it is amazing, warning though, it needs a graphics card with at least shader 1 support, and ELEVEN FREAKIN GIGS. Better yet if you have shader 2 support, imagine tow armies fighting it out, potentially thousands of soldiers involved, with FPS quality effects, blooming (very nice on the trebuchet and such with flaming ammo, especially when executing NIGHT SIEGES W00T!, though "night arrows" are a nastier tactic, they don't look as cool), shadows, it has cutscenes, cinematics for spy/assassin movies. political intrigue is imminently more complex as you have to deal with the vatican, your generals can be executed for not being "holy" enough, heretics and witches pop up converting your people to false religions, but it's all good as you get to send a priest to burn them at the stake, always fun. you can call for and participate in crusades, and even better you can declare JIH@D! when playin as an islamic state. going to post a more in depth review on unnamednewbie's thread when i delve into it a little more. only had it 2 nights and spent the first tweaking graphics issues, so i only got one night of play in so far. but i have destroyed those silly scots, introduced those irish curs to "law and order", cut france in half and am summarily laying waste to those silly danish and their butter cookies. i love ancient warfare and tactics if you can't tell. another interesting twist, right before i quit last night i (England) was asked to assassinate the king of france by his son, but my assassins are kinda weak.
not a game for the run/jump/shoot crowd, though it has plenty of blood and fire. you have to be thinking 20 turns ahead at all times
ps
night arrows: a sieging army would send archers to positions without campfires and unleash volleys of standard (not flaming) ammo en-masse down upon their unsuspecting opposition. one minute your standing on the wall of your castle, watching the enemy camp. the next the sky whistles with unseen death.