The Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition campaign takes place between AD 1080 and AD 1530 and is set against a background of political, social and religious changes, when the borders of competing European states were repeatedly drawn and redrawn on bloody battlefields.
Battle of Hastings
This famous battle on England's south coast saw the end of Anglo-Saxon rule and the beginning of a new era of English history.
In Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition the Battle of Hastings serves as the game's tutorial. Take command of the Norman army, defeat the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, and claim England as your own!
Crusades
There were serveral major crusades during this period, where Christians drawn from all over western Europe fought Muslim armies in the Middle East. Their aim was to guarantee pilgrims access to sites in the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem.
In Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition you embark on crusades at the behest of the Pope. A crusade is a huge event in the game, which may unite many Roman Catholic factions in common causes, for example, to liberate Christian populations from Islamic rule. Successful factions will be greatly rewarded; refuse the Pope at your peril!
Mongols
In the 13th century the Mongols stormed Europe. The Slavic states, Hungary and Poland bore the brunt of their ferocious attacks, which brought about massive population movements.
The Mongols have the most powerful cavalry units in the game; defeating them takes careful planning and experienced units!
The Pope
The relationships between the church and Christian states during medieval times was often tense. The Pope was the only person whose power rivalled that of monarchs, and whose influence transcended borders.
The Pope is a pivotal figure in Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition. As the leader of the Papal States he will task Catholic factions with missions, call for inquisitions and crusades. Currying favour with the Pope offers great rewards, while refusing his edicts can result in excommunication and war.
Gunpowder
When the Mongols invaded Europe in the 13th century they brought with them an explosive new technology: Chinese gunpowder. By the mid 14th century it was being produced in Europe and this combined with advances in metallurgy, saw a revolution in military hardware that led to the development of the cannon and the musket.
In the game, cannons are powerful units that can smash castle and city walls, and destroy enemy troops with explosive shells, while musketeers are a strong defensive unit.
Disease
Millions of people died in the Middle-Ages as the result of diseases such as the Black Death, a pandemic plague that was feared throughout the known world.
In Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition plague will strike randomly and decimate armies and civilian populations alike. However, it also represents an opportunity for an ruthless leader: sending an infected spy into an enemy city will seal its fate!
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War is the name given to a series of conflicts between the English and French that took place between 1337 and 1453.
Total War: MEDIEVAL II - Definitive Edition features several playable historical battles, including the Battle of Agincourt. In this battle players take the role of Henry V, the English king, and must take on a numerically-superior French army.