Teutonic Slaughter: Real Warfare 2

I don't know if anyone bought the first Real Warfare game, but I suppose they must have done because otherwise it's very unlikely that a sequel would have been made. What I do know is that it was very difficult to watch videos of the game in action and not shout "it looks like bloomin' Medieval Total War". There was an awful lot of medieval and an awful lot of bloom. Whenever a sword glinted in the sun, retinas were scorched and unshielded eyes risked turning into raisins. The sequel doesn't dispense with this but it does add a strategic map to the first game's tactical combat, which should hopefully allow for more varied scenarios. As the trailer below informs, the game is set in "the Medieval Europe", following the Teutonic Knights as they conquer Prussia.

I didn't play the first game and it sounded very limited, offering little more than a string of historical battles. The addition of a more cohesive campaign, with strategic elements, should benefit the sequel but it does look a lot like a budget Total War being sold at a steep price. I'm tempted to take a look when the price drops because I find it hard to resist a bit of historical crusading and the developers do seem to be rather passionate about period accuracy.

Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades is available now on various digital distribution services, including Gamersgate and Steam (£26.96 and £26.99 - your move, Steam).