User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1490 Ratings

User score distribution:
Buy Now
Buy on

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
  1. Aug 1, 2012
    9
    Definitely one of the best turn-based strategy games I've ever played. I first played it as a freshman in college, and now years later it's still a solid game. While the graphics are no longer impressive and many of the subsequent Total War games have improved on many of the features, Rome remains an enjoyable game with much replay value. While the AI is not particularly good, it usuallyDefinitely one of the best turn-based strategy games I've ever played. I first played it as a freshman in college, and now years later it's still a solid game. While the graphics are no longer impressive and many of the subsequent Total War games have improved on many of the features, Rome remains an enjoyable game with much replay value. While the AI is not particularly good, it usually provides a sufficient challenge, and even after having played the campaign through a half dozen times, the campaign map AI still does things I've not seen before. Expand
  2. Oct 11, 2012
    10
    This game is one of the best strategy games I've ever played! It's better than AoE in many ways! The people that don't like it because it's slow just need a faster computer.
  3. Jul 29, 2013
    10
    An excellent game. If you haven't seen it yet or played other games in the Total War series, be sure to check this one out. I played the grand campaign at least 3 times, and played for non-roman ones (including those you can unlock by editing a config file) everything is just great. In multiplayer, there are slight disbalances (e.g. overpowered berserkers) but if you abide to "CWB" rules,An excellent game. If you haven't seen it yet or played other games in the Total War series, be sure to check this one out. I played the grand campaign at least 3 times, and played for non-roman ones (including those you can unlock by editing a config file) everything is just great. In multiplayer, there are slight disbalances (e.g. overpowered berserkers) but if you abide to "CWB" rules, the game will be pretty balanced. Expand
  4. Dec 30, 2012
    10
    Epic game. Dont understand the negative reviews, either these people are stupid (dont understand how to play), or they are even more stupid and dont have the hardware to do justice to the game. Either way this game is epic. Cant wait for rome 2
  5. Dec 30, 2012
    10
    My favorite game of all time. I have been playing it for 8 years now and have always enjoyed it, even since the newer total war games have been released. This game is just so solid, looks great, and has much variety both in-game and from it's HUGE modding community (i suggest Rome Total Realism). You can get it for cheap now, but it's still an awesome game!!!
  6. Jan 4, 2013
    10
    Rome Total War- is the best strategy game yet. In my opinion, RTW is much better than C4, C5 and HoMM. It's just my opinion.
    Rome Total War- самая лучшая стратегия на данный момент,
    Rome Total War- is the best strategy game yet. In my opinion, RTW is much better than C4, C5 and HoMM. It's just my opinion.
    Rome Total War- самая лучшая стратегия на данный момент, на мой взгляд Рим лучше Цивилизации и Героев Меча и Магия. Чисто мое мнение
    Expand
  7. Feb 5, 2013
    10
    this game is so good i would buy it over and over again
  8. Apr 24, 2013
    10
    This is my favorite game of all time what is saying allot this is the game that got me into R.T.S. after i exterminated my first village i never looked back ive dumped so many ours into this game its amazingly ridicules how fun and addictive it is. I highly recommend using the mod darthmod for making every battle an epic fight AND LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE. This is the perfect game to bring outThis is my favorite game of all time what is saying allot this is the game that got me into R.T.S. after i exterminated my first village i never looked back ive dumped so many ours into this game its amazingly ridicules how fun and addictive it is. I highly recommend using the mod darthmod for making every battle an epic fight AND LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE. This is the perfect game to bring out everyone's inner world conquer and this is the best game in the series even if your not an R.T.S. fan this is the place to start after you've watch the millions of levy's you've drafted fight and die for you from Greece to Egypt there no turning back Expand
  9. Jan 30, 2015
    9
    Scream with thousands of brave gallic warriors against inglorious Romans before the bloody battle begins. Give phalanx formation order to noble greek soldiers to build a fearsome and deadly pike wall. Deploy Roman legionnaires as one line and then watch how the war machine works. Crush the heart of the enemies with invincible war elephants of mighty Carthage. Lead the merciless children ofScream with thousands of brave gallic warriors against inglorious Romans before the bloody battle begins. Give phalanx formation order to noble greek soldiers to build a fearsome and deadly pike wall. Deploy Roman legionnaires as one line and then watch how the war machine works. Crush the heart of the enemies with invincible war elephants of mighty Carthage. Lead the merciless children of Nile who walk through death without hesitation for their godlike Pharaoh...

    With nearly perfect campaign and battle gamplay design, I think Rome Total War is the best Total War game in the series and even one of the best strategy game in game industry. Its innovative high quality mechanics and hundreds of small juicy details captured players hearts and created thousands of fans for CA. After eleven years, I hope Creative Assembly and especially SEGA learn a lesson from their poor Warscape products (ETW, NTW, STW2, FOTS, RTW2) and develop high quality games as they did once.
    Expand
  10. Apr 25, 2013
    9
    A great game with awesome climate, also even today quite appealing to the eye. The strategic options are wide and enjoyable and battle simulation, when it came out, was absolutely amazing.

    The amount of factions and huge differences in troops they can field make it a little unbalanced (especially when it comes to late-period roman troops, obviously [and somewhat realistically]
    A great game with awesome climate, also even today quite appealing to the eye. The strategic options are wide and enjoyable and battle simulation, when it came out, was absolutely amazing.

    The amount of factions and huge differences in troops they can field make it a little unbalanced (especially when it comes to late-period roman troops, obviously [and somewhat realistically] overpowered), but makes the whole thing even more interesting and make you use different strategies, when using different troops or facing different foes.

    The main downside is the amount of micromanaging that will bore less patient players, especially when combined with slow troop training and pretty slow army movement. If you don't mind that, the game can give you hundreds of hours of enjoyable gameplay.
    Expand
  11. Jul 18, 2013
    10
    I became addicted to all Total War games because of this one. For a history and strategy buffs this game is amazing. The battles are epic and the nation building is fun. Can't wait for Rome II
  12. Aug 7, 2013
    10
    this game, apart from the mediocre ai and movement, the medieval feel soundtrack and american voices. This game is generally great, ive only been playing for a few hours and ive already fell in love, i bought the game off steam with the money i had, knowing it would be well spent. i whent onto multiplayer and had no problems getting on. For a 2004 game this really out did itself, but imthis game, apart from the mediocre ai and movement, the medieval feel soundtrack and american voices. This game is generally great, ive only been playing for a few hours and ive already fell in love, i bought the game off steam with the money i had, knowing it would be well spent. i whent onto multiplayer and had no problems getting on. For a 2004 game this really out did itself, but im not talking about the graphics. The way they immersed the best strategic feeling and one of the best 'rule your own land and stuff like that' was amazing for its time. The people that say this game is too slow and boring are wrong. that is infact the whole reason why strategy games are so good! you actually have too strategically think about things like will it help your economy or will it increase your defenses but make your town smaller. if thats the only reason why you hate this game. You shouldnt play strategy's Overall in the few hours ive played this its been the best strategy rts game i have ever played. i hope MOST of you agree with me that it is the best strategy of its days and infact now. Expand
  13. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    A true classic never to be challenged or bested worth re visiting time and time again. Prepare for a experience like no other as you carve your empire out in the most brutal era of human history.
  14. Oct 2, 2013
    10
    the greatest Strategy games of all time

    people who played since rome 1 is just came out

    they know how great it was

    it was reavolution of Strategy game
  15. Sep 25, 2014
    10
    I do not judge RTW by todays standards. The graphics and IA are obviously outdated. However even today, this game feels great, with many different ways of winning, many fight styles. By todays standards, it would be but 7 or 8. Even today, this game is way more pleasure to play than rome 2 tw.
  16. Sep 14, 2013
    6
    I am hyped for total war. However, before anything cool happens, I'm thrown onto the campaign map. I'm very much confused what to do. After struggling with the game and learning basic mechanics of how to play I start to understand campaign mechanics. Then a battle happens. Not much is known and I get the basics after a 3 or 4 more battles. However after the repetition of losing battlesI am hyped for total war. However, before anything cool happens, I'm thrown onto the campaign map. I'm very much confused what to do. After struggling with the game and learning basic mechanics of how to play I start to understand campaign mechanics. Then a battle happens. Not much is known and I get the basics after a 3 or 4 more battles. However after the repetition of losing battles over again, I realize the greatest flaw in this RTS. This is the worst gaming A.I. i have ever seen. That is pretty much the heart of the cons in Total War Rome. My platoon moves to fight the enemy and immediately they are thrown out of order in a big blocky mess. All they do is follow my orders. That is the problem. I have a giant wall of soldiers coming towards my enemy and they don't even think to break up formation slightly and walk as a unit rather than a giant wall.When they contact the enemy they don't naturally surround them using their brains and try to flank them. They stand as a block and stare at them. When the fighting actually starts happening. ONE unit swings his sword randomly in the air and someone dies. Then the rest of the group tries desperately to find a target and what happens is a big clunky mess of units walking into to each other. Thats the combat. Walking and Flailing. Its unacceptable, and ruins the game for me. Now don't start calling me and idiot saying I don't know how to play RTS or RTS noob. I've played the original total war shogun. You know? the one with actually battle violence? possible the most violent war game? At least in the unit combat had a clunk to it. At least in that the interface was easier to control.
    Ive played Supreme Commander. That game is a strategic nightmare to master, but not impossible. Because the A.I. hits, the combat is effective, the game interface is accessible. This game does not give you a clear understanding of what the hell is happening on the battle. Your watching an incoherent mess because units don't strike at the first instance they see a unit. If an elephant is attacking spear men those spear men should be spearing the living out of it rather than path-finding like a chicken with its head cut off. Now that is over. The rest of the game offers unique ideas no other RTS can pull off,
    for that it is rewarded but for pretty much everything else it disappears.
    Expand
  17. Oct 2, 2013
    10
    Great game. I unlocked the Carthaginian and Greek cities factions, but I wanted to unlock the faction of the senate. The games that I had were epic, in grand campaign, and I was more administrator, than warrior. It seems, that I took care of my faction territory, and advanced in the culture aspect, and the military. I reached Egypt, was the first faction to do so, but there was no use forGreat game. I unlocked the Carthaginian and Greek cities factions, but I wanted to unlock the faction of the senate. The games that I had were epic, in grand campaign, and I was more administrator, than warrior. It seems, that I took care of my faction territory, and advanced in the culture aspect, and the military. I reached Egypt, was the first faction to do so, but there was no use for trade as the civilization was far away. I did have a trade treaty though. The Praetori and the Urban Cohorts can win a lot of wars. It seems, that if Rome can influence the other factions to not increase territory, but to trade, then there would be great advancement and prosperity. Apparently, the S. P. Q. R. faction that is the senate, was afraid that the factions would turn on each other and on Rome itself, and that is why they wanted foreign conquests. The faction members were made members of the senate, for this reason, it appears, and also apparently, they were originally from Rome. Every faction wanted to rule Rome. Expand
  18. Dec 16, 2013
    10
    This an amazing game, far superior than Rome2 which I'm playing since it's release, without getting bored at all! IT ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  19. Dec 20, 2013
    10
    There is just nothing I can say that is bad about this game... Must be one of the, if not the best Stat game of all time.
  20. Dec 31, 2013
    10
    This is undoubtedly the best game of the year. With well-written script, amazing graphics which stuns you, especially when you're in battle mode with thousands of soldiers, literally, crashing and fighting for their own factions, and most importantly, impressive AI in level "hard" and "very hard" that catches me on surprise numerous times, Rome Total War earns it's place to be one of theThis is undoubtedly the best game of the year. With well-written script, amazing graphics which stuns you, especially when you're in battle mode with thousands of soldiers, literally, crashing and fighting for their own factions, and most importantly, impressive AI in level "hard" and "very hard" that catches me on surprise numerous times, Rome Total War earns it's place to be one of the greatest Real-time strategy game of all time. Expand
  21. Feb 4, 2014
    10
    A true classic in gaming history. I'm one of the most strategic gamers out there, and I can glady say that I played this in 2014 and was astonished at how I never bought it before (too busy playing Civ 5). If you think this game is old, think again. True, the graphics are not on par with many newer games, but you have to go in-depth and appreciate the tremendous amount of effort andA true classic in gaming history. I'm one of the most strategic gamers out there, and I can glady say that I played this in 2014 and was astonished at how I never bought it before (too busy playing Civ 5). If you think this game is old, think again. True, the graphics are not on par with many newer games, but you have to go in-depth and appreciate the tremendous amount of effort and artistry put into this game. The campaign makes you think you've seen it all, that your a super power and can't get wiped out by your opposing roman families. Wrong. They strike with a venegence, your enemies return in strength, and then...new units are revealed. This was a shock to me, as I've never seen that happen in a game without some hint of the upcoming units.
    If you like strategy, if you like fierce battle, if you like commanding a max of 2500 units (all shown), then this is the game for you (can't speak for Rome II, haven't played it, but if you tune in to local chats you'll hear its buggy).
    Expand
  22. Dec 18, 2014
    10
    For me, this has to be the definitive Total War Game.

    Rome Total War is in many ways a much better game than those that followed it. The combat and mechanics are fairly straightforward, while not being overly simplified and the campaign management is streamlined and not overly burdensome (completely unlike RTW2.) While not perfect in all ways, it is fairly easy to mod things
    For me, this has to be the definitive Total War Game.

    Rome Total War is in many ways a much better game than those that followed it. The combat and mechanics are fairly straightforward, while not being overly simplified and the campaign management is streamlined and not overly burdensome (completely unlike RTW2.)

    While not perfect in all ways, it is fairly easy to mod things yourself, in order to change things around a bit. Want to give barbarian tribes paved roads and stone walls? Easy to do and takes less than five minutes.

    Roman units and hoplites are a bit OP and the IA can be a bit stupid at times, but all in all, the game provides many hours of enjoyable play, while the combat animations are far more realistic and weighty than those using the more recent Total War Engine.

    In the ten year since its release, I'd have easily played well in excess of 1000 hours on this game and after briefly grappling with the disaster that is still RTW2 (even after the Emperor Edition), I can see myself enjoying this gem for many years to come.
    Expand
  23. May 26, 2015
    10
    personally LOVE this game even ten tears later.i will however say this,it seems to me that ever since i began running the game through steam power it seems like there are ALOT more glitches and bugs especially when trying to capture settlements.for instance i played a battle three times over routed the enemy army in the city but wanted to kill the rest for the extra xp but found that apersonally LOVE this game even ten tears later.i will however say this,it seems to me that ever since i began running the game through steam power it seems like there are ALOT more glitches and bugs especially when trying to capture settlements.for instance i played a battle three times over routed the enemy army in the city but wanted to kill the rest for the extra xp but found that a portion of the remaining enemy army had somehow managed to get in between multiple buildings where i could not get to them to do this.i reiiterate 3 TIMES OVER!!!!!!!!! this was not an issue when i had the actual disc itself at times it really is an UNPLAYABLE game but again i only ever had the issues when running through steam i will however say that it is still a very fun game, particularly using the berserker units the germans get,it can be a bit tough when you get to the end of your campaign 50 settlements are tough to control simultaneously but over all i would say the BEST most fun game ive ever played Expand
  24. Aug 18, 2015
    10
    In my opinion not only the best Total War game, but the best strategy game to date. Probably the most addictive game I have ever played and definitely the one that has kept me in front of my computer screen for the most hours. Not only is it fun to play, but you also learn much about the antiquity period, which is a bonus if you're interested in history like me. I still pick it upIn my opinion not only the best Total War game, but the best strategy game to date. Probably the most addictive game I have ever played and definitely the one that has kept me in front of my computer screen for the most hours. Not only is it fun to play, but you also learn much about the antiquity period, which is a bonus if you're interested in history like me. I still pick it up sometimes and get sunk into Europe 270 BC. Expand
  25. Dec 24, 2010
    9
    This is one of the greatest games I have played. It is over hyped, and it is dated. The graphics which were once amazing are now outdated the concepts that the game heralded to are outdated. At the time this game was easily a 10. If you cant get over the graphics not being modern of the animations then i would not rate this game as highly. However as someone who loves strategy and historyThis is one of the greatest games I have played. It is over hyped, and it is dated. The graphics which were once amazing are now outdated the concepts that the game heralded to are outdated. At the time this game was easily a 10. If you cant get over the graphics not being modern of the animations then i would not rate this game as highly. However as someone who loves strategy and history I absolutely can. The greatness Rome has over the other total war games is the sheer diversity of units, and regions that bring a such a meaningful change to game play. Fighting the Gauls will feel completely different to fighting Egyptians ect. There is incredible depth and you can choose to skip everything, you can skip managing your cities fighting your battles. You can deny yourself what makes this a great game as other reviewers have. Though you would only be doing yourself a disservice. A typical campaign epic campaign can run well over 20 hours before you are even halfway through. I would easily recommend this to anyone who enjoys history or for that mater grand strategy games. Expand
  26. Mar 18, 2011
    8
    Rome:TW is one of those irritating games that does everything well and nothing excellent. The strength of this game is in the variety of game play you can do. If you want, you can set everything to auto and do nothing but move ships with their armies around and have an entire game take ten hours. On the other hand, you can get really deep into this game and have 100+ hour games. It's upRome:TW is one of those irritating games that does everything well and nothing excellent. The strength of this game is in the variety of game play you can do. If you want, you can set everything to auto and do nothing but move ships with their armies around and have an entire game take ten hours. On the other hand, you can get really deep into this game and have 100+ hour games. It's up to you how deep you want to go.

    The problem is that the deeper you get into the game the more you understand just how bad the UI really is. The interface for Diplomacy is buried under five mouse clicks. Ugh. On the other hand, if you set it to auto then you realize just how bad the AI is. I once lost a battle where the computer's 50 troops wiped out my 800 troops. Ugh. Then there is the whole modding community. RTR is an excellent mod. But in my opinion it creates as many problems as it solves. It might be more realistic but I don't think it's all that much fun. In the final analysis it's the sheer variety and flexibility that make this game raise above other strategy games. But it's not perfect. It's certainly worth the $10 you will pay today.
    Expand
  27. JackH.
    Nov 28, 2004
    5
    The game is definitely over-hyped. I am a big fan of the MTW/Viking invasion games, and despite the slicker graphics, RTW is not enough of an improvement to warrant the price. Also, the music is a let-down. MTW very effectively used its soundtrack to portray the Medieval period. RTW tried, but its soundtrack is a little too glossy (Hollywood) for my taste.
  28. Sep 29, 2011
    6
    It's easy to pick up and play, but the actual in-game combat is very basic and boring. There's barely any strategy in it and the combat really seems rushed and a 'side feature'. You can even resolve battles automatically, and have no option to fight when it's naval warfare. Overall, the game is pretty accessible but there's nothing exciting about it if you ask me. If you want a realIt's easy to pick up and play, but the actual in-game combat is very basic and boring. There's barely any strategy in it and the combat really seems rushed and a 'side feature'. You can even resolve battles automatically, and have no option to fight when it's naval warfare. Overall, the game is pretty accessible but there's nothing exciting about it if you ask me. If you want a real turn-based STRATEGY game, try Chess.â Expand
  29. JeffD
    Mar 8, 2007
    6
    I'm starting to get pretty sick of the gaming press' absurd hyper-enthusiasm for any even remotely-interesting game. This is the third game I've spent my hard-earned cash on in the last six months which had a Metascore of 85+ and which, nonetheless, was lackluster-to-bad. Coupled with the fact that games can't be returned (a practice which badly needs to end), I'm starting to get pretty sick of the gaming press' absurd hyper-enthusiasm for any even remotely-interesting game. This is the third game I've spent my hard-earned cash on in the last six months which had a Metascore of 85+ and which, nonetheless, was lackluster-to-bad. Coupled with the fact that games can't be returned (a practice which badly needs to end), it's just unforgivable. Hello, journalistic integrity? Where are you? With regard to this specific game, yeah, it's an OK strategy game. Certainly not the godsend that the gaming press and some of the folks around here seem to think. Gameplay is initially rather convoluted and confusing (no doubt due to a less than stellar user interface), then fun for a few hours, then repetitive and tedious. The graphics are OK -- nothing special. I think that folks may be getting off on the "epicness" of the graphics, on the sheer fact that you'll have thousands of soldiers fighting in a battle. But all those soldiers look alike and move exactly alike. And the terrain they're fighting on, as well as the campaign map, and the cutscenes as well, are all pretty lacklustre. Despite this game's general classification as a RTS, the gameplay emphasis is on the campaign (turn-based) play. I say this because all RTS battles can be skipped...and frequently they will be, since the AI will spend a lot of time attacking your armies even when they're badly outmanned. Naval battles can't be fought in RTS mode at all. And as a turn-based campaign game, R:TW is really lacking in depth. About 8 hours into my campaign game (now at about 12 hours, I seem to be about 1/3 of the way through it), I enabled the "Automanage AI" option and never looked back. So, I'm not fighting my battles on the battlefield, I'm not managing my cities. It seems like all that's left is what would be the most tedious part of another turn-based game like Civ IV -- ferrying my troups around the campaign map. Yuck. It's not all bad. I did have some fun with this game in the few intervening hours between figuring out the rather poorly-documented and unusual-but-not-in-a-good-way UI and getting bored with the repetitive gameplay. But was it worth my $30? Hell no. Expand
  30. Coolbreeze3
    Jan 1, 2009
    6
    I can't believe this crap scored so high I feel totally suckered into buying this lame junk. Okay I understand this is old school warfare but it doesn't have to be so freaking dry in the entertainment department. All the action is in the misleading video for the game and not actually when you are playing. Also my biggest gripe is this game having the nerve to be so not pick up I can't believe this crap scored so high I feel totally suckered into buying this lame junk. Okay I understand this is old school warfare but it doesn't have to be so freaking dry in the entertainment department. All the action is in the misleading video for the game and not actually when you are playing. Also my biggest gripe is this game having the nerve to be so not pick up and play but still there is no in game tutorial. What game since the end of the 90's fail to either have an in game tutorial or a manual I mean come on! Expand
  31. BoneCollector
    May 17, 2009
    6
    It is a good game, not the best. I don't know why everyone is giving it a 10 when it clearly is not a 10. First of all if you get it from steam, you are not able to play it online unless you make some modifications inside some hk directories coding crap. I believe that the managing the towns and getting money are pure chance. The fighting is cool but is basically the same thing over It is a good game, not the best. I don't know why everyone is giving it a 10 when it clearly is not a 10. First of all if you get it from steam, you are not able to play it online unless you make some modifications inside some hk directories coding crap. I believe that the managing the towns and getting money are pure chance. The fighting is cool but is basically the same thing over and over, just the uniforms change. I would ask for my money back or part of it since online play is not possible. Expand
  32. Gameboy
    Sep 25, 2004
    0
    All the hype about this?
  33. Justannoyed
    Apr 20, 2005
    0
    0 for the same problem mentioned above; unplayble since mousespeed doesnt work, 40 bugs for an unplayable game, and they dont even care to improve this in a 60 mb (!) patch.
  34. R.N.
    Sep 29, 2004
    0
    I want my money back!! This game is definitely over-hyped. The art work is and the animation is putrid. The graphics are done by the same people who illustrated my grandmother
  35. YoopB.
    Jan 18, 2005
    0
    Graphics might be good, but the game is boring! everything is sooo slow. Not worth installing.. also, mouse speed cannot be adjusted, so you have to pick up the mouse 5 times for it to move from one side of the screen to the other - very frustrating.
  36. Dec 13, 2012
    0
    This game BLOWS! sooo bad. If you thought it would be like the first age of empires you are so off. All my friends and family who plays games all tried it and got bored so damn fast. I would pay steam to get it out of my library. I would rather play mind jack in mind jack. What i'm so shocked is that this confusing and boring game beats the original portal. what the hell?! O.o The ONLYThis game BLOWS! sooo bad. If you thought it would be like the first age of empires you are so off. All my friends and family who plays games all tried it and got bored so damn fast. I would pay steam to get it out of my library. I would rather play mind jack in mind jack. What i'm so shocked is that this confusing and boring game beats the original portal. what the hell?! O.o The ONLY positive side to this is graphics that is it, and yes it would lag on an average computer -.- Expand
  37. Jan 11, 2013
    1
    I remember I got the rome Total War Anthology as a present...what happened is I installed the game without a hitch, ran into a bug where I couldn't play most of the content (if 1 option out of 3/4 is available...that's pretty atrocious), so I continue to play the first campaign. What follows is a game devoid of soul. You march units around the battle at a very slow pace as you siegeI remember I got the rome Total War Anthology as a present...what happened is I installed the game without a hitch, ran into a bug where I couldn't play most of the content (if 1 option out of 3/4 is available...that's pretty atrocious), so I continue to play the first campaign. What follows is a game devoid of soul. You march units around the battle at a very slow pace as you siege towns/cities...this wouldn't be so bad if the world map and strategy part was any good at all. The only thing decent in this game is the diplomacy and politics which was the one thing I really didn't care much about. But honestly it's un-engaging, slow, looks cheap and has no polish. I just didn't feel like playing it from the moment go. And that's why I think it's a terrible game you should skip. Expand
  38. BlakeT.
    Nov 21, 2004
    3
    What game did you guys play? It wasn't the same one I played. Rome: Total War is a waste of money. Don't fall for the hype.
  39. Feb 9, 2013
    0
    Bad, bad, bad. The AI is absolutely atrocious. Every fraction has the same basic units with only a few unique ones. A lot of bugs too. Units refuse to use siege towers and get stuck at the bottom. Multiplayer is full of corner camping idiots. Graphics and animations were for the time awful. There is zero atmosphere. The first Medieval: Total War is way better, and it was released in 2002!
  40. May 30, 2014
    0
    Absolutely useless. Nothing to do with strategy. This game is clearly an unfinished project. Bought in 2014 and it still drops out for no reason, due to its programming and despite two patches. Graphics can not be adjusted even with a new powerful machine. If your idea of a fun strategy game is to babysit every single unit and issue orders to run three to four times to each unit and thenAbsolutely useless. Nothing to do with strategy. This game is clearly an unfinished project. Bought in 2014 and it still drops out for no reason, due to its programming and despite two patches. Graphics can not be adjusted even with a new powerful machine. If your idea of a fun strategy game is to babysit every single unit and issue orders to run three to four times to each unit and then still find them walking -loosing every single opportunity for advantage in open battle or defense. Also the AI is utterly unreasonable, while apathetic in battles with large numbers, the game allows a single defending missile horseman to venture out of guarded gates and attack 80 arches surrounded by other friendly units, and risk routing them! 3 missile horsemen against 80 javelin men completely routing them, again, while surrounded by friendly units, such as multiple phalanx units chasing them, to which the horsemen pass neatly at the edges of the spears without being engaged and rout your weakest units without even have a reasonably sized force. In the meantime of course none of the attacked units thinks about eliminating their single attacker. Other occasions missile horsemen reduced to 4 units surrounded by 30 heavy cavalry units with General and taking ages to eliminate them, you have to constantly click on them. In the meantime other bigger forces approach and your units are still dealing with the one unit that had been also routed previously. The turn based map is ridiculous also, there is no undo if you accidentally move a unit wrongly and as your turn ends, the next turn's events could be detrimental. You have to be precise with every move to the degree of being impractical. The economy can not really be managed efficiently due to being non intuitive , obscured and embellished with information that does not help the game, you have to try hard all the time for the simplest tasks and you rarely know how economy in some cities will go in the next turn. The impact of each decision is not visible and it can not be managed well. All this while battles, enemy alliances and own expanses are ongoing. The auto management does not seem to achieve much especially in military build. Some cities build more others less with no clear indication. It is a total waste of time. Honestly the one thing this game deserves credit for, is that it forces you to spend hours playing despite immense frustration and upset because you just can not believe that it can be so bad and you keep trying in the hope that it was only one frustrating mission or a particular element that was bad. Unfortunately this game is a constant source of never ending frustration. It feels like its been designed to keep you occupied rather than allow you to have fun. It is definitely worth an uninstall. There is no cure, newer versions in the series maintain the same problems. Graphics are not great, unit management could not be any worse, economies and user interfaces perplexing. The first thing that is needed in order to be on the road of fixing this game is for units to obey orders. Very few other games do not give you even this basic control. This game is the worst I have ever encountered in this respect. Literally unplayable. No amount of patience can solve the problems of this game. Expand
  41. KerwinR.
    May 4, 2005
    9
    One of the best games ever. I would have given it a 9 or 10, but the Activision & Creative Assembly deal of only having 2 patches brings the rating down a tad bit. Overall, awesome game. Gameplay, great campaign and battle mode. In the Campaign, you get to conquer and build your cities, set up trade and alliances with other factions, hire mercenaries, create forts, watch towers. In the One of the best games ever. I would have given it a 9 or 10, but the Activision & Creative Assembly deal of only having 2 patches brings the rating down a tad bit. Overall, awesome game. Gameplay, great campaign and battle mode. In the Campaign, you get to conquer and build your cities, set up trade and alliances with other factions, hire mercenaries, create forts, watch towers. In the battle mode, you command thousands of soldiers and it becomes a very tactical game. Graphics: The scene of watching thousands of your men march across a dusty field. Cavalry charging, etc. Need I say more? Playability: You have dozens of factions to play. The game has a long and short campaign. Takes a while. The starting factions are the romans, then you can play other factions like the barbarians and the Greeks, eastern factions and north african factions. Each of these regional factions have their own style of units and way of fighting. Multiplayer: Very fun especially with a friend. You can team up against another group of players. Sound: One of the best music I've heard in a game. Ambience, battle sounds, the marching, etc. You feel like you're really in the thick of the battle. Expand
  42. D.Owen
    Oct 3, 2004
    8
    Well, I look a bit like a war elephant... so when playing I raise my arm to my nose and go "Huuuaaahhhh" and then shake my belly. The game is so incredible it makes me want to do things like that.... The graphics, the gameplay, the strategy.... I keep a bust of Caesar on my desk while playing and french kiss it after every victory - the game is amazing.
  43. HarmL.
    Sep 27, 2004
    7
    Yes, a good game. But the total war has a history allready. Not much added to my opinion.
  44. SeanF.
    Sep 30, 2004
    9
    Well, I play this game on my knees with a crown of ivory around my head and a white bedsheet - I yell, "I am Caesar, I came, I saw, I kicked patootie" and then laugh madly. It's just that good. An amazing game. Plus, I like the feel of the bedsheet.
  45. SpankMonkey
    Nov 27, 2004
    7
    Alex G is a legend. thank you for good tip. now i am a leet noob. R:TW looks nice but not as nice as HL2 or Doom3. it is a lot like the old game Civilization. do not ask why my username is spank monkey. i not tell. ;-)
  46. axisjustice
    May 31, 2009
    9
    Wow! i been a huge total war fan since the start. i love how not only this game is fun but the historical value you get when you play it. the battles are realistic and massive :). the hours you spend on 1 campaign will keep you very busy. my only complaint is trade is underrated in the game in my opinion a definite buy for all strategy fans.
  47. DanM.
    Dec 14, 2004
    9
    Anyone who gives this title a 6 or less is a morovian. Either you have no taste or sh...y machine that cant handle the game.
  48. Jul 16, 2014
    6
    Its 2014 and I struggle to understand what exactly this game offered, even at the time when it was released. I see a painfully slow, awkward, restrictive military simulation that is not only uninteresting (outside of the historical context of course), but also immensely lacking as an actual "game." Perhaps time has not been so kind to this stand-alone title, but even I remember "Shogun"Its 2014 and I struggle to understand what exactly this game offered, even at the time when it was released. I see a painfully slow, awkward, restrictive military simulation that is not only uninteresting (outside of the historical context of course), but also immensely lacking as an actual "game." Perhaps time has not been so kind to this stand-alone title, but even I remember "Shogun" being fun to play and less performance annihilating as well. I play on a relatively decent rig and for the life of me I cannot understand why this game has so many performance issues outside of the confirmed fact that it was a fairly CPU intensive game to begin with. Which makes me doubt anyone's ability to have actually played it with a decent framerate in either 2004 or even 2005 and beyond. I'm not claiming that a multi-core processor like the Phenom's are going to be up to the task, but would it have been out of the question (even at the time) to update the game to take advantage of more than one processor? Its embarrassing really. The franchise itself has had better offerings, aside from the "Rome: Total War 2" and even more alarmingly not soon after this game. I understand its a simulation of sorts, a realistic battlefield, taking into account troop movement, troop moral, troop tiredness and other realistic mechanics, but its just feels uninvolved to me. Send army there, they fight, send army here, they fight, and its really not particularly fascinating outside of a siege or some of the larger battles. Those are at least more involved, and planning them out or creating a strategy actually makes sense. If this is essentially a benchmark for single core CPU performance, I get it, but as far as a game that has stood the test of time? I would have to say: "No." Not only no, but it literally hurts a games appeal over time when it is incapable of taking advantage of future technology to some extent. Farcry was built to stand the test of time and though it isn't really anything more than a benchmark itself (as well as including a terrible story and by the numbers first person shooter experience) its still works as intended. As in people can take their rigs now, pump up all the graphical eye-candy (at the time) and still enjoy the game. Rome Total War is incapable of being anymore than a well polished military simulation, but its Achilles heel was the developer not even considering future-proofing to some degree whatsoever. Expand
  49. Nov 26, 2011
    9
    As close to strategic masterpiece as it goes. Fantasic feeling and gameplay. Though there are som mayor bugs ruining some of the experience. And the bribing system isn't perfect. But a must have for the real strategy fan.
  50. Jul 17, 2012
    10
    its a strategic masterpiece. Don't listen to all the trolls who give this a 0. Basically if you like stratagy and you dont mind 2004 graphics i would recommend buying this game
  51. Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Awsome and addictive strategy game!! Best strategy game ever for me. Graphics dosent count if the game is so good.Epic battles and campaign.. Played it for 300 hours, loved it
  52. Jun 29, 2013
    5
    Rome total war is a great game, but online bug, gc error, cant join, and games that dont start becuase someone cannot connect ruins it a lot. really i 9 game, if you think only about battles online, but bugs and gc error makes it a 5
  53. Jan 23, 2018
    10
    Красивая, масштабная, эпичная, глубокая, продуманная, легкая в освоение.
  54. Aug 13, 2014
    10
    A masterpiece. One of the greatest strategy games every created. The soundtrack? Spectacular. Graphics? Still detailed and awe inspiring to this day. Gameplay? Nearly flawless. The replay-ability in this game will guarantee that you are occupied for many hours fighting battles and expanding your empire. This game got everything right, as it's one of the best in the entire Total War seriesA masterpiece. One of the greatest strategy games every created. The soundtrack? Spectacular. Graphics? Still detailed and awe inspiring to this day. Gameplay? Nearly flawless. The replay-ability in this game will guarantee that you are occupied for many hours fighting battles and expanding your empire. This game got everything right, as it's one of the best in the entire Total War series (with maybe the exception of Shogun 2. That game was incredible). Please do yourself a favor, pick this game up and give it a try. You will not regret it. Expand
  55. Nov 29, 2015
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. I still play this game at least once a year 11 years later and have probably logged over 500 hours into the game. It is my pick for the greatest game of all time.
  56. Aug 23, 2017
    10
    My Childhood! My beloved Memory! Rome Total War will forever be the best strategy game that i've or will ever played! It's the pinnacle of it genre. No strategy game can surpass this masterpiece, this is not an opinion, this is a fact!
    And yes, that was a fanboy ejaculation, but i don't give a fook!
    Roma Invicta!
  57. Apr 27, 2015
    10
    Classic grand strategy game which also allows you to fight tactical pitched battles. Still play the game now and again after many years. The graphics may be dated now but new younger players should try and look beyond this as the core game is still good and enjoyable. Still a solid game and great value for the prices you can get it at now.
  58. Oct 21, 2015
    1
    Had issues at start up that took some time to fix due to bugs. Battles are slow, everything seems blocky and makes my head hurt going through with the game. Not my type of strategy game. Boo
  59. Jun 10, 2015
    10
    I really love this game I've had it since its release and still to this day play it quite frequently. While the graphics are old please remember this game is over ten years old back in those days of gaming this was actually pretty good graphic wise for this style of game. Now for the game-play! For your first play-through you'll have to play as one of the three ruling families of Rome, andI really love this game I've had it since its release and still to this day play it quite frequently. While the graphics are old please remember this game is over ten years old back in those days of gaming this was actually pretty good graphic wise for this style of game. Now for the game-play! For your first play-through you'll have to play as one of the three ruling families of Rome, and help build up the roman empire, you'll be able to do this by building up your cities and of course waging war with rival factions for more territory to rule over! The units are quite complex don't underestimate your opponents or you might end up regretting it! You'll be able to call upon war-dogs, war-pigs(incendiary piggies), Elephants, assassins, Gladiators, and much, much more. Expand
  60. Sep 24, 2015
    10
    One of best games every for me. Hundreds of hours playing this game and it still doesn't get bored. There are some mods which make game even more exciting like DarthMod. Awesome game!!
  61. Oct 3, 2015
    10
    Rome Total War salió en 2004 hace 9 años y decir que todavía después de esos 9 años lo tengo reciente en mi historial , Y a un sigo jugando y viciandome como si fuese un videjuego recién salido del horno , así llevo estos 9 años , instalado en mi ordenador desde el día en que salió . Simplemente OBRA MAESTRA DE LA ESTATEGIA . ! LARGA VIDA ROME TOTAL WAR !
  62. Nov 14, 2015
    10
    This game is timeless. One of the greatest game codes ever created.
    I started playing on release, and am still playing in 2015 onward...
    One of the pioneers of the strategy genre and a true hall of famer. Respect.
  63. Mar 28, 2017
    9
    Absolutely fantastic. By far my favorite out of the series. The only thing holding it back from a 10 is the horrible path finding, especially during city battles. Definitely in my top games of all time list.
  64. Jan 30, 2016
    10
    this game is perfect it may not have best graphics but the strategy of the game play is so realistic
    of all total wars series i still like this and napoleon the most
  65. Jun 30, 2016
    8
    Great strategy game for its time. It is still a good game to this day, but it has clearly aged. The management of your cities for example can be incredibly painful when you have a lot of cities.
  66. Aug 16, 2016
    10
    One of the best strategy of the all time. Rome Total War is mother of major strategy.He give me many pleasant emothions.It had the best graphic of those time.(Sorry of my English, I'm Hungarian)
  67. Oct 18, 2016
    9
    I still come back to this game every now and then. It's the best game of the series alongside with Medieval II. An absolute beauty and the modding community is amazing, also great expansions.
  68. Mar 22, 2017
    9
    This game was my first entry into the turn based strategy genre and what an impression it made. Rome is what I compare all games in this genre to and sadly nothing up till now nothing has really measured up to its greatness in my humble opinion. The thing that I feel puts this game over the top is its combat system which unlike other games I have played is very straight forward and easy toThis game was my first entry into the turn based strategy genre and what an impression it made. Rome is what I compare all games in this genre to and sadly nothing up till now nothing has really measured up to its greatness in my humble opinion. The thing that I feel puts this game over the top is its combat system which unlike other games I have played is very straight forward and easy to master after a short period of time. Most units act as I expect they should and the amount of different units you can command keep each battle refreshing which invites you to go through several campaigns so you can experience the capabilities of each faction. The music does get a bit repetitive at times but is still good in short burst and fits the theme fairly well. Graphics are good but not prestige for the era but honestly who cares when everything else works so well. The political system is a bit bland but functional and it wasn't until I pumped up the difficultly level that I received a real challenge but those can be forgiven when the mechanics and combat are this good.

    This is one of my favorite games of all time and completely ruined this genre for me in a good way if that makes any sense. A must own for any fan of the genre and is just one of those games that can stand the test of time. This games will always have a spot on my hard drive.
    Expand
  69. Mar 31, 2018
    10
    So good, I'm still playing it 14 years later. Everything about it is perfect except 1 detail - when you get so far in to a campaign, your empire becomes unsustainable, no matter what you do, half your territories start rioting and it gets pointless.
  70. Apr 30, 2019
    10
    The game that made everyone keep paying CA for inferior games that followed. It's now been made to play on windows 10 and so I gave it another shot, after playing this for thousands of hours years ago I have racked up another 70 in just a few weeks. If you like a challenge this is probably the only total war game that can give you one, just select hard and play as Partha. Game is setThe game that made everyone keep paying CA for inferior games that followed. It's now been made to play on windows 10 and so I gave it another shot, after playing this for thousands of hours years ago I have racked up another 70 in just a few weeks. If you like a challenge this is probably the only total war game that can give you one, just select hard and play as Partha. Game is set during the Victorian age, just kidding obviously it's set around the time of the Roman empire, it has plenty of unique units and the map is large but not as big as Rome 2 or small as Warhammer so just right Expand
  71. May 19, 2021
    10
    This game is a gem. It combines turn based based strategy that let you enjoy macromanagment and conquest without becoming too detailed or tedious and real time battles that represent actual battles without become obsessed about it. I've played others strategy games and even other instalments of the total war series, but Rome: Total war feels the most enjoyable strategy game I've played.
  72. Apr 6, 2013
    10
    Best RTS ever, I've played this game for the first time in 2006 and this is the 3rd time I reinstalled it. As good as ever. I really recommend this game, even If the graphics are a bit dated by now.
  73. Apr 14, 2018
    8
    Great strategy game. The turn-based campaign map with RTS battles makes for a unique and enjoyable experience. The history is accurate, though you essentially rewrite it as you play. The variety of factions and units makes for some great fun and replayability.

    One interesting aspect of the game is that troops don't always win against the units they have a bonus against. For example,
    Great strategy game. The turn-based campaign map with RTS battles makes for a unique and enjoyable experience. The history is accurate, though you essentially rewrite it as you play. The variety of factions and units makes for some great fun and replayability.

    One interesting aspect of the game is that troops don't always win against the units they have a bonus against. For example, pike infantry have a bonus against cavalry. However, if cavalry are maneuvered in an effective manner they can attack the pikes from the side or rear, rendering their deadly points useless. The downside of this is that it is so effective that it becomes a staple strategy for nearly every battle, limiting your strategic choices.

    Sometimes my groups of cavalry would simply attack whatever unit was nearest to them, despite commanding them to attack only archers. This was annoying but fixable by individually ordering them. Auto-resolve is a way to skip the RTS battles and stay on the campaign map, but it is very unbalanced and often makes you lose battles you would normally win easily.

    Cost $3.24, played 88 hours. Great game, highly recommended.
    Expand
  74. Jun 6, 2013
    8
    I think that, aside from campaign and a few other things, medieval 1 is better (better atmosphere, better music, better battles), BUT, if modded properly, it's fun as hell
  75. Sep 7, 2013
    10
    Rome one was an amazing game! It had spectacle, sounds, and overall great game play! Armies would stay in formation and you felt immersed in the game with each new land conquered. The missions were interesting as well. I loved the unique units in this game.
  76. Jan 17, 2014
    8
    Just replayed it again (Jan 2014). The game is head and shoulder above R2:Total War. While it's not perfect and it has its own bugs, this game may not have all the graphical bells and whistles of its predecessor, it has something much more important: gameplay.
  77. Oct 21, 2013
    10
    I LOVE this game! It's so cool! You can choose a lot of faction create different tactics but also you can expand all over the world if you change something in the game data.

    There are Romans Greeks Macedonians and others faction and each one of those are fun to play with against so what are you waiting for? Buy this game and become the greatest General of all the world!
  78. Dec 2, 2013
    10
    The very only game i keep coming back to even after 9 years.
    Definitely one of the greatest strategy games ever and my all time favourite that i grew up with.
    Great work by The Creative Assembly
  79. Dec 22, 2013
    8
    Rome: Total War was the first Total war game I ever played, I have played it for at least 6 years now and although it has some flaws, it is definitely worth playing. The graphics were really good back in the day (of course if you compare it to Shogun 2, it looks terrible, but you have to look at it, as if you would have 7 years ago. After all, it was released in 2005) and this game made meRome: Total War was the first Total war game I ever played, I have played it for at least 6 years now and although it has some flaws, it is definitely worth playing. The graphics were really good back in the day (of course if you compare it to Shogun 2, it looks terrible, but you have to look at it, as if you would have 7 years ago. After all, it was released in 2005) and this game made me play every next total war game except for Napoleon. The campaign map was large, and a large variety of units existed. Cities didn't always display on the right location, like Segesta, which was a Sicilian city, but was put by the developers at the spot of Genua. The battles were difficult, but if you were at least a little bit of a tactician, you could beat the AI. The city viewing is another great feature, which I missed in every next total war game. I hope they will add it to new games at some point. The most memorable however, were the huge amount of soldiers you can put on the screen. The largest amount I have ever fielded was around the 10.000, but I have seen videos of more.
    Despite all the good things, some negative things also exist. The cultural variation is not always accurate, as is the case with the "Germans" and the "Britons". They simply didn't exist as a single faction back then. The assault of a siege sometimes really sucked, since sometimes the units simply didn't want to climb the siege tower. The AI was really weak at using phalanxes.
    It has to be mentioned however, that the greatest asset of Rome Total war was the large amount of mods that have been released to address aforementioned problems. The ones I played were Europa Barbarorum and Amazon: Total War, the former being a more historically accurate mod than the latter, which introduced female warfare. All in all, a fantastic game, which redifined the essence of a strategy game, and despite some minor issues made a major impact on the world of gamers.
    Expand
  80. Mar 1, 2014
    10
    this game is the best game i have ever played. It has good graphics and wonderful buildings but the thing is that when there is to much sword men in the game the game goes slower and it begins to stop so you should be aware of that.
  81. May 27, 2014
    10
    The graphics are great, the combat animations are real and intense, and most of all this game changed my life... seriously. It got me into Roman history, introduced me to military strategy, and is, really, much more than just a game. All who gave this game less than a 9, shame.
  82. Jun 8, 2014
    10
    best game ever. I mean really best game ever along with empire total war and shogun. all 10 out of 10 games. aowidmawda it so bootiful so much memories and aoiwdawod
    CA has sone an amazing job on rome total war. by far the best stragety game out there along with shogun 2 and empire total war and yes ive played civ 5, tropcio, age of empires and all those other games.
  83. Jun 10, 2014
    8
    Sin duda uno de los híbrido de estrategia a tiempo real y por turnos mejor realizados. La macrogestión de las posesiones unido a la microgestión de las batallas le convierten en un juego muy completo que puedes rejugar y rejugar.
  84. Feb 11, 2019
    9
    An awesome game when it came out. Maybe not so revolutionary anymore these days but you can find hundreds of mods that are absolutely awesome and historically interesting.
  85. Oct 13, 2014
    8
    Rome Total War blows away the prequels of the franchise with all round better everything. Battles are captivating and more interactive than ever before, now is your chance to truly conquer the world with brutality.
    8/10 - Ben Hazelden
  86. Feb 26, 2020
    9
    Second best total war ever, and great for its time (unlike current total wars that haven't really evolved)
  87. Dec 13, 2020
    10
    This game is really enormous for that time, even now still playable & it able to bring a fun. You are able to find huge amount of unofficial DLS with tons of improvement & additional content. Some of them are still updated. To my mind it shows how community enjoys this game.
  88. Jun 2, 2020
    4
    used to be my favorite game,. But its very unbalanced.
    Unbalance that was never fixed.
    Romes are OP, they have the best of everything, and barbarians have the worst of everythjinhg. Greeks lack good cav. Macedonians cav is weak too. Romans shuld not even have preatorian cav. Archers were overnerfed. Moral of units is too low. They ruined the camera with steam version or 1.3 patch. And
    used to be my favorite game,. But its very unbalanced.
    Unbalance that was never fixed.
    Romes are OP, they have the best of everything, and barbarians have the worst of everythjinhg.
    Greeks lack good cav. Macedonians cav is weak too. Romans shuld not even have preatorian cav.
    Archers were overnerfed. Moral of units is too low. They ruined the camera with steam version or 1.3 patch. And also introduced a phalanx bug where phalanx turns around for no reason. Nefed Egypts only good cav (desert cav 150 size to 120).
    the game was more balanced when it came oujt then after the patches.
    The game is an unbalanced mess.
    Expand
  89. Apr 21, 2022
    9
    Моя первая стратегия в данном жанре, в то время это была топовая игра, в которой я провел не одну сотню часов. Снял 1 балл за ИИ, он глуп
  90. Jul 22, 2021
    9
    very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good
  91. Jul 28, 2018
    10
    This strategy was created by ingenious people who loved their work and invested there in the whole. To make this wonderful game in white light.
  92. Oct 31, 2018
    10
    As a modder (classic age total war, peninsula italica and others) i can testify this game still has the perfect mix even in 2018, magnified with excellent mods which bring it at another level and make your graphical card suffer... My only regret would be the cloned units. Diversity like in Medieval II and it would have been perfection on this earth as far as strategy/tactics is concerned.As a modder (classic age total war, peninsula italica and others) i can testify this game still has the perfect mix even in 2018, magnified with excellent mods which bring it at another level and make your graphical card suffer... My only regret would be the cloned units. Diversity like in Medieval II and it would have been perfection on this earth as far as strategy/tactics is concerned. Read Sun Tzu, you'll need it there. I remember back at the beginning endless battles and endless campaigns that could last for several month on end. Each turn was full of critical decision and priority solving. Of course the AI was not its strong point, in battle or in campaign as factions sometimes betrayed too easily. But all in all it was like taking all elements that made the success of strategy games, empire-building Risk-style, and a real time battle management that had so many variables each battle was different, and i don't even speak of having 500 different units, a 200 regions strong world map, tons of culture specifics, pitch battles, ambushes and sieges, civil wars and natural hazards, plus the terrain, which was (compared to Rome II) much more open, without any comparison, graphic aside. Because if amazing graphics makes your day in a show, it is not enough to have players hooked long-term. but RTW had this in its DNA. in short, RTW still stands tall today. Brillant. Expand
  93. May 17, 2019
    9
    Magnificent game. Still remember it playing it with 3 Roman families. Great time turned strategic part and real time battles.
  94. Feb 5, 2019
    9
    I don´t remember it that much. Played it as a kiddo i remember it to be awesome. Flammable pigs ftw. My first total war experince and with Roman legion i recommend it.
  95. Mar 5, 2019
    10
    I played this game for over 5 years and along with starcraft and starcraft 2 it was definitely one of the best strategy games ever.
  96. Feb 26, 2020
    9
    A wonderful experience with a slue of units, factions and simplistic but entertaining strategies.
  97. Oct 29, 2019
    10
    Minha primeira experiência foi em 2009, mas só pude jogar com um PC decente em 2014. Ótimos gráficos (mesmo com 15 anos), EXCELENTE trilha sonora e muita imersão na Antiguidade. Realmente um jogo que deixou um carinho especial na memória de muitos fãs de História.
  98. Nov 25, 2019
    10
    The best TW game ever made :)
    Remember playing this game for hours :)
    Still playable at same level as back then :)
  99. Oct 1, 2020
    10
    Шедевр и одна из лучших частей игры, в те года графика поражала, а возможности игры были просто невероятные, наиграно море часов, и не меньше получено удовольствия от прохождения! 10/10
  100. Feb 9, 2020
    10
    It was best of the year on strategy category and stayed on that top rank for many years. Gameplay were much better than later games of same company and you can get enjoy from it at 2020. There were fast-paced realistic well-designed gameplay.

    Graphics:9/10
    Sounds: 10/10
    Gameplay: 10/10
    Fun: 10/10
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 58
  3. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. An epic game in terms of both visual execution and longevity...Campaigns can last for several hundred turns, so prepare for the long haul.
  2. Many games are excellent world-builders, and many are deep real time strategy war games. Rome: Total War sets out to be both and pulls it off wonderfully.
  3. games(TM)
    90
    The tactical battles are better than ever thanks to an improved engine and significantly smarter enemy AI. You can now take up to 400 units into battle, leading to some impressive large-scale scraps.