The Total War series has always been something of a critical darling.  The tense, real-time battles with thousands of troops married to a grand strategic campaign are enough to keep armchair generals up all night.  But previous iterations of the series have had a fair share of issues.  Oblique strategic rules, a confounding interface, and a punishing campaign probably held more than a few players at bay. If you’re one of those players still on the fence concerning Total War, listen very carefully.  Rome: Total War is the most epic, accessible, engrossing, soul-consuming real-time strategy game we’ve played this year.

Qui Desiderat Pacem, Praeparet Bellum

Rome: Total War closely follows the design precepts set forth in earlier games in the series.  From a map of the known world, you rule your lands, raise armies, conduct diplomacy, and generally do your best to conquer everyone who crosses your path.  In this case, the lands in question are Rome and the ones to be conquered are pretty much everyone in the nearby vicinity circa 270BC.

It turns out that things were all hustle and bustle back then, because the moment your armies venture into uncharted territory you’ll be bumping up against some other poor civilization.  This is where the Total War part comes in.  Instead of the plodding turn-based pace of the strategic map, battles take place in real-time where armies of thousands line up, fight, flee, and die at your command.

Sounds a lot like the other Total War games, right?  Well, it is.  But there’s much more.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

In addition to the numerous minor tweaks to the gameplay, Rome: Total War sports some changes to both the strategic and tactical layers that make the game better than previous version. On the strategic map, units are no longer little board game pieces that are picked up and moved from one territory to another.  Your characters march a certain distance per turn and their exact location on the terrain matters. This takes a lot of guesswork out of the game. Hide an army in the forests and they'll wait in ambush. Keep them on roads and they'll travel farther.  When battles are joined, you can tell exactly what kind of terrain you'll be fighting on based on where your army is located on the strategic map.

Guiding your initial foray in Rome: Total War is the concept of the Roman Senate.  You begin the game as one of three powerful Roman families (other playable civilizations are unlocked as you play). Your overall goal is to capture 50 territories and unite all of Rome. It's a long and difficult task that can be made much easier by staying politically savvy.  Periodically, the Senate will request you complete a mission, such as taking a town or blockading an enemy port.  Although these missions are entirely optional, success ensures a much higher standing in the eyes of the senate, and can even propel members of your family into influential Senate seats.

All in the Family

As the campaign can last a few hundred years of game time, your family dynasty is all important.  Male members of your family assume the role of generals for your armies and governors for your cities.  Keeping them alive and fostering their strengths on the battlefield or in office is vital.  Over time, your family members assume all kind of traits, both good and bad, and can even attract a retinue of followers.

I Love the Smell of Elephant Dung in the Morning

The most noticeable update in Rome: Total War is the new battle system, specifically the new graphics.  For the first time in the series, armies are rendered in full 3D.  The results are nothing less than spectacular. Even with thousands of troops on screen at one time, a modest machine appears to be able to handle the battles. Armies now move and behave in a much more realistic manner.  This is partially due to the dramatic increase in the number of different animations for each individual unit.  Zoom in on a battle and you'll see soldiers hacking, slashing, dodging, and dying in multiple ways.

Not surprisingly, this really helps in understanding why good tactics work.  Watching your archers cut and run, or your spearmen brace for an attack gives the player a sense that certain units are better suited for certain tactics.  It also looks great.  Few things are more satisfying than watching the bodies fly as your cavalry charge breaks through a defensive line or watching your elephants flatten your foes as they run away in terror.  Rome: Total War adds much needed personality to the battle.  No other game in the strategy genre does it better.

Sieges have also been slightly revamped.  Because siege weapons are built on-site, laying siege to a town takes more strategic planning.  Maintaining a siege will surely weaken your foe and give you more time to assemble your weapons, but it also increases the chance of an enemy army coming to the rescue.  Sieges take on a fantastically epic quality whether you're on offense or defense.  It's undeniably fun to knock down walls, bash down gates, and set fire to buildings, but there's a surprising amount of satisfaction to be had by successfully beating back an overwhelming force with only a few well commanded troops.  Understanding solid tactics makes this kind of heroic engagements possible.

The Fall of the Roman Empire

All is not rosy in Rome: Total War.   Although the strategic campaign is much easier to digest than the ones in previous Total War games, there's still a certain amount of ambiguity here. There's an unprecedented amount of information and help for new players, but if you try to decipher the specific mechanics of the economy, or even the motivations of some of the factions, you'll be left scratching your head.  This is most noticeable later in the game, when you've claimed lots of territories.  There’s just a lot of stuff to wade through at this point.  Figuring out exactly why some cities are harder to manage than others is a mystery.  And coming up with a working solution is an exercise in trial-and-error.  The battles are near flawless, although getting your units to negotiate an intricate network of walls and towers is occasionally difficult.

Hail Caesar!

So no, Rome: Total War isn't completely perfect, but it comes damn close.  Most importantly, the inconsistencies in no way diminish this splendid game.  As this series has grown and evolved, it was always clear that the developers were on to something.  With the release of Rome: Total War they've never been closer to achieving their vision of the perfect strategy game.