a session where I think I'll have to restart the entire campaign once more! Had a courageous last stand against a massive brigand army on a rocky hillock. My two regiments of irregular bowmen and some freshly upgraded irregular axemen took to the field with my military commander horsemen. It was brutal, but the last regiment of archers fought valiantly and alone to the death against an army at least seven hundred strong, their comrades already felled.

They will be remembered.

EDIT: Also, prospective buyers should check out the manual. Gives a great overview and details the mechanics of the game.

 

[Alex Connolly]

A quick few screenies from a custom battle (downsized to 60%).

The custom battle skirmishes allow for players to either use the real option (realism/morale etc.) or arcade. Certainly feels like its own beast in realism mode. Quite taken, as peanuts might tell.

If you see in that bottom screenshot, that unit characteristics menu...so very important. So much information to muse over and interpret. Great for mid-game in-depth army status checking.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Updated the OP with a review by James Allen over at Wargamer. He knows the score.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Patchnotes for a new update! Oh hordes, stay ye back.

Version 2.2.4 (November 2011)

Major

-Several quest errors fixed, mostly in "Intercepting Foragers" and "Reaching the Rally Point".
-Lords in "Reaching the Rally Point" move normally after your conversation with Landmeister.
-Battle statistics window fixed (sometimes it showed wrong enemy army information).
-Game crash after saving on strategic map fixed.
-Possible game crash after saving on tactic map fixed.
-Rare game camera crash on tactic map fixed.

Improvements

-Huge performance increase on certain PC configurations: GTX video cards + Microsoft® Windows® 7 operating system (other cards may benefit from this as well)
-Pathfinding on strategic map is improved, armies will find a way around towns and other obstacles quicker.
-Tactical battle lighting presets were corrected to reduce blur and glare.
-Improved tactical map generation
-High hills are not used when generating northern valleys
-Probability of autumn maps generation increased from 15 to 25%.

Game process and minor changes

-Costs of replenishing losses are reduced for sergeants (-25%) and knights (-16%).
-Bandits aggression is reduced if the player's army is weak.
-Enemy will demand a smaller ransom if the player's army is significantly weaker. Ransom is not increased until player reaches level 6.
-"Destroying the Foragers' Camp" quest improved slightly. Enemy army now heads to Matowy only after you receive a message.
-A dialog screen in "Destroying the Foragers' Camp" can not be closed incorrectly.
-A victory screen after plundering a village can not be closed incorrectly.
-Changes in texts.
-You can't close a start screen incorrectly to avoid battle, and penalty for retreat.
-Before you start the siege, town\castle lord may engage you in the field.
-AI armies replenishing fixed. Winner restores most part of the army.
-Robbers' bands are restored.
-Garrisons of captured towns\castles\settlements are restored.
-Extortion is changed. If you consider opponent is too strong, and close battle window, you'll have to offer ransom.
-Estimate strength of enemy forces in tooltips changed.
-Upgrading costs were changed, upgrade to sergeants and knights now costs more, mounted archers cost much more.
-Icons of settlements added to economy and diplomacy map overlays.
-Army consumes food after a battle.
-Army does not consume food while stationary.
-Prussian lords now can hire more sergeants (since they don't have access to knights).
-Reserves will no longer disappear in assault battles.
-Numerous cosmetic fixes and improvements in the campaign.
-Faction relations changes are now shown in log.
-Retreat penalty added. Retreating army will suffer losses.
-Real price of hiring professional and elite units now matches description.
-Now auto-resolving a plunder engagement will give you trophies.
-Enemy army losses are now taken into account for determining earned experience and trophies after a battle.
-New diplomatic conversation option added to freeplay - "Personal insult".
-Amount of food left is now shown on the main screen (next to commander's level, money and battle experience).
-Commander skill window now appears automatically after gaining a level.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

I salute you Pylon. I love games like this in theory but never have time (anymore) to be anything else than a COD/Skyrim type of gamer

 

[Alex Connolly]

Someone's got to do it, heh heh. Nah, actually, I get as much enjoyment out of these curiosities from the other side of the Wall as fellows get from the big guns like Skyrim. I don't play many triple A titles, so my limited time gets devoted to unsung gems and rough diamonds.

Real Warfare doesn't inhabit much market mindshare, but I think this is a very strong outing for the franchise and people who want a meatier take on the Total War tactical combat might find something here to love.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Just in the hope SOMEONE gives a tinker's cuss and wants a strategy game to put hairs on chest, I'll throw down a couple of screenshots taken a while back. Seriously, great game, friends...

One of 2011's forgotten gems.