Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2014
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 179 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 120 out of 179
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 179
  3. Negative: 35 out of 179

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  1. akkf32
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    First off, its a great game. The campaign is extremely fun and after everything has been patched/fixed, the Campaign is the funnest of all total wars. Multiplayer is very fun and very much alive. There's basically evryhting You would want from a total war. 28 Factions, 4 campaign packs, a huge diverse roster for all factions, historical battles.
    No more BUGS. Yes, no more of them. Amazing    First off, its a great game. The campaign is extremely fun and after everything has been patched/fixed, the Campaign is the funnest of all total wars. Multiplayer is very fun and very much alive. There's basically evryhting You would want from a total war. 28 Factions, 4 campaign packs, a huge diverse roster for all factions, historical battles.
    No more BUGS. Yes, no more of them. Amazing graphics, No lag whatsoever, much smarter AI than that of ROME 2 (first version). If you liked the original Rome Total War, you will love this one. Definitely wothy of a rome 1 sequel.    … Expand
  2. reginald
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    The game in the current state is amazing. Best total war game out there. Great graphics, but you need a good computer, great gameplay and balance too. CA have worked tremendously hard to fix the game and if you're looking for a good historical strategy game, this is the one for you. Don't pay attention to trolls.
  3. hub
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    Game is mostly fixed and is enjoyable. This is how it should have been at release 1 year ago.

    The official forums are very active, developers regularly post and listen to feedback and make community requested changes every patch which is a rare sight these days from game developers.
  4. venombgr
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    Year later 15 patches and the Emperor edition made the game great, only the late roman empire expansion to be released and this will be the best total war.
  5. shali8
    Sep 20, 2014
    8
    At release the game was buggy, AI was horrible and it was just plain easy except for the horrible balancing for public order on higher level building. That balancing issue was countered by the fact that lower level building were too good. At first I had a system to where I could mindlessly expand, build the same buildings in every province and not have to even look at public order. TheAt release the game was buggy, AI was horrible and it was just plain easy except for the horrible balancing for public order on higher level building. That balancing issue was countered by the fact that lower level building were too good. At first I had a system to where I could mindlessly expand, build the same buildings in every province and not have to even look at public order. The siege AI was so bad I could hold a walled city against a massive force with 1 Pikemen and a half decent spear or sword infantry. Sword infantry on the wall to kill any ladder users (only the unit that placed a ladder would use it) and the pikemen would hold the gate. Then the enemy would assault the gate. Sometimes it would glitch and not destroy the gate just stand there and get shot at by the towers; other times it would destroy the gate then my pikemen would hold the enemy army under the boiling oil of the gate. Politics was a useless and confusing mess. To be honest the whole release was a mess.

    Months went by, with slow agonizing progress. Little improvements: the regular battle AI became passable, a new building chain for minor settlements, several new campaigns (DLC) were added, slowly the higher level buildings became less detrimental to public order, unit packs were released, performance improvements. However it was not until EE was released that I thought the game was making any significant progress.

    I started up a campaign as Lepidus's Rome on the normal difficulty (normal is what I do when a new patch comes out to test it) "Hmm... UI improvements: nice, New campaign looks interesting, very Rome focused." A few turns later I am having mass rebellions "Meh rebels are easy to put down." A few turns later an army of rebels attacks a walled city, one with a rather large army "Oh boy here we go this'll be a massacre." As per usual I set up a defensive formation at the gate and put a few men on the wall to take care of the ladder users. The ladder users approach, and attach the ladders to the wall. Nothing different than normal. Then his army begins to move "That's weird..." His entire army begins to flood up the ladders. My unfortunate wall defenders being beaten by his superior numbers. My best men were guarding the gate I send them onto the wall. My weaker soldiers block my better ones from getting into the fight. My originals wall defenders begin to route. At this point he has disabled the wall turrets "That's not good." In the end my force was defeated and the city was taken. With it much of my income, with my income so handicapped I was hard pressed to take the city back. Then I'm attacked by Pompey. In the end I lose the game, under the combined weight of Pompey, the lost city, and the other rebellions wreaking havoc everywhere. Rome 2 has been much improved. It may not be up to its predecessors level yet, it may never get there, but it is fun and challenging as of now. I give it an 8/10 and I have a tendency to keep things as close to five as possible.    … Expand
  6. Valmont
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    Rome II - Emperor Edition is basically the culprit of a year of hard work from CA and a year of beta testing by the community but it was totally worth the wait if you ask me.
    Basically Emperor Edition incorporates EVERY single MAYOR request from the community since Rome 2's lackluster launch last year.
    Here are some of the biggest changes: - Much much MUUUUCH better Siege Ai and Siege    Rome II - Emperor Edition is basically the culprit of a year of hard work from CA and a year of beta testing by the community but it was totally worth the wait if you ask me.
    Basically Emperor Edition incorporates EVERY single MAYOR request from the community since Rome 2's lackluster launch last year.
    Here are some of the biggest changes:
    - Much much MUUUUCH better Siege Ai and Siege Battles that became the most fun part of the game after being the worst part of the game last year.
    - Revamped and meaningful Politics mechanics that spices up not only late game but early and mid game too! Now if you don't take care of your politics you will have to pay the price in blood with perhaps several civil wars!
    - Numerous and Balanced Factions with varied units and distinctive enough gameplay that makes you want to try every faction.
    - New building chains that make natural resources very very valuable to the player and therefore conquering territories that contain them (Like iron for better armor and weapons).
    - Greatly improved Traits and Talents for Generals making them less generic and more interesting.
    - Highly optimized engine performance nearly doubling my FPS and reducing my loading times in half both in battles and on the campaign map.
    And of course LOTs of balancing and fine tuning here and there.
    The Emperor Edition is simply, a different beast! I encourage both, new players to buy the game and old players to fire up the game again... you've been missing the best parts of it and now it is the time to collect your money's worth in fun!    … Expand
  7. puddingkip
    Sep 19, 2014
    9
    Unlike many others I enjoyed Rome 2 at release, but I was a bit disappointed as I had expected more. But now after a year of patching Rome 2 had everything I originally wanted, and more I have come to love whilst playing Rome 2.

    I rate this game 9/10 because it is the best strategy game I ever played. It isn't 10/10 due to the fact that this edition should have been the original Rome 2
  8. Surg3on
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    Much improved from the original. Graphics are best in series if you have the PC to run them. AI is best in series (note I didn't say it was perfect). Variety is best in series (so many different factions with vastly different unit rosters). Campaign map is best in series. If you get this game on special there is nothing to complain about anymore.

    Negatives:Family Tree still missing and    Much improved from the original. Graphics are best in series if you have the PC to run them. AI is best in series (note I didn't say it was perfect). Variety is best in series (so many different factions with vastly different unit rosters). Campaign map is best in series. If you get this game on special there is nothing to complain about anymore.

    Negatives:Family Tree still missing and with bribes the player can end up with a stupid number of agents. As with every TW ever the AI can glitch out every now and then (especially sieges).

    Other:PC requirements are high but that is life as a PC gamer.    … Expand
  9. Z0dd
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    For me its the best TW Title now!

    At release it really had it's issues and bugs, the AI also wasn't what the developers had announced in the preview videos. But CA worked really hard to fix that game and to fit it to the expectations of the community. They fixed all the performance issues, the bugs and a lot of game play mechanics. The actions of the AI now are a lot smarter, on the    For me its the best TW Title now!

    At release it really had it's issues and bugs, the AI also wasn't what the developers had announced in the preview videos. But CA worked really hard to fix that game and to fit it to the expectations of the community.
    They fixed all the performance issues, the bugs and a lot of game play mechanics. The actions of the AI now are a lot smarter, on the Campaign-map and in the Heat of the Battle. With the new politic system, you can avoid civil wars or if you mismanage your politics, have a lot of them.

    With the Emperor Edition I finally got the game I wanted for release, better late then never I have to say.
    I have played that franchise for 13 years now, I started with the release of Medieval 1 and ended with Shogun 2 as my former favorite.

    But now I got my new number 1 , because of his huge Grand Campaign, the big unit roster and many factions, the smarter AI then in previous titles, and the brilliant graphics.    … Expand
  10. Hildor
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    Rome 2 is not the game it was. When it was released in September, it was rightly hammered with a metacritic score that made devs across the world wince. With the worst AI in the series, minute long battles and optimization that would make a grown man weep, it came as a crushing betrayal for those who preordered en mass.

    But, as I said, this is a different game. After 15 patches CA have    Rome 2 is not the game it was. When it was released in September, it was rightly hammered with a metacritic score that made devs across the world wince. With the worst AI in the series, minute long battles and optimization that would make a grown man weep, it came as a crushing betrayal for those who preordered en mass.

    But, as I said, this is a different game. After 15 patches CA have delivered the sequel that R1 deserved ;

    -SAI and CAI are the best that TW has ever seen - and I defy anyone who would disagree with that.
    -Battles are lengthy and satisfying in a way that R2's release could never deliver
    -Units hold formation, and can fire at will :D
    -Politics is worthwhile, with a punishing, but avoidable civil war mechanic
    -The RAI does a pretty decent job of staying alive these days
    -Optimization is much improved - obviously this changes on the machine, but I've gained about 15 fps in the benchmarks since release
    -Combined battles are awesome. No two ways about it
    -Transport fleets are made out of paper mache. 10/10 CA
    -The score is thematic and suitably epic - of course, if you don't like it (which brings me onto my next point), there are

    MODS! CA have been excellent with their support for the modding community, releasing the assembly kit which has allowed for complete overhauls of the game. Chances are, if there's an element of R2 you dislike, there's a mod for that. Want to play 4tpy? Get the mod. Want to listen to the R1 soundtrack while hacking your way through Europe? There's a mod for that to. Feel the need to crush the Romans as the great Pyrrhus? You get the idea. With startpos and music tools, workshop support and CA's mod awards, they really have ensured that the community can make it's contribution. Of course, campaign tools would be nice :)

    And not to mention you get a great new campaign, for free :) If you haven't got the game, don't be put off by the release reviews - it's really a world away from then. If you abandoned it in disgust on Sep 5th, it more than merits another try by now. And if you feel you could do aspects of R2 better, download the AK and PFM and join the modding community, or simply look to see if others have had the same idea. Chances are they have

    I've played the game for 500+ hours since release, but I suspect my fun with Total War, Rome 2, has only really just begun. This is just the end of the beginning

    Hildor , creator of several mods you probably haven't heard of, prolific forum-poster and lifelong believer in CA's ability to turn "turds" into gems    … Expand
  11. Svenskaormen
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    Emperor Edition gives you a new experience if you haven't played Rome in a while.
    TW:R2 had a really bad release but don't let that ruin it, its definitely one of the top 3 of CA total war games to date.
    The game still lacks some depth but its not a huge game breaker its still enjoyable and offers a good variation of factions, units and cultures. I see people saying its the worst    Emperor Edition gives you a new experience if you haven't played Rome in a while.
    TW:R2 had a really bad release but don't let that ruin it, its definitely one of the top 3 of CA total war games to date.

    The game still lacks some depth but its not a huge game breaker its still enjoyable and offers a good variation of factions, units and cultures.

    I see people saying its the worst game of the TW series and that is something I cant understand. Empire had more bugs then Rome II had on its release and it still got some of them since CA didn't fix them.

    Anyway from a 6/10 I now rate this game 8.8/10    … Expand
  12. Sajuuk
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    Let me start off by mentioning that I'm a 'veteran' to the Total War series, having played everything from Rome I (which is one of my favorites, along with Medieval II), up to the very controversial Rome II.

    At launch, this game was bug-ridden and it didn't look great. Many missing features and even more broken. But from crashes and de-syncs to 'working as intended', the developers have    Let me start off by mentioning that I'm a 'veteran' to the Total War series, having played everything from Rome I (which is one of my favorites, along with Medieval II), up to the very controversial Rome II.

    At launch, this game was bug-ridden and it didn't look great. Many missing features and even more broken. But from crashes and de-syncs to 'working as intended', the developers have come a LONG way.

    Whoever wrote or gave a negative review to Emperor Edition clearly didn't follow the forums or didn't play the game in its current state. The developers really listened to all the feedback on the forums and otherwise, kept communicating with the community, and did their best to fix this game.

    In its current state, this game features almost double the factions it had at launch, more units, three new Campaigns (which are really nice), tons of bug fixes, features and improvements, split between free and paid content.

    If anything, Emperor Edition (along with the Imperator Augustus) is Creative Assembly's attempt to make amends with the community and start anew. For that, I give them my best regards and this rating (a solid 10).

    This is definitely my favorite Total War game so far and it's worth checking out, returning players and new.    … Expand
  13. Lepidvs
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    Looking at Rome 2: EE compared to Rome 2 on release will guarantee a 10. It has come a long way, and many things have been improved. CA has worked hard to solve many of the common complaints (fire at will, the ai in general, civil war/politics, too many special abilities, battlefield lighting, etc.) CA decided to fix Rome 2 as much as they could, unlike Empire, whose patching fizzled out.Looking at Rome 2: EE compared to Rome 2 on release will guarantee a 10. It has come a long way, and many things have been improved. CA has worked hard to solve many of the common complaints (fire at will, the ai in general, civil war/politics, too many special abilities, battlefield lighting, etc.) CA decided to fix Rome 2 as much as they could, unlike Empire, whose patching fizzled out. As a stand-alone game, EE would get an 8-9 from me, due to some current problems that may be eventually sorted out. I give it a 10 to balance out the random biased reviewers who make it their life's goal to insult Rome 2/CA.

    However, all these comparisons to the old games annoy me because Rome 1 and Medieval 2 had their fair share of problems: the world's greatest superpower from Roman to Medieval times were Rebels, who own half the known world (talk about immersion loss); the abysmal diplomatic ai (offers 5000 gold for peace with France, who has only one town left...Response: NO!!!); Medieval 2's horribly bugged two-handers and the clunky infantry/cavalry charges); Rome 1's innately arcade nature (neon colors, sprinting infantry, OP cavalry, etc.) There are many more, but they wouldn't be relevant to my review.    … Expand
  14. DukeMcFishy
    Sep 20, 2014
    9
    After a horrible launch of the game it has matured like a fine wine.
    Most bugs and optimization problems have been ironed out, the new campaign is much more interesting and overall it is now an enjoyable experience.
    The devs could have taken the loss and moved on and let us the consumer out to dry, but they didn't. They spend a lot of resources on fixing the game and addressing some of    After a horrible launch of the game it has matured like a fine wine.
    Most bugs and optimization problems have been ironed out, the new campaign is much more interesting and overall it is now an enjoyable experience.

    The devs could have taken the loss and moved on and let us the consumer out to dry, but they didn't. They spend a lot of resources on fixing the game and addressing some of the complaints and given us a free new campaign. This are signs of a developer that truly cares about their product and their customers. Well done CA. I have a lot of respect for that.

    Total War Rome 2. It began as a horror, but ended up in a love story.    … Expand
  15. jasper6333
    Sep 22, 2014
    10
    at launch total war rom 2 was a mess. a lot of bugs, ugly textures and a lot of features were missing. but between launch and emperor edition a lot of things have changed. they listened to the community and patched the ain game and now it is playable and a lot of fun.

    Rome 2 emperor edition is a really fun and enjoyable campaign with new factions to play, new units and new buildings.    at launch total war rom 2 was a mess. a lot of bugs, ugly textures and a lot of features were missing. but between launch and emperor edition a lot of things have changed. they listened to the community and patched the ain game and now it is playable and a lot of fun.

    Rome 2 emperor edition is a really fun and enjoyable campaign with new factions to play, new units and new buildings.

    there is one thing to say!

    everyone has to check this out old and new players! you won't rregret it!    … Expand
  16. bol1414
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    This game has come a very long way since it's release. The amount of work CA has put into improving this game is unbelievable and the EE is a result of their hard work. I've never had so much fun playing a game as i've had with rome 2 and the EE really made great strides in gameplay. Definitely worth your time if you're considering picking up this game
  17. Tomice
    Sep 19, 2014
    9
    I'm very torn while writing this review.

    On one hand, this game has gotten extremely good with patch 15 (the Emperor Edition). It is stable & practically bug-free on my rig (Dell 7720 notebook) and a whole lot of fun. The dev's have listened to fan feedback intensively, optimized balance and gameplay and added a lot of free content. The AI, usually the weakest point in any strategy    I'm very torn while writing this review.

    On one hand, this game has gotten extremely good with patch 15 (the Emperor Edition). It is stable & practically bug-free on my rig (Dell 7720 notebook) and a whole lot of fun. The dev's have listened to fan feedback intensively, optimized balance and gameplay and added a lot of free content. The AI, usually the weakest point in any strategy game, is pretty decent and offers a challenge even late into the game. All together, it has become the game a realistic mind could have hoped for at release.

    Then again, it still isn't perfect. While quite a few issues are minor and hard to correct without changing fundamental gameplay principles, there still remain a few really annoying things. As example, the autocalc feature, used to prevent you from having to fight battles you would win in any case, is still relatively broken. You might win losing only 5 of the 2000 "men" you bring, but those 5 may happen to be half of your your super-elite armored elephants.

    Nevertheless, the game now rightfully deserves AAA status and will get 9/10 from me. The amount of patching and support the game has gotten since release lets me hope that the last remaining problems will be sorted out soon.

    What has to be mentioned, though, is that the game was released in a state that was an insult to any paying customer. The AI was so incompetent, it often just passed out completely and didn't know what to do, its army standing in front of your walled city like petrified. You won by watching the timer run out! On a larger scale it failed as well. Instead of fighting famous empires of antiquity, you watched how Rome or Carthage were wiped out by the next best random tribe. Just to watch how that tribe was beaten by some other and so on. After a few turns, you had the only empire worth speaking of, while the rest of map was in chaos and offered no resistance to your invasions at all. Provinces were without life or character, you could make Arabia your grain basket without problem. CIties like Rome were nothing special, any random small town could be just as important.

    Those and many other problems have all been sorted out, but I payed full preorder price a year ago for a game that wasn't fun until now, and which I barely touched in the meantime.

    I didn't let this influence my score, mostly because so many others have rated this game lower than it deserves in its current state. But I have hopefully learned my lesson and can't see myself preordering games anytime soon.    … Expand
  18. Axeface
    Sep 18, 2014
    9
    Hundreds or even thousands of hours of grand strategy gameplay. Emperor Edition is one of the best Total War games to date. Yes it had a rocky first year, but it's time to forget the past and move on. 15 patches later and there is still more content on the way - don't miss out.
  19. AstroCat
    Sep 18, 2014
    8
    Vastly improved from last years catastrophic release. This is the game that should have been released originally. It's not perfect but it's now a solid fun TW Rome experience, which I can finally comfortably recommend.
  20. MK32
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    Ignore the trolls, most of the negative reviews are reviews on the first few months after lunch of the original version. Right now, its an amazing game. Definitely worth my 60$
  21. crazychameleon
    Sep 17, 2014
    10
    When rome ii was first released it was frankly terrible sadly. Now the game has totally cxhanged; seige AI is fixed, politics has been made useful and realistic and the unit balances are now quite good and realistic. It is now my favourite total war game and in my top 3 games ever after starting as one of the most dissapointing games. CA have just been fantastic. They could have easilyWhen rome ii was first released it was frankly terrible sadly. Now the game has totally cxhanged; seige AI is fixed, politics has been made useful and realistic and the unit balances are now quite good and realistic. It is now my favourite total war game and in my top 3 games ever after starting as one of the most dissapointing games. CA have just been fantastic. They could have easily stopped working on it after making a lot of money after release. However they have persevered and have transformed the game into one of the best strategy games out there.… Expand
  22. macaronero
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    Good to see CA didn't abandon their fans. An all-around solid game, although still falling short of the best entries in the series. This version of the game is what should have been released a year ago.
  23. ROME2BETRAYAL
    Sep 20, 2014
    8
    Rome 2 Emperor Edition is what Roome 2 Total War should have been at launch more than a year ago. The fact that a buggy, broken, overhyped, underwhelming release are today's videogame industry common practice is only to blame on consumers who are easily carried by mass hysteria, deceit and consumerism wrapped in lies and false promises.

    Rome 2 Emperor Edition as it is today is a must    Rome 2 Emperor Edition is what Roome 2 Total War should have been at launch more than a year ago. The fact that a buggy, broken, overhyped, underwhelming release are today's videogame industry common practice is only to blame on consumers who are easily carried by mass hysteria, deceit and consumerism wrapped in lies and false promises.

    Rome 2 Emperor Edition as it is today is a must PLAY strategy game. Whether people think or think not about it lacking features from previous Total Wars is irrelevant and subjective and whether people think or think not what SEGA/CA have done is right or wrong. From a business perspective they hit the goldmine. From a consumer perspective, they are on my black and torrent lists.

    Enjoy.    … Expand
  24. RepublicanMe
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    Game went from being the worst in the series to being the best in the same year. By far, the best game that carries the name "Total War." Everything is fixed, and the game is very enjoyable to play.
  25. Mrlori95
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    It is a new game compared with the base edition released last year, great job! The campaign is extremely fun and after everything has been patched/fixed, the Campaign is the funnest of all total wars. Multiplayer is very fun and very much alive. There's basically evryhting You would want from a total war. 28 Factions, 4 campaign packs, a huge diverse roster for all factions, historical battles.
  26. dans221
    Sep 17, 2014
    8
    The game has come a long way from last year. It feels much more optimized and responsive. There's a wide variety of factions. It's looking pretty good overall. I love they added the Octavian vs. Marc Anthony campaign.

    Having said that, the game still lacks a few things to make it really great -- at least for me. Some of the other TW games like Shogun 2 and Medieval 2 and Rome 1 were    The game has come a long way from last year. It feels much more optimized and responsive. There's a wide variety of factions. It's looking pretty good overall. I love they added the Octavian vs. Marc Anthony campaign.

    Having said that, the game still lacks a few things to make it really great -- at least for me. Some of the other TW games like Shogun 2 and Medieval 2 and Rome 1 were much more atmospheric. Rome 2 doesn't feel as immersive, but rather a bit arcadey and over-the-top. The political system also seems tacked-on.

    I hope they keep adding to the game, especially a major new expansion covering the fall of Rome/emergence of Byzantium/Barbarian Invasions would be great to see. The fact that I would like to see an expansion is probably the best compliment I could pay to the game.    … Expand
  27. sloakz
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    A great game now, A much better game than one year ago. The new included Imperator campaign is fantastic. Lots of patches later and minus the family tree its the Rome game i was after.
  28. Stocknet
    Sep 19, 2014
    5
    Less gutted and soulless than at release. Still the worst entry in the total war series. CA has made some basic improvements to the core mechanics, but only now is the game approaching ship quality. The campaign map now has little strategic depth, and is now little more than a speed bump between battles.
  29. patriotnations1
    Dec 20, 2014
    0
    I had more fun writing a negative review of this game than playing the game. Just because the game isnt completely broken anymore does not mean it is better than the TW games before it. Okay cool the game works now but so what.

    1. Emperor Edition or not, the principle of Day 1 DLC and other DLC that should have been in the game (Blood and Gore) is just a slap in the face to hardcore    I had more fun writing a negative review of this game than playing the game. Just because the game isnt completely broken anymore does not mean it is better than the TW games before it. Okay cool the game works now but so what.

    1. Emperor Edition or not, the principle of Day 1 DLC and other DLC that should have been in the game (Blood and Gore) is just a slap in the face to hardcore fans. Also the Day 1 DLC had units/factions that were included in Rome 1. Another slap in the face.

    2. Menu system looks terrible, no scroll/paper parchment just grey operating system boxes. Kills the mood. Also the logical design of the campaign menus is a total step backward from previous games. It feels like there is **** popping up everywhere and it is difficult to navigate to what you need.

    3. Campaign map is not cool. It may look good for the first few seconds that you see it but dealing with it ends up being a pain in the butt. Layering settlements within provinces is just confusing and unessesary

    4. Game fails to lure you in turn after turn by disregarding too many features that allow you to geek out to the game. No family tree, random generals, The "motion Icons" for characters look like **** and should honestly just be a picture like previous games. No faction ranking stats.

    5. Politics seems boring and adds nothing to the fun of the game. Cant be bothered to even know what it is.

    6. Bought Empire Edition based on testimony that the game was fixed and was not broken. Found out the game still sucks and is unplayable because I could simply pop in Medieval 2 and have more fun. I cant be bothered by this game quite frankly.

    This game is all around NOT fun and worse than most previous titles. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME NO MATTER WHAT COST, you will not enjoy it. IT IS NOT WORTH A DOLLAR BECAUSE YOU WONT STAND TO PLAY IT.

    Every step of this game seems like a chore and a pain in the ass, especially for Total War veterans who were just blindsided by this piece of garbage.    … Expand
  30. Mario_x
    Sep 20, 2014
    4
    Sadly, the Empire Edition of Rome II (which is really just Rome II: Gold and therefore not actually a new game) is just as shallow as the game was on release.

    In it's defence, the game is no longer as buggy as it once was and the addition of seasons was nice, but in general, the game still lacks character and is crippled by some horrible design decisions. In addition, things like    Sadly, the Empire Edition of Rome II (which is really just Rome II: Gold and therefore not actually a new game) is just as shallow as the game was on release.

    In it's defence, the game is no longer as buggy as it once was and the addition of seasons was nice, but in general, the game still lacks character and is crippled by some horrible design decisions.

    In addition, things like siege AI and politics whilst now actually working still leave a lot to be desired. For example, the siege AI will buckle if you apply even a modicum of pressure to it since it can only operate competently under preset circumstances.

    Just to provide a list of currently missing features and other problems:
    - No trading settlements.
    - No diplomatic threatening.
    - No wall buildings.
    - No bribing enemy armies.
    - No improvements to client states/satrapies.
    - Ineffective hoplite phalanx animation.
    - No dedicated axe/club animations.
    - Torches are still in the game.
    - No family tree.
    - Disgustingly overpowered and ambiguous agents.
    - Lots of latency issues in multiplayer (which is still bare bones)
    - Skill trees still awkward to find and confusing to understand.
    - Horrible campaign and battle UI (same as on release)
    - Meaningless generals.
    - Nonsensical AI diplomatic decisions.
    - AI general's still regularly suicide themselves.
    - No in depth Roman auxiliary system (in my opinion but there are mods for this).
    - Still waiting on more mod/map tools.

    There is more I could add to this list, but I think that's enough for now. The point is, this isn't a Total War of old, it really still lacks soul and "immersion". The feature strip and bad design decisions have condemned this game to a status of mediocrity in my view. This is not to mention the horrible release of the game of course.    … Expand
  31. slumpy
    Oct 2, 2014
    0
    People who are too emotionally invested in their purchases are artificially raising this game's score by giving it an entirely undeserved 10 (which I now feel compelled to counter balance by giving it a zero, even though I think it probably deserves a 4 or a 5). If you want an accurate portrayal of what Rome 2 is really like (yes, even after "Emperor Edition"), I'd check the original'sPeople who are too emotionally invested in their purchases are artificially raising this game's score by giving it an entirely undeserved 10 (which I now feel compelled to counter balance by giving it a zero, even though I think it probably deserves a 4 or a 5). If you want an accurate portrayal of what Rome 2 is really like (yes, even after "Emperor Edition"), I'd check the original's Metacritic page.

    http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/total-war-rome-ii    … Expand
  32. nenaza
    Sep 18, 2014
    7
    Is the Emperor Edition playable and enjoyable? Yes. It is.
    Is the worst of the TW series? Sadly, yes. It is.

    Desn't matter how much they patch the game. The wrong path was taken and only a new game from scratch could fix this.

    Still feels soulless and tasteless.
  33. Szlomka
    Oct 8, 2014
    0
    This is a marketing ploy aimed at selling the same broken product at full price, a year after release for the jolly price of a working AAA title. I assume some lazy folks might fall for this expecting to get the game and the plethora of DLC's released since launch.

    CAVEAT EMPTOR! Expect to pay an additional hefty fee of 60-ish euros or whatever steam deems the dollar equivalent for    This is a marketing ploy aimed at selling the same broken product at full price, a year after release for the jolly price of a working AAA title. I assume some lazy folks might fall for this expecting to get the game and the plethora of DLC's released since launch.

    CAVEAT EMPTOR!

    Expect to pay an additional hefty fee of 60-ish euros or whatever steam deems the dollar equivalent for the DLC's You "thought" were included.

    The emperor campaign could have safely been released as DLC with yet another letter of apology from CA for the state of the game. Instead the inventive folks at SEGA (probably?) decided to go with this re-release of sorts.

    At best, awarding 1 point here might be warranted for actually releasing content instead of letting the broken code just die. Which of course I won't award.

    I'm personally awaiting a divorce between CA and SEGA and certainly a new engine for the next title, seeing as the current one is beyond redemption.

    In summary, this is not a fixed ROME 2 with DLC included. It's the same old broken rome 2 that was laughed at and belittled by anyone who doesn't take getting robbed and spat on in stride.    … Expand
  34. Cioby
    Nov 28, 2014
    10
    Rome II was a game I wanted to buy from way before it got released. Even with the small bugs it had at the start, for me it was the best game of the series.
    If we're to compare, Rome 1 still has a **** of bugs and more annoying mechanics/gameplay than Rome 2 had at it's launch time.
    With the Emperor edition, most bugs are now gone, I haven't had a crash in months and I play while    Rome II was a game I wanted to buy from way before it got released. Even with the small bugs it had at the start, for me it was the best game of the series.
    If we're to compare, Rome 1 still has a **** of bugs and more annoying mechanics/gameplay than Rome 2 had at it's launch time.

    With the Emperor edition, most bugs are now gone, I haven't had a crash in months and I play while watching movies or while having other games on the background. For most people that desire something different, there are tons of mods out there that can change everything, the fact that you're too stupid to find them or make your own just proves how your poor opinion of the game shouldn't be taken into consideration. Yet I still prefer the vanilla version with only a few enhancements on visuals or extra troops mods.

    The fact that the game doesn't work on your configuration is not their fault but your manufacturer's. And the system requirements are not as awful as most will have you believe. The biggest plus to the original version is the fact that they fixed the multiplayer (a long time ago), with all the free content or reduced prices on DLCs, this game is much better than those that ask for 20-50$ for extra content.    … Expand
  35. Wolverinemetacr
    Sep 19, 2014
    6
    Graphics are really good always have been. Without fancy graphics this game is really bad. Its an empty shell. How let me tell ya. Hills dont matter they just dont. Do men tire out no. You generals in the new DLC are immortal, take em and charge em in it dont matter. What you build tons of choices now does it matter not really pick something there are no bad choices. Pick the menGraphics are really good always have been. Without fancy graphics this game is really bad. Its an empty shell. How let me tell ya. Hills dont matter they just dont. Do men tire out no. You generals in the new DLC are immortal, take em and charge em in it dont matter. What you build tons of choices now does it matter not really pick something there are no bad choices. Pick the men with higher stats they will win why cause thats what matters.

    Do units still blob yes but not as bad no spacing and mass doesnt matter you can charge men into a line they still dont spread out and fight it looks bad if you care about that. Torching gates yes still there. Siege AI is better just dont kill the guys pushing up siege equipment let em get to your wall first and you will avoid problems.

    Politics there are none. Civil war does it work ?????? Its better than it was kinda. No one still knows how to stop it though lotsa theories on that.

    Is the game playable now yes for most people with lotsa mods. Is it fun? If you like and still play old Total War games I say right now dont waste a nickel on this game. If you dont play Total War anymore but liked previous games you may like it buy it on sale. If your a kid I say go for it pay full price and enjoy the graphics.

    I gave the game a 4 out of 10 on release it is now a 6, 15 plus patches it should be, but fun for a game or 2 but the reality is for Total War games this is not very good.    … Expand
  36. LD9000
    Nov 10, 2014
    10
    AAA epicness all around.
    I loved the original Rome and played it a few times over, yet even on the hardest difficulty it was too easy - flaming arrows, pin enemy from front, hit in the back, rinse repeat and you can route even the largest army. I'm really liking the improved combat system, first of all, the operation above while still works, takes a lot more time I've seen ordinary units    AAA epicness all around.
    I loved the original Rome and played it a few times over, yet even on the hardest difficulty it was too easy - flaming arrows, pin enemy from front, hit in the back, rinse repeat and you can route even the largest army. I'm really liking the improved combat system, first of all, the operation above while still works, takes a lot more time I've seen ordinary units stay in battle for 2 minutes while surrounded.

    Additional game mechanics, such as restrictions on the number of armies, agents and fleets are awesome - it focuses on quality rather than quantity.

    Character advancement mechanics are superb - generals, spies and even entire legions get experience and useful traits.

    Simplified province and army management screen, which I originally saw in Shogun2 (and did not like) really works well here. An entire province shares it's recruitment, culture and food buildings.

    Performance wise, I have not had a single hiccup or crash, and even in a gate battle involving 5k units at the gate, I'm still getting 15FPS on "ultra" quality using 3 year old computer (i3 with GTX450).

    Overall, one of the best games I've ever played, cant stop playing it :)    … Expand
  37. Midnightmare
    Oct 24, 2014
    1
    Still the most useless total war game.

    i cant belive people are actully giving this positive reviews now......its a piece of crap compared to the sholders it stands on. The world map is lifeless, internal town management has never been this pointless. research system still bugged so bad that you can push every tech 25% in the game. The AI is the biggest joke ever......the people    Still the most useless total war game.

    i cant belive people are actully giving this positive reviews now......its a piece of crap compared to the sholders it stands on.
    The world map is lifeless, internal town management has never been this pointless.
    research system still bugged so bad that you can push every tech 25% in the game.

    The AI is the biggest joke ever......the people who thinks the AI improved are completely useless players.

    First attept legendary edition with sparta full victory conditions -_-
    I cant even recall losing an fight in it.....it has become an ultra casual game you cant lose even if you give the computer a bone it wont know what to do with it.

    It so bad you can flank the computer with archers and they will run screaming away since the morale system is so broken.    … Expand
  38. Creardo
    Oct 2, 2014
    7
    The game improved and is practically bearable now, many glitches of the release are gone and some good decisions to fix things were made. We have to give it a try.

    But design and concepts are still weak enough to keep at bay any pretensions of the game to deliver us a brand new experience. It´s nothing like that, at all, because the things that made the game annoying theoretically, for    The game improved and is practically bearable now, many glitches of the release are gone and some good decisions to fix things were made. We have to give it a try.

    But design and concepts are still weak enough to keep at bay any pretensions of the game to deliver us a brand new experience. It´s nothing like that, at all, because the things that made the game annoying theoretically, for example the UI and the missing of many old concepts of total war franchise, these misleaded concepts are still in the game (the political mechanics shallowness, the restricted diplomatic options etc).    … Expand
  39. LosingStreak
    Dec 25, 2014
    2
    I gave this game a year to fix itself from the terrible release state but it still has glaring problems.

    Bad UI that fails at showing you unit status whilst at the same time blocking a big part of the screen Poor optimization Confusing unit cards Stale battles due to scripted kill moves Units don't feel like they have weight when they collide Politics suck and is a useless gimmick    I gave this game a year to fix itself from the terrible release state but it still has glaring problems.

    Bad UI that fails at showing you unit status whilst at the same time blocking a big part of the screen
    Poor optimization
    Confusing unit cards
    Stale battles due to scripted kill moves
    Units don't feel like they have weight when they collide
    Politics suck and is a useless gimmick
    No avatar conquest mode    … Expand
  40. MaximusHirstius
    Oct 5, 2014
    9
    When the game was first released I was horrified at the condition it was in. I remember when it was so glitchy that I couldn't even land my troops on the beach. However, after just over a year I can finally say I would recommend this game to anyone. I feel that the AI has considerably improved including the siege AI which was a big pain, no more bugs, the game is beautiful, politics systemWhen the game was first released I was horrified at the condition it was in. I remember when it was so glitchy that I couldn't even land my troops on the beach. However, after just over a year I can finally say I would recommend this game to anyone. I feel that the AI has considerably improved including the siege AI which was a big pain, no more bugs, the game is beautiful, politics system has improved and actually feels more important now, game difficulty at Legendary is now a good challenge and CA have been brilliant since the beginning to improve the game the best they could. Although its not the most perfect game in the series, its certainly up there. 9/10… Expand
  41. valfareinwindir
    Oct 10, 2014
    3
    Unbelievable. After deleting Rome 2 off my computer for the worthless s*** that it was, I decided to reinstall after reading such positive reviews for "Emperor Edition" Lo and behold this is still an un-optimised pos. The game is so picky that if you don't have the perfect computer that matches the games specs exactly it won't goddamn work. It still lags, still feels soulless and justUnbelievable. After deleting Rome 2 off my computer for the worthless s*** that it was, I decided to reinstall after reading such positive reviews for "Emperor Edition" Lo and behold this is still an un-optimised pos. The game is so picky that if you don't have the perfect computer that matches the games specs exactly it won't goddamn work. It still lags, still feels soulless and just isn't an engaging total war game. Shogun 2 is still better in every aspect. Please CA, don't use this sh***y engine again.… Expand
  42. Exfan
    Feb 24, 2015
    5
    It took about 9 months of beta testing by Rome 2 players. Many patches to get game at playable state. If you would forget how long this took and game to be finished i would give 8-9 rating. However least CA did something to already published game. Game is quite bug free atm some little issues with unit pricing that should be corrected by minor patch. DCL packs are mostly decent if youIt took about 9 months of beta testing by Rome 2 players. Many patches to get game at playable state. If you would forget how long this took and game to be finished i would give 8-9 rating. However least CA did something to already published game. Game is quite bug free atm some little issues with unit pricing that should be corrected by minor patch. DCL packs are mostly decent if you forget Wrath of Sparta which is terrible. DCL packs aren't really needed and should be bought on discount sales if yo need those.
    Some forgive failure of Rome 2 when name is changed and buyers of Rome 2 get this freebie i do not.
    At current state not bad game at all.    … Expand
  43. Vorlon66
    Jul 21, 2015
    5
    Caveat Emptor! I gave the initial version of Total War Rome II a resounding 0/10 for being a seriously incomplete and flawed game that should never have been released in the state it was in. The Emperor Edition does finally bring the game up to what it should have been at that initial release - at least from a technical and performance perspective. The initial version was frankly aCaveat Emptor! I gave the initial version of Total War Rome II a resounding 0/10 for being a seriously incomplete and flawed game that should never have been released in the state it was in. The Emperor Edition does finally bring the game up to what it should have been at that initial release - at least from a technical and performance perspective. The initial version was frankly a disgrace - it taught me to never pre-order a game again, not to rely on a franchise "reputation", and to distrust many of the "professional" game reviewers and game review websites.

    At best I would now rate it a 5/10 - it has too many design and aesthetic flaws from the clumsy agent and political faction system to a messy provincial system to some odd choices in functionality (inconsistent use of opening and closing windows - missing information in pop up panels and the Encyclopedia and the lack of proper linking through to game elements between event windows) to the poor choices over unit and building card designs - so while it is a not a "bad" (or appallingly disastrous!) game anymore and can be quite enjoyable it is by no means comparable to Shogun 2, Napoleon, MTW2, the original RTW or even Shogun 1. Even the patched up Total War Empire is IMO actually a better game than this one. Even at the hardest difficulty it is still far too easy at the strategic and tactical level (battles are still far too easy, too short and arcade like and naval battles are still pretty hopeless - you'll end up auto-resolving most of them). If I really want a challenging game with depth and complexity then I still prefer the Europa Barbarorum II conversion/mod of Medieval Total War 2.

    I certainly wouldn't recommend this game + DLC at full price. Most of the DLC is really content that should have been in the base game rather than actual enhancement and expansion (the Blood and Gore DLC being the most egregious example of this) - Creative Assembly/Sega really need to re-examine their DLC programme - compare it to Paradox's approach to EUIV and Crusader Kings II to see how a proper DLC can be handled). Wait until TW Rome II: TEE goes on sale for a significant discount and then consider buying it (first though buy the earlier TW games or even Total War: Atilla).    … Expand
  44. alexmak
    Nov 25, 2014
    8
    I wrote a review for this game when it was released in 2013, and in it I said "through patching and mods ... a true gem of a game will emerge from the flawed vanilla version". And it is my opinion that his has taken place. while the original release was nothing but a mountain of shame, the Emperor Edition is what the game should have been from the start. Since this edition, I have notI wrote a review for this game when it was released in 2013, and in it I said "through patching and mods ... a true gem of a game will emerge from the flawed vanilla version". And it is my opinion that his has taken place. while the original release was nothing but a mountain of shame, the Emperor Edition is what the game should have been from the start. Since this edition, I have not noticed any bugs, the AI is vastly improved, and the game can finally be enjoyed. I use many mods and they greatly improve an already good game. I give it a 8/10 with a conflicting feelings, because it seems as if it doesn't deserve a high score only because its better than the broken original release. But it is a fun game now, and worth the money.… Expand
  45. Axlyss
    Dec 30, 2014
    9
    The game is fixed enough at this time to actually play and yes have fun.
    Campaigns are awesome including the new Augustus campaign (its new to me).
    The A.I still holds it back and so do the battlefield maps which still seem to be randomly generated..
    Other than that its Rome 2 WITHOUT the A.I that bunch up into balls. Rome2 A.I clump still not as bad as rome 1..
  46. Wulfen
    Nov 26, 2014
    7
    After the Emperor update I really like it now. Sure, it's still not as perfect as Shogun 2. But I strongly recommend everyone who was totally disappointed after release and like the Total War games to give it a second try. Balance, politics, KI - it's all much more worth playing now.
  47. TheMasiMan1
    Nov 19, 2015
    8
    I consider the disasturous lauch of Total War: Rome 2 to be just in the original game and not be taken into account for the Emperor Edition. So, what does the Emperor Edition add to Total War: Rome 2? Well, it adds a new campaign adn... not much else. Thea campaign is nice, dont get me wrong, but with the title of "Edition" I would think they would have edited of added alot of stuff into the game.
  48. marmil86
    Oct 5, 2014
    10
    It is great game, improving vastly from its release in all aspects. Developers listened to the fan base and made top total war game ever. I m especially satisfied with the AI, which proves to be a new generation challenging. Great job!
  49. rondg95
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    I bought TW Rome II in May '14 and had been following up the development of the game by CA since it's release in June '13. CA have ceaselessly worked to improve the game and have delivered a masterpiece with the release of the Emperor Edition. With almost all issues fixed and all major changes requested by the community effected, TW Rome II becomes the true successor of the classic game TWI bought TW Rome II in May '14 and had been following up the development of the game by CA since it's release in June '13. CA have ceaselessly worked to improve the game and have delivered a masterpiece with the release of the Emperor Edition. With almost all issues fixed and all major changes requested by the community effected, TW Rome II becomes the true successor of the classic game TW Rome was.… Expand
  50. PersonCritic
    Jan 25, 2015
    8
    In my initial review of this game I gave the game a 6. I have changed that to an 8, 8.6 if I could. After seeing my cummulative time spent on this game, without regret, I must say it is very entertaining. One of the biggest upsides that made me change my grade is the very easy way of seeking and installing mods with Steam Workshop. I spent a total of 15 minutes installing a few mods whichIn my initial review of this game I gave the game a 6. I have changed that to an 8, 8.6 if I could. After seeing my cummulative time spent on this game, without regret, I must say it is very entertaining. One of the biggest upsides that made me change my grade is the very easy way of seeking and installing mods with Steam Workshop. I spent a total of 15 minutes installing a few mods which didn't fundamentally change the game (though there are mods which change a lot if you'd want to) but smoothed out some rough edges and it made a big difference. It really is just a matter of browsing mods and clicking 'subscribe' on the mod you want: that's it.
    A problem that however I have not found a mod for yet (not saying it isn't there but I'd imagine it would be the most popular one if there was one, therefore easy to encounter when you search for it) is the AI. It is predictable and the weakest link in Total War in the 12 years I've been playing the games. It is the AI that doesn't get this game to a 9+, what I'd call an AAA+ or instant classic.

    The final improvement of this Emperor edition and subsequent patches is the bugfixing: though the routes units sometimes take when you sent them somewhere, especially on object heavy maps, or the way artillery behaves (a stationary mode would be nice) is sometimes truly annoying though predictable, there aren't any game breaking bugs. And it runs rather well on my medium range PC now, with most settings on high and a few even better.

    Summarized, love the Emperor Edition!    … Expand
  51. grandgnu
    Jan 6, 2015
    9
    I sharpened my teeth on the original Medieval TW, then Rome, then Medieval II. But I was always disappointed that the games AI was lacking. Fortunately the modding scene gave me a ton of extra enjoyment out of Medieval II.

    Still, after the debacle of Empire I vowed to never again support this series. I skipped Napoleon, Shogun II, etc. and then Rome II was announced. I wanted to be    I sharpened my teeth on the original Medieval TW, then Rome, then Medieval II. But I was always disappointed that the games AI was lacking. Fortunately the modding scene gave me a ton of extra enjoyment out of Medieval II.

    Still, after the debacle of Empire I vowed to never again support this series. I skipped Napoleon, Shogun II, etc. and then Rome II was announced. I wanted to be able to want it, but I just knew I couldn't trust Sega at the helm, and I skipped over it at release time and was happy to have saved the $60 in doing so.

    However, time passes, and I see the Emperors Edition on sale during the holidays for 15 bucks. Well now, let's look at some reviews.....oooh, not bad, alright, I'll take the plunge and give it a go.

    I was pleasantly surprised to find the game played fine at maxed graphic settings and the largest unit sizes with my rig:

    Win 7 64-bit
    8GB Ram
    Radeon 7870 2GB Graphics
    Core i5 Intel Processor

    I've had battles of close to 10,000 troops without any lag or hiccups. I'm currently playing the Grand Campaign on Legendary (although as Rome, so not a huge achievement).

    The diplomacy is still a bit wonky, seems the only thing that truly matters is power. If you're powerful, people will agree to trade. If not, screw you? Then again, Legendary difficulty so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

    The battle AI is improved from previous generations of the game series, although still not perfect. There are plenty of times it ignores an obvious attack point and just rushes troops into a mass in one section instead of flanking (at least in settlement battles where I use the terrain to overcome numerical disadvantages)

    I was never a fan of agents (spys, champions, dignitaries) and I'm still not, but they're there and usable if you want.

    The new province system took some getting used to from earlier titles, but I like it thus far, much easier to manage buildings.

    Now if you don't mind I need to continue my incursion into the Iberian Peninsula and push those pesky Averni out. They've been raiding my lands by traversing through Massili territory and the two legions I just landed on their shores are about to give them a nasty surprise.    … Expand
  52. RoyCohn
    Feb 12, 2015
    10
    Great game - played most of the other Total War games and I have to say: this one has the most potential. Modding makes a huge difference and the fact that they took the time to fix bugs in the Emperor Edition is also great. It's a challenging game that will keep you hooked for months to come. I'm still trying to figure stuff out, play around with all the mechanics, and I've been playingGreat game - played most of the other Total War games and I have to say: this one has the most potential. Modding makes a huge difference and the fact that they took the time to fix bugs in the Emperor Edition is also great. It's a challenging game that will keep you hooked for months to come. I'm still trying to figure stuff out, play around with all the mechanics, and I've been playing it for almost a month now.… Expand
  53. Dezdicho
    Mar 7, 2015
    6
    Rome 2 is almost a good game. Its disappointments are intriguing, almost more so than the things it does right. In each of my three completed playthroughs I saw a glimmer of what the developers intended, a chance to spread my empire throughout the massive ancient world so beautifully rendered in this game. Instead, the player is treated to unfulfilling imperial bloating to reach theRome 2 is almost a good game. Its disappointments are intriguing, almost more so than the things it does right. In each of my three completed playthroughs I saw a glimmer of what the developers intended, a chance to spread my empire throughout the massive ancient world so beautifully rendered in this game. Instead, the player is treated to unfulfilling imperial bloating to reach the arbitrary victory condition, compounded by an AI unable to cope with the complexity of the game’s mechanics.
    Despite all the patches the Emperor Edition provided, Rome 2 suffers foremost from poor pacing. There are a myriad of reasons, most of them concerning the sprawling size of the campaign map and related mechanics to manage it all. I will leave it to others to analyze what went wrong in that respect, and instead will give the underwhelming template each of my games followed to illustrate why all this amounted to a less than great Total War experience.

    The early-game is where I’ve had the most fun with Rome 2. It presents a genuine struggle to survive with limited resources and military capabilities. Each battle determines the fate of your faction as the player attempts to secure the often precarious starting position. Threats emerge from all sides, and only through calculated diplomacy, strategic army placement, and battlefield success will the player emerge stronger. The mid-game that follows is an expansion and consolidation phase. Your faction’s annihilation is no longer in question, with securing borders and establishing alliances becoming your main assignment. Factors like food, politics, happiness, and wealth technically limit your growth, but feel tedious to manage and done almost as an afterthought.

    The mid-game really serves as a stepping stone to the late-game, where once you have secured a strong position, you challenge your largest rivals in a bid to gain land. What should be an exciting climax is instead a dull affair even at hard difficulties, as the steamroll begins. The AI doesn’t seem to form large empires, use agents effectively, or place armies in strategic defensive positions. Auto-Resolve became the norm with few battles needing to actually be played. And it lasts a long time, at least if you play for the victory conditions. The game may be yours with 60 settlements, but you will have another 40 to grind through, while managing a huge empire where the right decision is often obvious and unrewarding. Thinking of pacing overall, the early-game ends rather quickly, going into the consolidating mid-game which builds an excitement to conquer the world. All the preparation of the mid-game takes some time but is done so in anticipation of what surely will be a great clash for ultimate domination. That promise though remains undelivered, as the late-game offers little-to-no climax, instead proffering more consolidation on a grander scale.

    Maybe it was the faction I was playing (Arverni, Octavian, Julia), maybe I should have played Very Hard or Legendary, or maybe I should even just stuck with overhaul mods. But something with Rome 2 just feels incomplete, like CA was almost onto something great but didn’t quite deliver. I have had fun with this game, but would not put it on my list of the greatest Total War games. Ultimately it is more interesting as where a Total War game can go wrong, and I can only hope that CA is paying attention for their next installments    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Ragequit.gr
    Oct 13, 2014
    89
    The technical part remains somewhat problematic, but the rest of the game is of outstanding quality. In terms of grand strategy, it's one of the best games and it can deservedly stand next to its ancestors in the same series. Too bad that, as it seems, the publishers did not give the appropriate time frame to the developers. The potential was there, only more time was needed.
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  2. Softpedia
    Sep 17, 2014
    90
    Emperor Edition really shows how much the title from The Creative Assembly has evolved since it was originally delivered and the way the entire experience has been updated based on the needs of the community and the cool ideas of the development team.
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