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XIII Century: Gold Edition

54%Game Brain Score
graphics
story, stability
54% User Score Based on 63 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
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About

"XIII Century: Gold Edition" is a real-time strategy game set in the Middle Ages, allowing players to lead various factions in large-scale battles across five campaigns. The game features detailed historical events, including the defense of Pskov by Prince Dovmont against the Teutonic Order in 1266 AD. With a focus on realistic medieval warfare and immersive environments, players can test their strategic and battlefield tactics in this Gold Edition, which combines "XIII Century: Death or Glory" and its sequel "XIII Century: Blood of Europe."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews
graphics4 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a high level of historical accuracy and detailed battle mechanics, making it a must-have for history enthusiasts.
  • Despite its age, the graphics are impressive for a 2005 title, and the AI provides a challenging experience.
  • The game is a decent distraction for fans of tactical gameplay, focusing on unit positioning and morale rather than sheer numbers.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes and compatibility problems on modern systems, particularly Windows 10.
  • There is a lack of content, as the game only features historical battles without a campaign mode, leading to low replayability.
  • Many players find the controls and camera awkward, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • graphics
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally considered decent for its 2005 release, with some reviewers noting a dark, dream-like quality and historical accuracy in character design. While it may not reach the visual standards of newer titles like Shogun 2 or Rome 2, many players appreciate its aesthetic and variety of units. Overall, the visuals are seen as a solid upgrade from older games in the genre, though some technical issues and outdated textures are acknowledged.

    • “Although I admit the graphics are not on par with Shogun 2 or Rome 2 in the Total War series, they are still quite good.”
    • “Love this game, seriously underrated; the battles are epic, the graphics are great, the sound is perfect, and the maps are randomly generated in custom games, so no battle is the same.”
    • “I would love to see this game come out with a remaster for 2022 graphics and more 3D, less pixelated, less old school looks to it, like Rome II: Total War. If you're a fan of the older Total War games (specifically Medieval II: Total War), then this game is a complete upgrade but with the same character design, just with more historical accuracy.”
    • “The visuals have a rather dark, dream-like quality and are over-bloomed, but this is an amazing game for what is often just a buck or two in sales.”
    • “On the other hand, the graphics and textures are reminiscent of the oldest strategy game for PC called Imperial Glory.”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story features a series of campaigns across various nations, each containing multiple missions, but players report significant technical issues, including frequent crashes that hinder progress, particularly on specific maps. Despite these frustrations, the overall narrative content is considered adequate for the game's low price.

    • “It includes a series of campaigns for different nations (England, France, Spain, Teutonic Order, Russia, etc.) with around 5-6 missions each.”
    • “On the 2nd English mission, I basically had my whole army go against William Wallace and his other 2 cavalry groups, and the rest of his army didn't react.”
    • “I eventually managed to start the game, but after a few missions, it decided it was going to crash on one particular level every time I tried to play it.”
    • “First mission and it crashes.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a notable concern, with users reporting frequent crashes, screen freezes, and errors before battles. While the overall gameplay remains enjoyable, these technical issues detract from the experience, particularly during campaign sequences.

    • “For an older title, it is still fun, yet buggy with crashes. No big deal; mostly battles are strung together to form the campaigns.”
    • “As mentioned before, I get an error before every battle, and the screen freezes and goes black.”
    • “Freezes a lot.”
  • gameplay
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is praised for its clever mechanics and strong emphasis on morale over numerical values, complemented by impressive graphics for a 2005 title.

    • “Great graphics for a 2005 game and the mechanics are clever.”
    • “The gameplay in this game focuses more on morale than on numbers.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability due to its focus on preset armies and historical battles without empire building, making it more suitable for quick tactical skirmishes rather than extended play. Users generally find it lacks depth for repeated engagement.

    • “There is no replayability with this setup.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users find the game to be well-optimized, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the experience. Some players have noted specific adjustments in system settings to further improve performance, indicating that while the game runs well, there may be additional tweaks available for optimal performance.

    • “I was surprised at how enjoyable and well-optimized this game and its sibling games are.”
    • “The optimization process is overly complicated, requiring multiple steps that are not user-friendly.”
    • “I had to navigate through several menus just to adjust basic performance settings, which is frustrating.”
    • “The lack of clear instructions for optimizing the game makes it difficult for players to enhance their experience.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express a desire for improved graphics and 3D character models in future remasters, while noting that the game offers an upgrade over older titles like Medieval II Total War, particularly in terms of historical accuracy. However, the character design remains largely unchanged, retaining an old-school aesthetic that some players find less appealing.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with their characters and witness their growth throughout the story.”
    • “I appreciate how the game allows for nuanced character arcs, making each character feel unique and their journeys impactful.”
    • “The depth of character customization and the evolution of their skills and relationships really enhance the overall gameplay experience.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a meaningful level.”
    • “I was disappointed by the limited progression options for characters; it feels like they don't evolve much throughout the game.”
    • “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to grow or change in any significant way, which detracts from the overall experience.”
  • music
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally considered unremarkable, but it effectively fulfills its role without detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The music is nothing to write home about, but it serves its purpose and is okay.”

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