A Right Roman Success (Rome - Total War (PC))

Member Name: Geisskane

Product:	Rome - Total War (PC)
Date:	04/08/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Epic gameplay

Disadvantages: May cause delusions of grandeur and spark a desire to conquer the world. Dated graphics.

The Total War series is unlike many other strategy games in that it combines both turn based and real time elements. Rome, the third instalment in the series, does this with particular finesse in a setting fit for the title 'Total War'.

Overview:
You start the game as a fledgling nation in the year 280BC. Your goal is to rise to power and eventually rule the known world by a combination of diplomacy, assassination and of course, war.

Gameplay:
Given the nature of this game it's important to split this into two sections.

Campaign Map
The entire game can be played without ever venturing from the campaign map. It is here that you forge alliances, build armies and manage your economy. It may seem like a lot to do, but unfortunately I find that whilst extremely fun it is rather limited in scope. Diplomacy isn't as useful as in the later Medieval II and even when you do create alliances they will more often than not hinder rather than help you. Regardless, I find this section of the game absolutely enthralling and find myself saying 'just one more turn' with alarming frequency.

Battle Map
The real time element off the game is a beauty to behold. Battles begin with stirring speeches from your leader as your soldiers raise their weapons and clash their shields. Nothing is more satisfying than leading 10,000 men to victory against an enemy entrenched in their city. At higher difficulties tactics become a must, but on the easier difficulties things can be a little bit too easy.

Graphics:
Obviously the game is a bit dated and so the graphics aren't up to much, but if you come to the game looking for graphics you come for the wrong reasons. On the campaign map graphics don't mean much. On the battlefield you'll spend most of your time zoomed out and won't notice that every unit looks the same. The game is capable of some stunning displays though and does it without bringing your computer to a halt.
The interface is simple to use and pretty self explanatory. If it gets in your way it can easily be changed to suit your needs.

Conclusion:
This is a masterpiece of a game with a few faults. Historically it is also very inaccurate, but mods can fix this problem quickly. If you want an introduction to the Total War series I highly recommend this.

Summary: Definitely one to own.