Imperator: Rome

 PC
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 218 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 218
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 218
  3. Negative: 107 out of 218

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  1. Netcriminal
    Sep 22, 2019
    5
    I found the tutorial completely unhelpful, the game mechanics are not substantial to the enjoyment of the game. In the end it seems like a wonderful simulation, but a very bad game to play. I enjoyed the historical events a lot.
  2. VeriNoop
    Apr 26, 2019
    6
    After playing a total of over 1000 hours of different Paradox games (I know that isn't even that much), but this is the first time I actually got disappointed. I didn't even have high expectations for the game, unlike Stellaris (which gets boring fast too).

    The game is simply bland and boring. Every faction is similar in the end, with only small differences that in the long run don't    After playing a total of over 1000 hours of different Paradox games (I know that isn't even that much), but this is the first time I actually got disappointed. I didn't even have high expectations for the game, unlike Stellaris (which gets boring fast too).

    The game is simply bland and boring. Every faction is similar in the end, with only small differences that in the long run don't really matter. The UI is terrible in my opinion, the different icons they have for different tabs are made just too complex, instead of something simple like in EU4. The ledger and the music player are missing too, but will most likely be added in a later date.

    I got bored of the game in only 4 hours, tried different countries during that. And as a final try I tried playing as Rome. That playthrough ended after I conquered Etruria, as I got bored. The peacetime gameplay is even more boring compared to EU4 as an example. It's a waiting game.

    The combat is fun, until you start steamrolling everything, which will happen so fast as you don't really have to worry about aggressive expansion or coring in this one. Especially when the AI is broken. I migrated to India as Dania as a joke, I was able to grow in peace for 20 years until they attacked me. But they didn't. They didn't throw a single unit at me, so I was able to win the war without doing anything. Had I waited for more, I probably could have taken land, but I just got hundreds of ducats or whatever the currency is in the game. After that war I ended that playthrough.

    I wouldn't recommend getting the game at this point. The game will get better in a year or two, when it gets free updates and DLCs. I personally don't mind Paradox DLC policy, as long as I get my money's worth of the game, like I've with EU4 and CK2.    … Expand
  3. GERULAS
    May 18, 2019
    6
    UI looks great but works like crap and most of this game crashes are because of this crapy UI

    PS: What is wrong with Para(DLC)box that they banned everybody on steam forums who dare to say anything negative about this poor game. When did communism censorship moved in Sweden !?
  4. juliiouse
    Apr 26, 2019
    5
    When Paradox are firing on all cylinders, they're capable of producing grand strategies that are rich in complexity, challenge and immersion. They exist as a kind of timed sandbox: you pick a nation and-- no matter how big or small-- there are mechanics in place to challenge you in a way that makes nation building a richly rewarding experience. At their worst, Paradox grand strats canWhen Paradox are firing on all cylinders, they're capable of producing grand strategies that are rich in complexity, challenge and immersion. They exist as a kind of timed sandbox: you pick a nation and-- no matter how big or small-- there are mechanics in place to challenge you in a way that makes nation building a richly rewarding experience. At their worst, Paradox grand strats can become simple map painters without the real time battles found in Total War. Unfortunately, several hours as Rome and the Iceni revealed Imperator to be a shallow map painter.

    This point stood out more as the Iceni. I love playing underdog nations in Grand Strats. Playing as natives in EU IV is a great experience which is full of rewarding challenges. There's a Stephen King book called 11.22.63 in which a man goes back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK, but history does not want to change and throws increasingly horrible roadblocks in his way. This is how an underdog nation should play in a grand strat: you should feel like you've gone back in time with the knowledge of a terrible fate which can be averted if you manage to unite the tribes, upgrade your technology and modernise your government in time for the first European ships to reach your shores, but have endless challenges in your way. Playing as the Iceni does not give you this experience. They play almost identically to the Romans with no flavour mechanics or real challenges to differenciate the experience. One could argue that this will be fixed in DLC, but if that's the case, why support the game now when it is at it's highest price?

    The promise Imperator made was great: a merger of the dynastic simulation of CK2, the population mechanics of Vicky 2, and the nation building found in EU IV. Unfortunately, each of these mechanics is so watered down and poorly displayed that it's rare you'll ever really bother looking into it too much.

    The internal empire management of the game is dull for any of the nations available. As Rome, I expected to wrangling my way through an increasingly hostile senate whilst building up a technologically based super power in the Mediterranean. Instead, I built a few warehouses and invaded all my neighbours with only the odd tyranny hit for not consulting the senate.

    The reliance on combat to have any real fun in the game isn't ideal. Combat in Paradox grand strats has always been a little janky, and this is no exception for Imperator, but as you fight your hundredth war, the issues really show.

    The Mana system returns from EU IV in an even more aggressive way. There are now four mana resources in addition to money and manpower, and are needed for almost every decision you make. I hoped that they would adopt the CK 2 system of elected expert's skills in specific areas either contributing to progress toward something, or being used as a percent chance of success per month for diplomatic/covert actions, but instead their skills just contribute to how much mana you get a month. This is also very lopsided: I always found myself in abundance of military power but had no religious power.

    The game is also plagued by a very poorly designed UI. Information panels overlap one another and important information is hidden on rarely visited tabs. The art direction of the UI is terrible. Whilst previous games opted for abstracted, simple shapes to represent tabs, Imperator uses weird, oversized pieces of art: for example, EU IV's economy tab is represented by a stack of coins, whereas Imperator's economy tab is represented by a predominantly green picture of a woman standing in the foreground holding a staff with a chest of green-coloured coins far away behind her. I find myself clicking the wrong tabs all the time.

    Graphically, the game is strong. The map has a great variety of biomes and the settlement positioning, scale and density do a lot to capture the feeling of the area at the time. However, this may just be early days, but performance seems a little weak, with plenty of stuttering.

    In summary, I'd give this game a lower score, but it displays promise: other than the mana system, there is nothing fundamentally broken with the game. It needs work to be the best it can be: non-Mediterranean nations need to feel different, the UI needs fixing and the game needs more peacetime mechanics.

    If you're sitting on the fence about this, I'd say don't bother right now. Either wait for DLC and patches to sort the game or play another grand strategy.    … Expand
  5. kytopressler
    May 1, 2019
    5
    Billed, perhaps unfairly, as the glorious combination of CK2 and EU4, Imperator Rome is instead the illegitimate lovechild which plasters together concepts of each and waters them down into a bland $40 soup. The Mana system adapted from Monarch Points in EU4 has centralized power in Imperator Rome to the point of excess, nearly every mechanics waits on the beck and call of some Mana pointsBilled, perhaps unfairly, as the glorious combination of CK2 and EU4, Imperator Rome is instead the illegitimate lovechild which plasters together concepts of each and waters them down into a bland $40 soup. The Mana system adapted from Monarch Points in EU4 has centralized power in Imperator Rome to the point of excess, nearly every mechanics waits on the beck and call of some Mana points which accrue at painfully slow rates. The dependency on Mana points also results in a game that feels markedly "unphysical." The ultimate issue with the game is that its core mechanics rely on watching a set of four numbers go up, and then expending them for immediate gratification, removed from any physical context to stir the imagination of the player. If you are looking for a game with a "soul" where you truly get to feel like you're at the helm of a great historical empire, get Crusader Kings II. If you want a game which has satisfyingly complex systems and subsystems where the fate of your nation depends on careful, and meticulous planning, get Europa Universalis 3 or 4. If you want to watch the Oratory power number tick up every month for two years so you can finally fabricate a claim, get Imperator Rome.… Expand
  6. Sheleshka
    Apr 23, 2020
    7
    The game now has very little content, but soon it will come out additions and the game will be very cool. As it is, it is an empty game.
  7. otto500206
    Sep 2, 2020
    7
    This game is not a successor of a game with Clausewitz Engine, meaning that this game is a successor of a very old game(EU: Rome). Because of that, the game looked very empty when it was released. But with updates, Paradox Development Studio made this game better. Also, the fact that this game doesn't having a single dlc like a CK2, EU4 or HOI4 dlc is a very great thing.
  8. Hobojobes
    Apr 27, 2019
    7
    Another classic Paradox release, a reasonable base game that lacks character. If you are willing to invest in DLC for the next year I am sure Imperator will turn into a brilliant game, but right now it feels shallow.

    All my challenge as Epirus was in the first hour or two, beyond that I steamrolled the map. The AI is seemingly unable to launch naval invasions. Internal strife seems to    Another classic Paradox release, a reasonable base game that lacks character. If you are willing to invest in DLC for the next year I am sure Imperator will turn into a brilliant game, but right now it feels shallow.

    All my challenge as Epirus was in the first hour or two, beyond that I steamrolled the map. The AI is seemingly unable to launch naval invasions. Internal strife seems to have little to no effect, the one civil war I "suffered" was ended with zero losses to me barring attrition. Characters exist but feel pretty bland, feels like CK2 lite with the few events that are included recycling over and over.    … Expand
  9. hknyrbkn
    Oct 16, 2019
    6
    Yes, it still needs to be polished with update over update and of course, DLCs, but the overall idea and its mechanism are promising. It is exciting to watch how it evolves.
    For those who are bothered with the DLC policy, well, Paradox has been doing it this way since time immemorial. You should have taken this into consideration before buying it.
  10. Scharamantis
    Apr 28, 2019
    7
    New franchise is always harder to start (Stellaris for example). But this one is less forgiving, because it have much more in common with EU4 and CK2. So someone would expect that it will move the game more forward and You have plenty of things ready on launch.

    It is partial case here. Some parts are new nice mechanic, for example trade. (Although I wouldn't mind adding even more    New franchise is always harder to start (Stellaris for example). But this one is less forgiving, because it have much more in common with EU4 and CK2. So someone would expect that it will move the game more forward and You have plenty of things ready on launch.

    It is partial case here. Some parts are new nice mechanic, for example trade. (Although I wouldn't mind adding even more resources). Some parts are very tempting but still fall behind (character involvement). Multiplayer was working fine and even better then in previous titles. They have nice ageing mechanic, but I just don't feel the importance of having that guy or that guy. The families and traits are so far wasted potential (for me). The building is kinda a joke for now, not much options. Units types are just very limited. UI is not very charming. Not very challenging AI. No ledger. Ship combat and types are also very basic. A lot of micromanagement (I was unable to play effectively even on speed 1), it was running all too quick for my taste (leaving EU4 on speed 3 for toilet visit is no more).

    HOWEVER.
    The upcoming 1.1 patch looks pretty promising, and it is pity that it did not delivered on day 1. For sure the game will develop and extend further. The current game is fun and there is good potential. Although it looks much easier to play then previous titles.

    Conclusion. If You have nothing else to play, BUY. If You like EU4, CK2 it might be good game for You too (but it is different and seems to be easier). I consider the state of the game as Early Access, not full release. As You probably know the DLC strategy for the Paradox games, there will be plenty of them and they will change the current game drastically. But You will need to pay extra. (Therefore I recommend to wait for first DLC/Major Patch and some discount event). The first Major Patch and DLC should be free for players, otherwise it will move Paradox to the column of companies with tricky practices.

    Still winning 51:49 votes on my side and Recommending this at the end. But You need to be aware of the cons it currently have.    … Expand
  11. Falcat66
    May 2, 2019
    5
    Je trouve que ce jeu a de très bonne base MAIS ce ne sont que des bases.
    Un studio comme Paradox a l'expérience et les fonds nécessaires pour sortir un jeu plus complet plus détailler et surtout qui ne ressemble pas à une base pour rajouter 15 patchs à 10€ pièces.
    - La traduction française n'est clairement pas bien faites - les technologies, les "aspirations nationales", les    Je trouve que ce jeu a de très bonne base MAIS ce ne sont que des bases.
    Un studio comme Paradox a l'expérience et les fonds nécessaires pour sortir un jeu plus complet plus détailler et surtout qui ne ressemble pas à une base pour rajouter 15 patchs à 10€ pièces.
    - La traduction française n'est clairement pas bien faites
    - les technologies, les "aspirations nationales", les technologies, les types de gouvernement, les religions sont trop similaires entre groupes culturel différents (germain, celte, grecs, ibère, calédoniens ect....)
    - l'interface est très complexe voir bcp trop complexe ce qui peut gâcher réellement l'expérience de jeu et qui empêche une gestion fines de ces provinces et villes.
    Malgré tout avec un peu d'effort ce jeu pourrait être un des meilleurs du studio, mais la politique de paradox vendre un squelette de jeu et vendre des dizaines de DLC est une honte. Le jeu a peine sorti ont a déjà deux DLC pour un total de 25€.

    En bref c'est une bonne alpha, un EU4 a sa sorti (sans les DLC) avec une mini touche CK2 (trop faible selon moi) mais il y a encore du boulot pour avoir et j'espère que Paradox réfléchira a deux fois avec le prix des DLC.

    Mon conseil: Attendez pour acheter cet opus et économiser si vous êtes fan il y aura beaucoup de DLC pour remplir le jeu....    … Expand
  12. OneZeroLT
    May 11, 2019
    5
    Imperator: Rome has very good potentials and after some updates it could get to be a better game, but at the moment it looks very unfinished. It is very boring and doesn't have much to do in it yet. Wouldn't recommend playing it right now, just wait until it gets better.
  13. Orange-A
    Dec 19, 2020
    5
    Paradox fails to deliver better quality releases as they become increasingly mainstream, it should not take several DLCs for the game to become good. Although Imperator is in a better state in 2020 than it was in 2019, this is the bare minimum.
  14. kitru
    May 23, 2021
    6
    Мне хватило 4 дня чтобы выучить эвенты и понять основные механики? Круто это или нет - судите сами. На определенном этапе становится скучно, потому что играешь ты 445 до н.э. - 20 н.э. и добиться захвата всей германии + скандинавии у меня заняло 100 лет, а впереди ведь еще 400 лет игры ( 4/5 геймплея если угодно ), ивенты повторяются и превращаются в рутину, менеджмент семей, вовремяМне хватило 4 дня чтобы выучить эвенты и понять основные механики? Круто это или нет - судите сами. На определенном этапе становится скучно, потому что играешь ты 445 до н.э. - 20 н.э. и добиться захвата всей германии + скандинавии у меня заняло 100 лет, а впереди ведь еще 400 лет игры ( 4/5 геймплея если угодно ), ивенты повторяются и превращаются в рутину, менеджмент семей, вовремя подкупить подсосов, союзники вообще в этой игре с середины игры не нужны, на меня лично никогда никто не нападал, только грозились (может потому что я постоянно держал для такого случая союзника ), в общем недельку позависать интересно, потом ме. Не лучшая стратегия от парадоксов. На память: https://i.imgur.com/PNqwHW0.jpg… Expand
  15. KevLooney
    May 12, 2021
    7
    The game in inaccessible. What else is there to say? One doesn't intuit gameplay decisions.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
38
#38 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Softpedia
    Feb 16, 2021
    90
    Imperator: Rome is an example of how hard it can be to reconcile gameplay and history. On launch, the game failed to deliver the mix that players expected from Paradox. The Marius update, especially with the tweaks to warfare, is closer to the historical record while also offering gamers plenty of agency. Heirs of Alexander is a good paid expansion, even considered apart from the free update. The Diadochi wars are fascinating and complex. I played quite a bit as the Antigonids and I still have options to explore. The other successor kingdoms have the same amount of content. For anyone who exhausts the stories of the Diadochi, there's more to discover and more places to conquer when playing as Rome, Carthage, and the rest, making Imperator a joy to return to.
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Jul 9, 2019
    55
    Imperator attacks confused players with tons of buttons and information, but in reality it’s one of the most vapid and boring strategy games ever created by Paradox Interactive. The world map is very pretty, though.
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  3. PLAY! Zine
    Jul 8, 2019
    55
    Imperator: Rome is another showmanship of Paradox’s greed that is manifested through their DLC politics. In its core, it is a good game with some intuitive ideas that are resolved through a very interesting time period, but it falls short in almost all fields where its mechanics are clearly left unfinished for some DLCs to fulfil them.
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