The frustrating thing is that the problems are still the same as always, they’re just less pronounced than they previously were.

And although there is a significant improvement in Rome II there are still enough problems to keep the game from a perfect score. Despite how complicated the screenshots may look many of the more advanced systems are not introduced until much later on, even then via some very thorough tutorial videos.īut while the controls have never been as tricky as new players might fear it’s the artificial intelligence that is the series’ Achilles heel. You can simply let the computer auto resolve a battle on the campaign map but to do so would miss the whole point of the game.Īlthough there are many optional controls the basics ask you simply to point and click where you want your troops to go. Here you control tens of thousands of troops all at once, from highly trained foot soldiers to cavalry, artillery weapons, and speciality units like elephants and flaming pigs(!). Neatly streamlined in terms of micromanaging your cities, the strategy element is the best it’s ever been but the real heart of the game is on the battlefield. As has always been the case there’s an attempt to humanise the strategy element by giving you control of your family’s political and social life, which again works especially well in the context of ancient Rome – from who to marry to what to do with a sacked city. It looks and plays much like a simplified version of Civilization, but rather than trying to compete with Sid Meier’s venerable classic Rome II in particular emphasises different elements.

You can play the whole game from here if you like, constructing buildings, training troops, and taking diplomatic – and even personal – decisions. Rome II uses the same basic set-up as all the Total War titles, with overall control of your faction (from a choice of three different Roman families or a range of non-Roman civilisations) taking place on a turn-based strategic map.

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