Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2037 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Avanquest Software
• Released on: 2006-09-22
• Platform: Windows XP

Amazon.co.uk Review:
With the glory days of the real-time strategy game now nothing but a distant memory, Activision’s Total War series has come to totally dominate the strategy market and Rome is such a huge leap above the already impressive Medieval and Shogun titles that the series has almost become a mini-industry in itself.

Set, fairly obviously, during the hey day of the first Roman Empire, the game gives you total control over your own faction with the game once again split between a turn-based strategic world map and real-time tactical battles. The former allows you to build and maintain armies and buildings, but also gives increased control over diplomacy and trade--elements that were largely overlooked in previous titles.

The real draw of the game though is the tactical battles which are now displayed using some quite staggering 3D graphics that can see up to 10,000 separate warrior in battle at one time. With units ranging from elephants and inflammable pigs to centurions and escaped slaves just watching the battles unfold is as epic as any Hollywood blockbuster. What’s perhaps most impressive about the game is that controlling such huge numbers of soldiers is actually surprisingly easy with a simple point-and-click interface making everything as smooth as possible.

Rome: Total War is one of those rare breed of games that is largely impossible to fault. In technical and gameplay terms it gets everything right and unless you have a pathological hatred of strategy games this is easily one of the best PC games ever made. --David Jenkins

Manufacturer's Description
Rome: Total War for the PC, is the next game to be released in the Total War series and the follow-up title to The Creative Assembly's Medieval: Total War. Players return to the golden age of antiquity to take command of the most fearsome armies in a bid to rewrite the annals of history and be proclaimed supreme commander of the Roman Army.

he player controls mighty armies of up to 10,000 fully polygonal, highly detailed, motion-captured warriors clashing in panoramic real-time battles. Players can fight as, or against ancient history's most legendary generals including Julius Caesar, Hannibal and the rebel Spartacus.

At players' disposal will be hundreds of different troops including legionaries, hoplites, barbarian hordes, war elephants, gladiators and scythe chariots to colossal war machines such as siege towers, battering rams and catapults hurling flaming missiles. Additionally, more than 10,000 unique battlefields based on the topography of Europe and North Africa set the stage for the carnage. However, conflict is not the only way to gain favour with the senate and people of Rome; politics, diplomacy and the gladiatorial games will play key roles in the player's quest to be declared Imperator.

Customer Reviews

History in the Making
The greatest game in historical strategy, roll playing great Roman leaders and fighting historical battles. The senates orders are not made to follow but can be helpful, their commands can be from taking a city to recruiting a unit of mercenaries. Destroying factions is a sure way to get the senate on your side and to become more reliable as well as helping the defence of your people.

I would recommend this game to anybody who is interested in Roman history or enjoys strategy gaming experiences. It is suitable for older children as well as adults and provides real escapism, you become totally pulled into the game.

Formidable.
It's just a classic game all round. A magnificaent blend of Strategy, war, management and Roman style politics. A true great of the Total War series. The campaigns are so fantastic and enthralling: nothing is as satisfying as building your own Roman empire (unless it's seeing your classy assasin strike down the enemy general just before battle). The battles are awe inspiring: especially the sieges and river crossings.

The only down side is there isn't a 2 player mode which is surprising as it is a turn based game. This however is not worth taking off a star because this game should be remembered as the defining TBS.
96/100: because of no multiplayer mainly

Great Strategy Game
I have played this game for 4 years now. When it was released, there were a awful lot of bugs. Now, they are all patched and nicely done but there is one big thing I have to tell you at the end.

You do need a good system in order to play this game impressively. The minimum requirements is 1 Ghz and 256 Ram but I recommend roughly about 2.5Ghz with 1 to 2 Gb of Ram in order to play it decently. (if there is video card, 512mb is better)

You are given 3 factions at the beginning. All Rome(Julia, Brutii and Scipii). But, later on, when you completed the game(took all lands), you can play other european factions as well such as Greeks, Pontus..etc.

Basically, You have to conquer Europe with your roman troops. In the Campaign map, you have to place your soldiers on certain places and whenever you encounter enemy or take the enemy settlement, the battle screen appears(the time to engage). Looking at Roman Legionaries all lined(formed) up with reflection and sunshine is awesome here. This is a strategy game so you've got to think how you attack enemies in order to win. the total units that general can hadle is about 2500 and a bit over. War elephants and Egyptian Chariots were excellent and very interesting to see in the battle field. Big scale and dramatic game. (you also have to build up your settlements)

Music, Graphics and effects are all good. No complaints here. Worth having if you like Strategy game(such as Age of Empires). Certainly not designed for less patient players as it gets nervous and frustrating later on. Come on you are Conquering whole Europe with Roman Legions!


Now, the bad thing. This is a big program mistake that the Creative Assembly made in the game(which I found many times). When you get to a certain extent during the gameplay, say, conquerded about 2/3 of the land, the game dumps back to the desktop.I loaded from the autosave point but same again. If you are lucky, you don't get this bug. Sometimes, you do get this when you get to nearly end. I could have finished this game by now but to be honest, I haven't because of this. I started all over from the beginning.

If you have Vista, be aware that it dumps back to the desktop after about 4 or 5 hours of the game play with the problem I wrote above.

over all, this is a good game with good price. I recommend you to buy the Rome total war Anthology where you get Original Rome total war, and 2 expansion games together in one box.