Yes, it is impossible to escape the gauntleted grasp of the Total War franchise when writing about an RTS with a mediæval setting, but History Great Battles Medieval steps centuries forward after its previous sojourn in Rome onto that very era of combat and proves itself robust enough to withstand the onslaught – and a damn sight more limber than its lumbering title would indicate. The ‘History’ part is because of the History Channel association, one that provides the game with stylish live action intros to the major battles.
Notwithstanding a few niggles, History Great Battles Medieval is satisfying enough, cleverly adding elements like unlocked ‘Battle Cards’, such as ‘Bad Omen’ and ‘Rally’ (this last when one of your units goes all lily-livered and decides to flee the battlefield, the former serving to weaken an enemy unit’s resolve).