Choose Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition
Choose Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.7% positive across 16,615 reviews.
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition vs Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition and Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition (2006) is 3 years older than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009). Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (89.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and LAN PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2009) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 12,170 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition and Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition |  Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2009 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.7% positive (16,615 reviews) | 89.6% positive (12,170 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition (2006) is 3 years older than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009).
- Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (95.7% positive) than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (89.6% positive).
- Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition (24.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition has co-op; Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition vs Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition or Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition?
- On Steam reviews Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition scores higher (95.7% positive) than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (89.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition or Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition (2006) came out before Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition and Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.