The fact this came out seven years after Shogun 2 blows my mind. I really believed it was one of the earlier titles. It is definitely not up to series par. Graphics are grainy, the gameplay is simplified, and there's only a few playable factions.

That said, it is still the same core experience of the other Total War games. They're all basically the same game but with different themes. So if you want the Viking, Anglo-Saxon, or Celtic theme, there you have it.