Aggressors: Ancient Rome

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. uncajerf
    Nov 8, 2018
    9
    While my very first impression of this game was, "Hmmm... nothing special", I have since considerably revised my opinion; the more I play, the more intrigued I become, wishing to delve deeper into its systems and 'invisible' depth -- indeed, even its historical context.

    Perhaps I'll first tell readers what it isn't: it isn't Civ, or Total War, or even Hegemony, all of which I have    While my very first impression of this game was, "Hmmm... nothing special", I have since considerably revised my opinion; the more I play, the more intrigued I become, wishing to delve deeper into its systems and 'invisible' depth -- indeed, even its historical context.

    Perhaps I'll first tell readers what it isn't: it isn't Civ, or Total War, or even Hegemony, all of which I have played and wast--err...in which I've sunk hundreds of hours. While it has elements of all these and more, it carves its own niche with more or less unique takes on morale, happiness, supply, and combat mechanics, among others. It's also well-rooted in history -- something for which the first two games mentioned above have been critiqued -- while offering its own sandbox mode and virtually infinite modding/scenario creation possibilities.

    Some may criticise its aesthetics and a lot of the written material (in English,. at least) -- I initially did, in my own head, anyway -- but one should keep in mind that its dev team is very small, non-native English speakers, and other than that, the map, at least, grew on me; it's quite beautiful in its own way. Not only that the Dev support I've seen is second to none, IMO -- and I have played a lot of games over the years (you see, I'm very old!). Planned DLC is already in the works -- what other dev firm asks explicitly in their forums for user-input on this sort of thing? -- and its potential for a virtually endless stream of content -- official or not -- is already manifesting.

    So, if you're on the fence, I suggest you give it a try -- and don't write it off after only an hour or two! ;)

    I should add that although I was a beta-tester, I came in very late in the process, and didn't receive my free key before my beta key was invalidated -- so I bought it for myself. That should tell you something too.    … Expand
  2. Captain_Narol
    Nov 9, 2018
    9
    A fascinating mix between a classic 4X and a strategic-level wargame (the Dev mentioned Panzer General as one of its inspirations) using concepts like Supply and Unit Morale.

    Quite innovative on many points, complex economy (10 different types of resources), very realistic on the historical level (far more than Civ games or RTW2). Cherry on the cake, the best AI that I ever faced in    A fascinating mix between a classic 4X and a strategic-level wargame (the Dev mentioned Panzer General as one of its inspirations) using concepts like Supply and Unit Morale.

    Quite innovative on many points, complex economy (10 different types of resources), very realistic on the historical level (far more than Civ games or RTW2).

    Cherry on the cake, the best AI that I ever faced in a strategy game ! Be prepared to suffer and struggle !

    Strongly recommended to all strategy fans, wargamers or history buffs. This Game grow on you, especially as you discover all the little details that makes it a true gem.

    Just one more turn, please....    … Expand
  3. raadoo
    Nov 5, 2018
    8
    gfx is ugly, but does it job of conveying info well enough. some questionable ui choices - takes some time to get used to. apart from that - a very good game, ai is really challenging and it does not cheat, mechanics are well thought out and everything works well together. there are many diplomatic options. not so many technologies to research and units, but a lot of promotions that can begfx is ugly, but does it job of conveying info well enough. some questionable ui choices - takes some time to get used to. apart from that - a very good game, ai is really challenging and it does not cheat, mechanics are well thought out and everything works well together. there are many diplomatic options. not so many technologies to research and units, but a lot of promotions that can be applied and change their abilities. game setup is highly customisable, you can play an ancient rome scenario with a chosen nation or a customised game on a random map, that you can setup almost like a "clear civ start" so you start with one unit and no cities. overall, a very good "civ clone" with better than civ ai and some unique ideas. the only thing that annoys me is that peace treaties can be broken at any time, so you sign a peace a treaty and a turn or two later you're back at war.… Expand
  4. blueflax
    Dec 29, 2018
    10
    Far and away the best 4X strategy game I've played. And I've played all the Civ versions (plus C-evo), a handful of Total War games, and most of the triple-A space 4Xs. But my assessment here is basis only 40 hours of play. I'll update this review when I get beyond the 200 hour mark. The strategic depth and texture of the play is extraordinary. I think it's because the game is so wellFar and away the best 4X strategy game I've played. And I've played all the Civ versions (plus C-evo), a handful of Total War games, and most of the triple-A space 4Xs. But my assessment here is basis only 40 hours of play. I'll update this review when I get beyond the 200 hour mark. The strategic depth and texture of the play is extraordinary. I think it's because the game is so well balanced on its features; they harmonize superbly. And if you don't like one of the game features--like random events--you can turn it off. My only knock at this point is that the default unit controls are archaic and awkward. Most players will want to go to settings and reverse the mouse action. That will get you to the left click to select, right click to direct action that is the modern norm. The controls are also a bit temperamental. Selecting and directing units in stacks is more awkward than most games. But this is a minor complaint next to the game's payoff in strategic "feel," and I should be better w/ practice.… Expand
  5. Sillyflower
    Jun 9, 2019
    9
    With over 50 years of gaming experience, I've played almost every ancient/quasi-ancient like Civ and Warhammer period game. This is in the top 3 for me - though I'm not quite sure where in that trio, and has got me re-reading the books of Caesar, Tacitus etc.

    This is not a game for those who adopt Homer Simpson's philosophy of 'if at first you don't succeed, give up'. I read the long    With over 50 years of gaming experience, I've played almost every ancient/quasi-ancient like Civ and Warhammer period game. This is in the top 3 for me - though I'm not quite sure where in that trio, and has got me re-reading the books of Caesar, Tacitus etc.

    This is not a game for those who adopt Homer Simpson's philosophy of 'if at first you don't succeed, give up'. I read the long (it has lots of screenshots) but very well-written manual and got hammered in my first few games but am now winning: most of the time anyway. It is a game that rewards applying a bit of brain-power and perseverance. I started 'noob tips' thread on the Slitherine forum which should help with the early learning curve.

    The game has several several difficulty levels and the different nations in the Mediterranean scenario do not start equally strong. I still can't win with some of them even on easy mode yet, but the developer Pavel assures me that all 10 nations can be won on the heroic difficulty level and some on higher levels. There is also a sandbox mode to set up random worlds etc.

    I think the game is quite pretty - especially the way that units' appearance change as they get damaged. The map is functional and clear.

    What makes the game stand out is that it is a really good game. There are several resource types and mechanics such as national and individual but linked city and unit morale/happiness, supply, random events etc most of which can be turned on or off in the settings menu.

    Cities work very well, with many upgrades to be gained through research (research tree has 160 items) and can build units - though none can build every type. Outside of cities you can build roads (2 types), temples for population growth, blacksmiths to boost the output of mines and stables which produce cavalry more cheaply than cities do. Units can only be built in cities which can build them and benefit from multiple upgrades when available as well as from experience gained in combat.

    Trade is between nations as long as as there is a trade link between at at least 1 city in each. You can opt for fixed trade (eg 2 gold for 2 timber and 1 stone) or you can offer something and see what if anything is offered in return before agreeing a deal.

    All this and the diplomacy system is pretty familiar territory for strategic games. Where this game excels is the way that everything interacts in an intelligent and thoughtful way to make a game that is easy to play (helped by a very good UI) but much harder to play well against an impressive AI.

    It hasn't been out for long but seems to be very free of bugs and there is huge potential for expansion. As Uncajerf wrote in his review, dev support is of the highest quality - putting this game's rivals to shame.

    If you are interested in the period or just need to conquer the known world, I cannot recommend this game highly enough. I've given a score of 'only' 9 because it will continue to grow and a score of 10 implies that it can't get better. I hope/expect that I can come back in a year's time and change my score to 10    … Expand
  6. n0kn0k
    Jan 30, 2019
    10
    It's a great game being developed as a passion project over a period of 10 years, with great developers. Developer support is superb. If you like a game like Civilization, 4x games, the Roman era, a good diplomacy, trade, morale, supply and economy system, then buy this game.
    I'd recommend starting to play the main campaign as Rome and do both tutorials. Read the manual also. There are    It's a great game being developed as a passion project over a period of 10 years, with great developers. Developer support is superb. If you like a game like Civilization, 4x games, the Roman era, a good diplomacy, trade, morale, supply and economy system, then buy this game.
    I'd recommend starting to play the main campaign as Rome and do both tutorials. Read the manual also. There are some pretty neat systems underneath. It will help to understand those.
    Worst thing you can do. As a new player, start a randomly generated map without knowing what settings to use. You won't like it then and it can be insanely difficult with the wrong settings. So just start with the main campaign. ;)    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    80
    A complex, yet accessible and entertaining historical strategy that successfully resists the ongoing trends of the genre. [Issue#290]
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Sep 23, 2018
    80
    Aggressors: Ancient Rome is literally a diamond in the rough. It is an incredibly deep and interesting take on the 4X genre with subpar graphics and some rough edges in the UI.
    Read full review
  3. Everyeye.it
    Sep 21, 2018
    50
    Aggressors: Ancient Rome is an empty and soulless 4X.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »