The campaign map spans from the British Isles to the shores of North Africa and Egypt, as well as the entire Mediterranean area and as far east as India. This leaves the player in a constant state of alert, always looking for the next settlement or general to choose their own path. Rebellions on the home front present the player with a unique challenge as occasionally your own armies rise up to battle you. The player’s goal is still the same as other Total War installments: fight your way, one turn at a time, across the large map of countries in an attempt to grow your influence and economy, all the while trying to keep citizens happy at home so they don’t get any ideas of gathering pitchforks and disposing you to a deserted island. The tutorial campaign does help mitigate this somewhat, and the in-game encyclopedia is extremely helpful, filled with lots of information on the cultures, units, building, etc., but novice Total War players may still be left wondering what to do next due to the sheer size of the game. It offers a very steep learning curve, as new players will undoubtedly spend hours upon hours playing the game with little regard to what they are actually doing. Still, the battles are epic in scale and entertaining - and the battlefield is where Rome 2 has its finest moments.Īs mentioned, the scope is large, and Rome 2 can be very daunting for new players to the series. Real-time battles are a sight to behold indeed, but the lack of multiple tactics on the battlefield as well as occasional path-finding issues keeps the combat from reaching the heights seen in previous entries of the series. As ambitious as the game tries to be, the size of the game creates tedium for managing larger empires, which makes smaller countries more attractive for management. Players take control of various world powers after the fracture of Alexander’s empire following his early death, leading them through military might, shrewd diplomacy, and economic prowess. Historically, Rome 2 has an incredible scope. But does Total War: Rome 2 live up to the lofty expectations, and does it reach the heights of the series' best entry, Shogun 2?įor the most part, yes, though it is not without shortcomings. After a plethora of solid entries into the world of strategy gaming, Total War: Rome 2 arrives on the scene to make its case as the next great entry into the series long-standing lineup of tactical RTS as well as turn-based empire conquest.

Rome 2 total war tactics