Total War: Rome II

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Sep 2, 2013
User Score
4.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3974 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,184 out of 3974
  2. Mixed: 613 out of 3974
  3. Negative: 2,177 out of 3974
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  1. Nerevarinho
    Sep 10, 2023
    7
    Enjoyed to learn the machanics. Interesting battle system, which I only won in tutorial. Fun fact, game is setted in italian, playing in italy, soldiers speak british english.
  2. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    6
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 6.
  3. cononda
    Feb 25, 2022
    7
    #New review Rating: 7
    After the last patch, this game is finally in a state I can recommend it. No need for mods anymore to enjoy it. No need to buy the DLC either. CA finally delivered.
    # my old review Rating: 3 overhyped, underdelivered. Even the Total War™: ROME II - Emperor Edition does not deliver satisfaction. The sieges are no challenge. The AI not very smart. I hope they will    #New review Rating: 7
    After the last patch, this game is finally in a state I can recommend it. No need for mods anymore to enjoy it. No need to buy the DLC either. CA finally delivered.

    # my old review Rating: 3
    overhyped, underdelivered. Even the Total War™: ROME II - Emperor Edition does not deliver satisfaction. The sieges are no challenge. The AI not very smart. I hope they will learn and make quality some day. Until then I spend my money somewhere else.    … Expand
  4. nomeoriginale
    Aug 6, 2021
    7
    одна из лучших стратегий на данный момент .
  5. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    7
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good not a legend tw r 2(
  6. WCM320
    Feb 6, 2021
    7
    I give this a 7/10 because its a good total war game, people who are giving it low marks for (Insert reason) Kind of seam to forget that no one else has done it better in this genre so far.
  7. Mister_Jey
    Jan 12, 2021
    6
    → Trembler devant la puissance de Rome !
    La première chose que je constate, c’est la perte de liberté ressentie par rapport au premier Rome de la franchise. Le gameplay est très différent avec le système de région que l’on retrouve ici. Si graphiquement il est dans la lignée des Total War, qu’est-ce qui est passé par la tête des développeurs concernant les cartes d’unités qui ne sont    → Trembler devant la puissance de Rome !
    La première chose que je constate, c’est la perte de liberté ressentie par rapport au premier Rome de la franchise. Le gameplay est très différent avec le système de région que l’on retrouve ici. Si graphiquement il est dans la lignée des Total War, qu’est-ce qui est passé par la tête des développeurs concernant les cartes d’unités qui ne sont vraiment pas belles du tout ! Je trouve également le jeu beaucoup plus difficile que son prédécesseur. Pour autant Rome II reste un honnête opus de la série (mais loin des meilleurs), et propose comme toujours une durée de vie et une rejouablité à toute épreuve.

    Sortie en septembre 2013 / Développé par Creative Assembly.    … Expand
  8. Cree26
    Aug 19, 2020
    5
    What a mess. Even with all the fancy mods. Sure, I put in close to 200hrs, but most of that time was spent trying to get my units off a siege tower without falling into the wall and disappearing. Also, the family tree and politics stuff is terribly optimized and a waste of time. Etc etc. See Reynald Sanity's youtube video to get my drift.

    Buy on super sale only.
  9. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    7
    Despite the solid visuals and great unit design, the ultimate combat system is a step back from the other titles.
  10. erdogfu96
    Feb 9, 2020
    6
    The biggest failure in series. Long time wanted but it is like a bread that hasn't baked enough. Biggest shame is it couldn't give me more fun than Rome Total War. Rome were much better and now it is also enjoying me more than this game. Multiplayer also unplayable.
    Graphics:8/10
    Sounds: 8/10
    Gameplay: 5/10
    Fun: 5/10
  11. GJA
    Jan 30, 2020
    5
    One of the better MODERN total war games, but that doesn't say much does it? Compared to earlier games it has nothing to offer except better graphics. Even the old Rome total war beats this game out of the water.
  12. Dulcino
    Dec 12, 2019
    6
    It is not as good as ROME: TOTAL WAR, but still with the Divide et Impera patch, it can be really entertaining. The AI, as in all total wars, lack of that "intelligence" and sometimes it becomes boring fighting against the same enemy strategy all the time
  13. Graham67722
    Mar 5, 2019
    5
    I was really disappointed by this game. I pre-ordered it and was ready to experience the greatness of rome total war. All battles boil down to giant blobs and there are no tactics involved in the bottles. The naval battles are even worse.
  14. Tilt1k
    Feb 5, 2019
    7
    Probably the worst total war game (according to fans) of them all. Yep it doesnt add new features, it just simplifies everything. But still i have around 350 hours on this game, because you know what? With Radious total war and more mods added by community is f*cuking awesome !! That feeling when you get overrun by Carthagian elephants and you just lose your **** for the first time isProbably the worst total war game (according to fans) of them all. Yep it doesnt add new features, it just simplifies everything. But still i have around 350 hours on this game, because you know what? With Radious total war and more mods added by community is f*cuking awesome !! That feeling when you get overrun by Carthagian elephants and you just lose your **** for the first time is awesome.

    So for me base game=thrash and bugged, with mods = pretty damn good game. CA didnt do great job, but modders did.    … Expand
  15. chingchangwalla
    Jan 5, 2019
    5
    Creative Assembly always finds a way to bugger up a game. In this case you cannot trade/gift regions and you cannot stop a war between an ally and a vassal. After a while, you lose interest in the game and give up.
  16. Vectis99
    Oct 24, 2018
    7
    A fun and creative take on a real time strategy game focused on tactical combat exclusively and not resource management or building. The single player "4X" campaign is crude, tacked on, and arbitrarily balanced, but nevertheless remains fun and satisfying. The heart of the game comes from the combat encounters which are very beautifully and expertly rendered from a graphical perspective.A fun and creative take on a real time strategy game focused on tactical combat exclusively and not resource management or building. The single player "4X" campaign is crude, tacked on, and arbitrarily balanced, but nevertheless remains fun and satisfying. The heart of the game comes from the combat encounters which are very beautifully and expertly rendered from a graphical perspective. The audio quality is not bad, but the audio design of the game isn't really a selling point. Thematically, Rome II is very bland and boring, presenting an uninteresting and romanticized version of warfare in an ancient sense. The game has a moderate learning curve and a high skill cap, fostering the components necessary for competitive appeal. However, this is overridden by arbitrary balancing and a "unit value" system which couldn't hope to do justice to the complex interactions between armies and factions. The main frustrating element of Rome II is its cumbersome, overbearing, and obtrusive business model; the value of this game should be evaluated accounting for the sum price of all expansions and addons.… Expand
  17. xesmi
    Nov 3, 2016
    5
    Could have been better. Should have been better. The game still faces random crashes and bugs even after so many patches.
    I like the variety of factions and events but battles are very weak in comparison with previous total war titles
    I have been playing Total War since Shogun 1 and Rome2 is the worst of the series by far.. ...and its so annoying to buy a game and during first 2-3    Could have been better. Should have been better. The game still faces random crashes and bugs even after so many patches.
    I like the variety of factions and events but battles are very weak in comparison with previous total war titles
    I have been playing Total War since Shogun 1 and Rome2 is the worst of the series by far..

    ...and its so annoying to buy a game and during first 2-3 days realize that in order to end one turn you need to wait 10-15 mins...    … Expand
  18. HammerExcellent
    Jun 22, 2016
    7
    + Strategy games is fine according to charts
    + Detailed city design
    + Sea battles exhilarating

    -Artificial intelligence
    -Turn the duration of slowness
    -Graphic errors
  19. TheMasiMan1
    Nov 19, 2015
    6
    I agree, Total War: Rome 2 was broken at lauch, but it has been 2 years. The game is fixed. Total War: Rome 2 features alot of additional content alongside of the campaign: Custom battles, historical battles and a multiplayer mode, witch is 2 player only. The campaign is beatifull and well crafted and the AI dosent do any stupid stuff anymore, compared at lauch. But the DLC hoarding is offI agree, Total War: Rome 2 was broken at lauch, but it has been 2 years. The game is fixed. Total War: Rome 2 features alot of additional content alongside of the campaign: Custom battles, historical battles and a multiplayer mode, witch is 2 player only. The campaign is beatifull and well crafted and the AI dosent do any stupid stuff anymore, compared at lauch. But the DLC hoarding is off the charts. Theres over 10 different DLC packs available right now. If they would have put al lthat DLC as a free update on Day 1, then I would give this game a beter review. But the bottom line is that the game was broken on lauch, that draws the review score pretty low, but if Rome 2 wasnt broken at lauch and all this DLC was free, then it would be solid 10/10.… Expand
  20. SchnitzelPoof
    Nov 4, 2015
    5
    After stubbornly giving the game another chance, I've decided to update my review.
    Even after all the patches up to the Emperor's Edition, many of the design decisions make little sense: the way armies or fleets move, how they engage (or rather don't, thanks to a ludicrous cat-and-mouse game that never ends); a single agent able to stop your entire army turn after turn after turn after    After stubbornly giving the game another chance, I've decided to update my review.
    Even after all the patches up to the Emperor's Edition, many of the design decisions make little sense: the way armies or fleets move, how they engage (or rather don't, thanks to a ludicrous cat-and-mouse game that never ends); a single agent able to stop your entire army turn after turn after turn after turn; a land army destroying an entire fleet because it happened to be inside a port city (without any option to withdraw); random diplomacy; endless back and forth wars, in which cities are easily captured (and recaptured), while armies "force march" out of your reach; and this really annoying thing, where different cultures cannot use any buildings of each other - even something as basic as a farm; so when you or an enemy take a city, everything must be razed / replaced. As a result, if a critical food producing city is taken by an AI that can move more than you, for just ONE turn, even when you retake it, you must rebuild from scratch, suffering many turns of starvation penalties.
    Most pre-battle screens show either you, or the AI, having overwhelming force superiority, so there's almost no point in playing the battles yourself. I've gone through almost my entire campaign clicking only on auto-match.
    As a result, the early game is nothing short of frustrating, instead of being an intense competition to break-out against capable rivals. Afterwards, when you become powerful, many of those design choices are mitigated, simply because you can afford losses. What follows is mostly a race to conquer as much of the map as possible, which, while interesting, isn't exactly the epic confrontation between civilizations you might expect.
    Bottom line, there is a lack of excitement in this installment of Total War, despite all the potential that exists in the covered period.    … Expand
  21. caligula_king
    Oct 3, 2015
    6
    La decepción personal mas grande del mundo de los videojuegos , El peor juego de la saga Total War ( pero a un así lo aprobó por pelos ) . Lo positivo que los Creative Assembly han bajado de la nube que estaban y espero que hayan aprendido de este error para mejorar en la siguiente entrega .
  22. Redwarrior1up
    Sep 11, 2015
    5
    Short and sweet this game improved a lot visually and in its controls, however it also went rampant tearing apart such simple things as the family tree system, the army building, just to name a few.

    I went to great lengths to give this game a chance out of my love for the series. CA has done a great job of trying to save this game from the depths but it sometimes feels like there are    Short and sweet this game improved a lot visually and in its controls, however it also went rampant tearing apart such simple things as the family tree system, the army building, just to name a few.

    I went to great lengths to give this game a chance out of my love for the series. CA has done a great job of trying to save this game from the depths but it sometimes feels like there are two parents fighting over one child amidst a divorce, one parent wants to stay in touch with the community and improve, meanwhile the other wants to make a game separate it into dlc packs and drain the series until its a lifeless husk of a game.    … Expand
  23. Gurdur
    Aug 18, 2015
    7
    A disappointment compared to its prequel (which is the best strategy game ever made in my opinion), but still a decent game after installing all the patches. Worth a try.
  24. Heaves
    Aug 10, 2015
    5
    If you played the original rome total war and were expecting a near perfect strategy game, you will be disappointed. The game is flawed on many levels (although some have been fixed with updates) but the AI for instance is still very hit and miss. Having said that, it is still an enjoyable game you will get into if you like then genre. The reason it has got so many red ratings is thatIf you played the original rome total war and were expecting a near perfect strategy game, you will be disappointed. The game is flawed on many levels (although some have been fixed with updates) but the AI for instance is still very hit and miss. Having said that, it is still an enjoyable game you will get into if you like then genre. The reason it has got so many red ratings is that simply, it is not the game it should have been.… Expand
  25. vonzuchter
    Apr 27, 2015
    7
    Back for a 4th review.. I gave it zeros in the first two.. then a 9 after patch 15... I feal the need to reduce my rating a litte bit. Its a nice but didnt last the test of time. After I finished it a couple of time I never played again unlike all other Total War titles which I still play today..
  26. JimCorbett
    Mar 24, 2015
    7
    This is a review of the state of Rome II 1 and a half years after release. There's still tons of bugs so don't think it's perfect but from what i've read about the disaster at release, the game is much improved. I still get a strange bug where there's awkward lag during siege battles sometimes that makes the game near unplayable but that's the only real issue i have had other than the gameThis is a review of the state of Rome II 1 and a half years after release. There's still tons of bugs so don't think it's perfect but from what i've read about the disaster at release, the game is much improved. I still get a strange bug where there's awkward lag during siege battles sometimes that makes the game near unplayable but that's the only real issue i have had other than the game crashing during multiplayer campaigns. I am also disappointed with the DLC direction that CA and Sega have decided to take. Half the playable factions are locked behind a paywall and even then there is an unreal amount of Greek-like factions which all play the same. Other than that i'm enjoying myself. It's nowhere near as good as Rome I and Medieval II and i'd even say Empire was better but I like it more than Shogun 2 and don't regret my $15 purchase.… Expand
  27. grandmasterchef
    Mar 11, 2015
    5
    Rome Total War is a good game with one major drawback cause as much as I love to play as Rome they do not have their own unique Archer unit so you are forced to conquer someone who might have archer units and then if you want to build military out of Rome you then have to move army to location that has archer units cause Javelins suck and war dogs get hammered when you auto resolve andRome Total War is a good game with one major drawback cause as much as I love to play as Rome they do not have their own unique Archer unit so you are forced to conquer someone who might have archer units and then if you want to build military out of Rome you then have to move army to location that has archer units cause Javelins suck and war dogs get hammered when you auto resolve and that should not happen… Expand
  28. vence
    Feb 12, 2015
    5
    This game is the perfect example for future generations of how a franchise with an epic legacy is run down to the ground, for what purpose ? to cater to console kids that want their games with no brain activity in them and to make more money, making ok money is not enough WE WANT MORE ALWAYS MORE $$$$
  29. citizen-ychoux
    Feb 12, 2015
    5
    Rome 2 at release was a shame. A broken product, served by an even more shameful DLC policy and PR management. It deserved all the hatred it got.

    More than 1 year after, 16 patches in, game is much better, but still not great. It has good features, is technically okay (not good, just okay), but its has just to many issues: 1/ AI far from good 2/ Politics useless and worthless 3/    Rome 2 at release was a shame. A broken product, served by an even more shameful DLC policy and PR management. It deserved all the hatred it got.

    More than 1 year after, 16 patches in, game is much better, but still not great. It has good features, is technically okay (not good, just okay), but its has just to many issues:

    1/ AI far from good
    2/ Politics useless and worthless
    3/ Terrible music
    4/ Way too much focus on units "magic abilities". Stop it CA, Total War is NOT a micromanagement game.
    5/ No atmosphere, no historical facts, no family tree, no description. Just barebone gameplay, and nothing more.

    Rome 2 could have been the best Total War ever. Without mods, it's one of the worst. With Divide et Impera, it's enjoyable, but it could have been so much better.    … Expand
  30. reviewobsession
    Jan 21, 2015
    5
    First, I agree with negative reviewers because they are right to be angry as customers who had to wait about one year to get their expensive game fixed.

    If you're not a Total War fan, buy this game. Don't be afraid of bad user reviews, CA fixed the game with too many patches and it's playable now. If you're a Total War fan, there are two things you should consider; "arcade campaign    First, I agree with negative reviewers because they are right to be angry as customers who had to wait about one year to get their expensive game fixed.

    If you're not a Total War fan, buy this game. Don't be afraid of bad user reviews, CA fixed the game with too many patches and it's playable now.

    If you're a Total War fan, there are two things you should consider; "arcade campaign gameplay" and "succesful battle mechanics"(after many patches and tons of scripting). Arcade campaign is too easy because there is no time limit, logistic planning, senate politics and complex city management. I think it's not bad to try new mechanics as a game developer but they lost depth in these systems. On the other hand I have to say diplomacy is much better than older games in the series. Battle system works very good. Battle AI is better than old ROME. Campaign AI is broken so you have to install mods. Nothing to say about graphics and sound, they are great. But UI is still terrible and I'm afraid they won't change it. In spite of problems I'm sure you won't regret when you buy this game because of its epic battles (but don't except challenging campaign and get ready for strange frustrating bugs) Just wait for 70% discount    … Expand
  31. TheIxianKing
    Dec 31, 2014
    7
    I really liked the game and the whole idea of a faction conquering all the others! Some game mechanics like the civil war or the sieges were really awesome and made the game always interesting. Despite the advantages of the game there are some draw backs too. First fo all, the A.I. of the game isn't really good...
    When it comes to the campaign map, it doesn't think like an army but like a    I really liked the game and the whole idea of a faction conquering all the others! Some game mechanics like the civil war or the sieges were really awesome and made the game always interesting. Despite the advantages of the game there are some draw backs too. First fo all, the A.I. of the game isn't really good...
    When it comes to the campaign map, it doesn't think like an army but like a very sophisticated machine! What I mean is that the game will position its armies like it knew how far your army can go or what units it has! It's a game that you will really like and enjoy! (play with Seleucid or Bactria!!!)    … Expand
  32. orctown-troll
    Dec 20, 2014
    7
    If it runs at all the game is GOOD. The map is big and beautiful. The tactical battles are fun. After that, sad to say there are numerous problems with this game design, so it is not the great game it might have been. I won't get into the details, since others have covered them, but obvious bad points include: instant transports for armies... clunky region development..... excessiveIf it runs at all the game is GOOD. The map is big and beautiful. The tactical battles are fun. After that, sad to say there are numerous problems with this game design, so it is not the great game it might have been. I won't get into the details, since others have covered them, but obvious bad points include: instant transports for armies... clunky region development..... excessive DLC....crappy optimization.… Expand
  33. Wraithcat
    Dec 4, 2014
    5
    After playing nearly 60 hours on this game, I can say that it is really an enormous disappointment. Having bought the Emperor edition (which represented the FIFTEENTH major patch to the game!), I figured that all of the bugs would have been ironed out and that there would be a decent core game. The diamond would have been polished.

    How wrong I was. Playing with the Romans, who should    After playing nearly 60 hours on this game, I can say that it is really an enormous disappointment. Having bought the Emperor edition (which represented the FIFTEENTH major patch to the game!), I figured that all of the bugs would have been ironed out and that there would be a decent core game. The diamond would have been polished.

    How wrong I was.

    Playing with the Romans, who should be a good starting faction, the first thing I really noticed was the incredible lack of in game information. The in game encyclopedia is simply awful. It a **** to navigate, and many of its entries simply don't contain the sort of information that you need when playing a complex game of this sort. For example, For example, if I click on a particular skill during a character level up, I get only that skill with no way of knowing what it might lead to, meaning I have to manually access a separate entry containing this info

    The search function is useless and doesn't allow the player to click through to a more detailed explanation. When I went to try and look up information about Traditions, I came up with two entries, but no way of clicking through to the actual Encyclopedia article on the topic itself.

    The way provinces are arbitrarily organised into groupings of 2-4 cities is unhistorical and frustrating as well. It inhibits the ability of the player to successfully manage their gameplay as they see fit.

    For example, Southern Italy and Sicily form the province of Magna Graecia, which contains a provincial capital (Brundisium), along with three other cities, one of which is Syracuse.

    Syracuse was founded by the Ancient Greeks and was still held by the Greeks at the emergence of the Roman period. It was a powerful, independent city state in its own right and not simply a Greek imposition on a Roman province.

    Because the game registers the city as part of a mostly Roman province, it is going to suffer major cultural issues because the province isn't entirely Roman, or Greek. Initially as the Romans, I chose to ally with Syracuse, thereby ensuring that one of my major provinces suffered a permanent hit to its unhappiness. In my second game as the Romans, I killed them off straight away, but this left a very bad taste in my mouth. Good game design wouldn't force Railroad the player into there being only one correct strategic choice to make. I should be able to live and let live with my allies without suffering negative gameplay effects.

    Another issue, is the stupidity of naval combat. There are two major problems here. Firstly is the unhistorical treatment of ranged weapons in the game. In ancient times, ballistas and catapults were fitted to ships, but were incredibly and inaccurate. Not in RTW2, however, where they are the killer app. A Navy made up of 50% ballistas and another 50% of ships to just float around and confuse the enemy can easily win battles without any significant losses. Ramming might be historical, but it is for chumps.

    A major issue that really ruins the game is that the IA doesn't know the difference between attack ships and transports and that transports can actually be used to ram other ships. The IA will happily send a whole Army to attack a navy, despite having absolutely no chance of winning. Sure, on land, those Royal Spartan Hoplites are a force to be reckoned with, but on sea they are about the equivalent of a mob and die far easier. But the IA continually sends its armies to attack my navies, fails to run when I attack their transport fleets and almost never backs up its transports with a proper escort.

    Another issue with the Navy IA, is that LAND UNITS can reinforce naval battles, meaning an automatic loss to the navy being attacked unless it is stupid enough to land. I was blockading a town with my Navy and realised that I was suffering attrition, so I decided to hightail it out of there as my army was going to be there in two turns. As I left, I was attacked by a couple of ships in the port. It took me less than a minute of game play to kill them, but I lost the battle, and was force to retreat on the campaign map because the battle took place within the Armies reinforcement zone, despite being on the sea. Had I landed my crews, I would have been slaughtered, but they couldn't touch me and certainly couldn't reinforce a Naval battle and shouldn't have been part of the equation to begin with.

    There is also a limitation on Armies that you can field and the requirement that every army MUST have a general. The practical effect of this is that it means that you can't simply shuffle units around to reinforce your armies as needed. Instead, you have to take one whole army over to the other army and reinforce in person.

    For example, Romans have no archers, so if you want those Cretan Archers, you have to either send your entire army over to Crete to get them, or assign a general specifically to take them to armies that need them. Either way its a micromanagement nightmare.    … Expand
  34. dyselehrt
    Nov 2, 2014
    5
    I have some 600 hours put into this game at the moment, and I will play it for many more to come. However, I would not recommend others to buy the game for the vanilla version since I do not think it is that much fun. It has improved in the latest patches yes, but it is still really not that good. If you do get this game though, do it for the mods. There are some incredible mods out thereI have some 600 hours put into this game at the moment, and I will play it for many more to come. However, I would not recommend others to buy the game for the vanilla version since I do not think it is that much fun. It has improved in the latest patches yes, but it is still really not that good. If you do get this game though, do it for the mods. There are some incredible mods out there which lifts the game immensely. But no matter what the AI will still be dumb as ****

    I suggest waiting for Attila since it feels like Rome 2 has been test-version of something greater to come. However, make sure not to pre-purchase it. You never know with Creative Assembly nowadays...    … Expand
  35. vanzi
    Oct 31, 2014
    7
    After all the patches that were released and the even better job of modders (DeI, Radious), the game is in a definitely playable state. Performance is A LOT better than it was on release. The AI is still pretty dumb though and I'm personally not a fan of some of the changes they've made to the game (especially the province system and army movement only with general). All that said, I'mAfter all the patches that were released and the even better job of modders (DeI, Radious), the game is in a definitely playable state. Performance is A LOT better than it was on release. The AI is still pretty dumb though and I'm personally not a fan of some of the changes they've made to the game (especially the province system and army movement only with general). All that said, I'm having a lot of fun playing with Divide et Impera and I've spent over 400 hours in game.… Expand
  36. tumbidragon
    Sep 16, 2014
    7
    After a complete farcical release, Rome 2 a year on is now an actual good game. 15 patches has seen vast improvements to optimization and game play. We now have three great campaign in CIG, HATG and EE. Battles are no longer decided within 2-5 minutes and I have had some last ~20mins with the new unit re-balancing to morale and armor!
    Unfortunately It still lacks the depth in which so    After a complete farcical release, Rome 2 a year on is now an actual good game. 15 patches has seen vast improvements to optimization and game play. We now have three great campaign in CIG, HATG and EE. Battles are no longer decided within 2-5 minutes and I have had some last ~20mins with the new unit re-balancing to morale and armor!
    Unfortunately It still lacks the depth in which so many were hoping they would deliver. The "new" political system is nothing more than a updated graphic to the UI so that you are able to track what is happening easier. But you could hardly call it immersive or in depth. Diplomacy is still hit and miss and just outright random sometimes (specifically trade agreements). There are also still major path finding issues atop walls when you have multiple units stationed on them. Also AI is still.. meh.

    Upon release I would of given this 3/10. But now I could unabashedly give it a 7/10 (but not forgiven nor forgotten CA!).    … Expand
  37. Groundducky
    Aug 28, 2014
    5
    I have been playing the Total War series since the original Shogun. Often with each game there has been at least to some extent a jump in features, graphics and gameplay as each new game has been released with so far the pinnacle of the series being Shogun 2. Rome 2 however has been a major disappointment. The gameplay trailers originally shown made the game look much better than theI have been playing the Total War series since the original Shogun. Often with each game there has been at least to some extent a jump in features, graphics and gameplay as each new game has been released with so far the pinnacle of the series being Shogun 2. Rome 2 however has been a major disappointment. The gameplay trailers originally shown made the game look much better than the version we have even now, even with mods. Everything was hyped about the content of the game, the graphics, that the game will actually perform well. Almost all of this turned out to be a total lie by CA with them taking ~14 patches just to get the game to a state that it should have been on release. But of course while they have been making the game playable they haven’t stopped giving us lovely DLC to buy from new units to mini campaigns.
    Many people point to Empire being the worst of the total war games but at least with Empire the game had the excuse of being the first Total war to be set in the gunpowder age. The mechanics in Rome 2 are not that different to the ones used in Shogun so I do not understand how they managed to get it all so wrong. Although I am now enjoying the game this is mainly due to mods I suppose on consolation is at least CA are supporting mods again.
    If it is your first Total War, get Shogun 2. If you loved Rome 1 just don’t buy this.    … Expand
  38. metamoth
    Jul 11, 2014
    7
    I used to wonder why in spite of all the very good professional reviews there were so many criticisms and negative feedback from users. Then when I bought this game at a steam sale a couple of months back I realised why... cos they are all true. And yet... I've had an enjoyable 89 hours with this game thus far. There are many good things about it that perhaps is lost amidst the criticism.I used to wonder why in spite of all the very good professional reviews there were so many criticisms and negative feedback from users. Then when I bought this game at a steam sale a couple of months back I realised why... cos they are all true. And yet... I've had an enjoyable 89 hours with this game thus far. There are many good things about it that perhaps is lost amidst the criticism. The campaign map is a thing of beauty. It is the best in a TW game so far. The graphics, especially of towns and cities are very good if you have the right equipment to play at ultra settings. The field battles (not siege battles) are comparable to the best TW games. Diplomacy is definitely way more interesting than past TW games. If you are a fan of ancient history you will find much to like in R2 as it is populated with lots of ancient nations. The strategic situation is ever changing with public order, political intrigues and rebellions giving you something else to worry about apart from how to fight your enemies. Naval battles are some of the most enjoyable for me. Ramming ships just doesn't get old. Still the game is far from perfect as you can read from the negative reviews, but for me it is very fun to play. If CA finally makes siege battles challenging I'll be more than happy with this game.… Expand
  39. Boney_N
    Jun 17, 2014
    5
    On the plus side: the graphics that are really cool and....that's it. The rest, especially when you have played the original Rome before, is rather mediocre. Battles are over in a minute after all units entangle into a large blob, no real roman tactics like coordinated pilum throwing available. AI really (empirelike) baaad, Battles take place often in cities that for some reason not fullyOn the plus side: the graphics that are really cool and....that's it. The rest, especially when you have played the original Rome before, is rather mediocre. Battles are over in a minute after all units entangle into a large blob, no real roman tactics like coordinated pilum throwing available. AI really (empirelike) baaad, Battles take place often in cities that for some reason not fully walled. Battlefleets are not useful and too expensive since transport fleets not really much worse in combat, I could go on but that should give an impression. The game could be so much better but is just average… Expand
  40. MisterFro9
    Jun 11, 2014
    7
    The game has come A LONG way since release. It was a huge disappointment at first, and there are still many things that would be nice to be fixed, but it is definitely fun as hell. With a few more tweaks this could have an amazing multiplayer scene.
  41. smeeeee
    May 27, 2014
    5
    Total War: Rome II was a bit of a disappointment, to say the least. The game lagged quite a lot on my computer, the epic battles Creative Assembly promised weren't all that great, and I found it hard to implement strategy when I could hardly figure out what the heck was going on. Plus, OP units like the Italian Noble Cavalry of the Etruscan League/Samnites are a) easy to get, b) probablyTotal War: Rome II was a bit of a disappointment, to say the least. The game lagged quite a lot on my computer, the epic battles Creative Assembly promised weren't all that great, and I found it hard to implement strategy when I could hardly figure out what the heck was going on. Plus, OP units like the Italian Noble Cavalry of the Etruscan League/Samnites are a) easy to get, b) probably the most powerful cavalry in the game.… Expand
  42. usmanali
    Apr 13, 2014
    7
    overall the game was not bad although it has some features that needs to be improved regarding the details.AI does not play so bad but it is also not convincing.overall a good game.
  43. Kazakdum
    Apr 7, 2014
    5
    Nostalgia was the greatest selling feature that this game had going for it. To compare the first to the second, witnessing how far the gaming industry has come in a decade of innovation and development. What was actually received from Creative Assembly, bought from paying customers, was a game that was broken, mechanically flawed and had unsuitable computer expectations from the averageNostalgia was the greatest selling feature that this game had going for it. To compare the first to the second, witnessing how far the gaming industry has come in a decade of innovation and development. What was actually received from Creative Assembly, bought from paying customers, was a game that was broken, mechanically flawed and had unsuitable computer expectations from the average consumer. Months later and the game is still getting ridiculously large patches to fix gameplay issues that should have been resolved in Alpha. Consumers have the right to high expectations from a developer who have: 1. high experience in the creation of games; 2. Have worked on TW games for over a decade and should be developing, innovating and perfecting the genre; 3. Have released a game that was broken, awful mechanic decisions (1v1 fighting) and have further released DLC that was already in the game.

    Disgraceful move on the developers part, and i hope they are ashamed. I will buy into the next TW game, but if it follows the way Empire, shogun and now rome 2 went, I shan't ever again. And that is not my fault, but purely Creative Assembly's for their awful state of releasing games to gain a profit before 4th quarter.

    Its positives? This is a Total War game, and in the end they are fun. I just feel that this game has frustrated me now, beyond return. Will seriously have to consider whether to buy one in the future. And don't get me started in pre-release DLC. Cause that is another post WAITING to happen.    … Expand
  44. JonMetacritic74
    Apr 1, 2014
    7
    The game is far from flawless, but it is no junk as most of the users say. With the latest patches Creative fixed the game and it rather enjoyable to play. It was a shame to launch the game with such a poor AI. However, they tried to improve the game and answer the fans' demands. It is a must if you like the Total War series.
  45. Chunderfield
    Mar 24, 2014
    7
    Total War has a long, illustrious history. The pinnacle of which was Empire: Total War. That's is about as fine as they come. Since Empire we've had Shogun 2 and now Rome 2. I found Shogun to be underwhelming and now with Rome 2, the downward spiral into obscurity continues.

    Pros: 1. Phenomenal graphical potential if your hardware can handle it. 2. Cinematic camera mode. Makes it    Total War has a long, illustrious history. The pinnacle of which was Empire: Total War. That's is about as fine as they come. Since Empire we've had Shogun 2 and now Rome 2. I found Shogun to be underwhelming and now with Rome 2, the downward spiral into obscurity continues.

    Pros:
    1. Phenomenal graphical potential if your hardware can handle it.
    2. Cinematic camera mode. Makes it quick and easy to get a glimpse of the action up close.
    3. Strategic camera mode. A nice zoomed-out tactical camera option that's very reminiscent of Supreme Commander.
    4. HUGE world map.
    5. Decent in-game Encyclopedia
    6. "Continue Campaign" option right from the launch screen in Steam.

    Cons:
    1. The UI is unnecessarily huge and impeding
    2. The In game advice cannot be turned off. No matter how many times I click "suppress advice", I still get it. If you turn it on "Audio only advice" to avoid getting the extremely poorly animated advisor from popping up, It still pops up, only with no text.
    3. Animations were underwhelming. Units looked like little paper-doll clones.
    4. WAY too much DLC for extra cash. The only one worth getting (and should've come standard with the game) is the Blood and Gore DLC. Makes me feel like I bought an intentionally bare-bones game with the intent to sell me DLC later.
    5. Standard Total War long load times.
    6. Research trees are small and boring.
    7. Ultra high system requirements. It's a real hog. Crashes and freezes way more than I care to mention. I've been steadily reducing graphics settings in an attempt to improve stability.
    8. Infuriatingly clunky political system controls.
    9. Voice acting became repetitive and corny after the first hour.
    10. Generals have magical. ♥♥♥♥ing. powers. That you have to manually control in battle.

    Conclusion:
    Rome 2 stays true to its Total War heritage. I jumped in and it felt familiar and comfortable. It's a weak and unworthy successor to the original Rome though. The resource management is basic, and the empire building is rather shallow. Empire: Total War felt deep. I felt invested in that masterpiece. I feel very little with Rome 2 other than disappointment at wasted potential. It's a big budget game that's worth no more than $30.    … Expand
  46. Murphmeister
    Mar 21, 2014
    6
    Really bad launch but good support from CA are now getting this game back on track. The reviews here just go to show why it's important that a developer be given time to finish and polish their product rather than release early just for the sake of hitting a deadline.
  47. Spedattack
    Mar 20, 2014
    5
    I have very much enjoyed the Total War series especially when I played Empire. However, I am really starting to get tired of the almost broken AI both on the Campaign and Battlefield. I have tried for months to give this game a chance to kick in, but it just isn't working. There are times that I enjoyed the game, but most of the time it was just frustrating at how difficult it is to playI have very much enjoyed the Total War series especially when I played Empire. However, I am really starting to get tired of the almost broken AI both on the Campaign and Battlefield. I have tried for months to give this game a chance to kick in, but it just isn't working. There are times that I enjoyed the game, but most of the time it was just frustrating at how difficult it is to play the campaign when the AI is so bad. The game definitely looks good, but it lacks the enjoyment of its predecessors. Creative Assembly needs to stop trying to add new features that aren't needed and fix the AI that has been a problem since the beginning of the series. There is no longer an excuse for the AI to be this terrible and I hope Creative Assembly has the sense to address these issues before adding new features.… Expand
  48. wilm210
    Mar 4, 2014
    6
    Hello, this is my first review I've ever done on Metacritic and on any Review aggregator site for that matter. I'd like viewers to take note that while this is my first public review of a game, it is no less sincere.

    Now as for Rome 2, not a terrible game by any means, but certainly a step backwards from Total War's previous entry, Shogun 2. Putting aside the rocky launch that Rome 2    Hello, this is my first review I've ever done on Metacritic and on any Review aggregator site for that matter. I'd like viewers to take note that while this is my first public review of a game, it is no less sincere.

    Now as for Rome 2, not a terrible game by any means, but certainly a step backwards from Total War's previous entry, Shogun 2. Putting aside the rocky launch that Rome 2 had, it is a visually stunning and decent Strategy game. The campaign map is huge, the faction roster is plentiful and diverse, and the visuals and animations are outstanding. This is where my praise of the games ceases.

    Where Rome 2 falters are in it's far too streamlined gameplay and underdeveloped features. To start off, the new Political System is "Needless" to say the best. The 3 agents variants are redundant as they can all perform the same tasks. Magic boats make the game too trivial .Skill/tech trees are skimp and simplified from Shogun 2. While I am in favor of the new province system, managing settlements have been scaled much too far (i.e. no longer can you build roads or even simple wall defenses such as palisades, buildings trees are skimp and choices are very limited). Wall's are null and void thanks to the ridiculous torches. Multiplayer is very bare-bones in comparison to Shogun 2 and it's general avatar feature. The idiotic decision to add flags in open battles ( I know they have since been remove, but it was such stupid decision I had to bring it up). Abundance of "Magic" abilities for units is also ridiculous.

    A lot of the little details from previous Total War games are completely gone or skimped out on. General speeches are now only 2 brief lines of dialogue. Mini-movies for agents, unit recruiting, faction intros, and events are largely absent. The UI is very generic and uninspired in comparison to previous Total War games. Historical events and info tidbits during the campaign are gone aswell.

    As for Technical issues, the A.I. is extremely incompetent in both siege and field battles and in campaign. Unit-blobbing is still existent as well as optimization issues (the game run just fine for me, but I do not doubt others who have run into performance issues with the game and have adequate machines).

    All in all, Rome 2 is a decent strategy game it's just buried beneath pointless and shallow features and simplification. With the help of mods, the game becomes much more enjoyable. I'm just so disappointed with the game, even with a smaller budget, Shogun 2 achieved much more than Rome 2.    … Expand
  49. BigDegs29
    Feb 24, 2014
    6
    All these 0/10 ratings are ridiculous. This is a game flawed on many levels, but still enjoyable.

    Pros: (1) A deep strategy game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics. Has the potential to be great, if not for the below cons. (2) Gorgeous on ultra. I haven't had any problems with frame rate, though I admit my computer is relatively powerful. Cons: (1) Naval    All these 0/10 ratings are ridiculous. This is a game flawed on many levels, but still enjoyable.

    Pros: (1) A deep strategy game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time tactics. Has the potential to be great, if not for the below cons. (2) Gorgeous on ultra. I haven't had any problems with frame rate, though I admit my computer is relatively powerful.

    Cons: (1) Naval combat is frustrating as hell. Whenever there's a joint naval/land battle, I always immediately dump my troops on land. (2) The AI. I don't mean the skill of the AI components (that seems to be relatively good post-patch), but the system's response to your own actions. Often I'll be issuing orders and the units will either ignore me, or do something else instead (especially naval in naval combat). (3) The UI could be a lot more intuitive; it's incredibly confusing for newcomers.    … Expand
  50. Maniacmajic
    Feb 16, 2014
    6
    Despite the fixing of several bugs this game rapidly turns into a serious grind to even reach an ending... graphical errors still plague gameplay as does severe slowdown during siege battles...
    Taking away the family tree just further removes the player from being immersed in the game. Battle speeches and videos are tacked on afterthoughts..
    Final verdict.. get it cheap if you have    Despite the fixing of several bugs this game rapidly turns into a serious grind to even reach an ending... graphical errors still plague gameplay as does severe slowdown during siege battles...
    Taking away the family tree just further removes the player from being immersed in the game. Battle speeches and videos are tacked on afterthoughts..
    Final verdict.. get it cheap if you have hours and days to spend... oh and bring a book..    … Expand
  51. 2d_beanbag
    Feb 15, 2014
    5
    I'm writing this short review as of patch 9.

    This is no remake of Rome 1. Rome 2 significantly differs from Rome 1 in many ways such as you can no longer: Build and upgrade roads (no idea why they got rid of this feature) Build and upgrade walls: Walls are preset in the game (around capitals namely) and there is no choice for the player to construct walls around his smaller towns    I'm writing this short review as of patch 9.

    This is no remake of Rome 1. Rome 2 significantly differs from Rome 1 in many ways such as you can no longer:

    Build and upgrade roads (no idea why they got rid of this feature)

    Build and upgrade walls: Walls are preset in the game (around capitals namely) and there is no choice for the player to construct walls around his smaller towns which is kind a sad.

    No more family tree (this never really bothered me, but a lot of people have complained about this).

    Build watch towers with your generals

    Micromanage each settlement individually: This means that instead of managing each single city/settlement as in Rome 1, in Rome 2 you manage provinces (between 2 to 4 settlements). This waters down the strategy side of the game greatly as you can no longer set a different tax rate for each settlement, and whereas in Rome 1 where happiness was indicative of certain buildings being built in that particular city, In Rome 2 building say a temple in any of your provinces will increase happiness over the entire province. Personally I think this over simplifies the game and quickens the pace of the game.

    You no longer recruit troops in your settlements, First you pay to train a general, then you can recruit troops by clicking on your general and the troops available to you is down to what military buildings you have built. This is good in some ways, since you can move your lone general around your province and still recruit troops, but in other ways its annoying because now you can't train troops unless you have a general present - and there is a limit to how many generals you can recruit! So remember when you could train a single cohort of Hastati and merge it into an army? Well you can't do that now. Heck you can't even have an army without a general!

    With every military building built (dependent on its type) it automatically assigns a number of garrisoned troops inside that settlement. And you can find out which troops are garrisoned by hovering your mouse over an icon (I would have preferred a panel showing me what soldiers were garrisoned but as of patch 9 nothing). Again I feel this takes away more control from the player. I would much rather decide which troops to garrison inside my settlement rather than have some troops automatically assigned.

    There are many more examples that make Rome 2 feel watered down like this.

    Now a note about the graphics. It looks nothing like the pre-alpha footage. I can set the graphics on Extreme settings and they are still horrendous! The colours are bright and sharp, the water unrealistic. I'm amazed that CA have on their website screen shots that are no way indicative of the actual gameplay; in fact they look Photoshoped. CA seriously have questions to answer since what they showed us pre-release is nothing to what we got. Also there is no proper AA support; the only option you have is on or off - which is ridiculous.
    Sometimes I play BF3 and Skyrim and wonder how on earth Rome 2's graphics are that bad.

    The UI is so so and the unit cards I think are over simplified, plain and similar looking to the other factions.

    Trait cards are many and confusing. They are just presented to the player in an uncategorized fashion which therefore forces you to hover your mouse on each one to see what bonuses they are concealing. Really annoying since you will discover that there are many trait cards with the same bonus only with different looking drawings on the card. Stupid.

    Apparently there is a cultural and political system but to be honest I seem to be able to play the game without even noticing it so it does make me wonder how important it is.

    This game looks, feels and plays like a cross between a beta and a port and the more I play Rome 2 the more I am convinced that this game was further developed for Modding. If you want good graphics, get a mod. If you want better unit cards, choose a mod... Why should we fork out for a game only for it to be right we have to get it modified?! If the modders can make the graphics work why can't the developers at CA??

    A lot of people have rated this game between 2- 3 I think this is harsh. After 9 or so patches the game is so much more playable now stability wise. I give it 5 simply because I still believe it is an unfinished product and that it is very much watered down in many instances. This game is a huge disappointment.    … Expand
  52. dinakos
    Feb 6, 2014
    6
    After the ninth patch the game runs way better. Still the siege mechanics are bad the political system needs further optimization. But the game does not deserve a 4/10 as before but rather a 6/10.
  53. total
    Jan 27, 2014
    6
    First off I am a big fan of the Total War series so it hurts me to say this. Sega stop putting Betas out on steam for at full price. you did it with Empire Total War and now you did it with this game. I am going to give this a 6 just because going back to that time time period is so much fun by it self.
  54. PCgamesreviewer
    Jan 20, 2014
    6
    As a long time fan of the series i was extremly hyped for the release for Rome 2 and never have i been this disappointed with a total war game. Luckily i didnt pre-order at the time because of a holiday in england. The shock that hit me when i checked metacritic at release day was enormous. I could'nt believe what i was seeing. Never have i seen a total war game with such a low score!As a long time fan of the series i was extremly hyped for the release for Rome 2 and never have i been this disappointed with a total war game. Luckily i didnt pre-order at the time because of a holiday in england. The shock that hit me when i checked metacritic at release day was enormous. I could'nt believe what i was seeing. Never have i seen a total war game with such a low score! Despite the warning i bought the game in the steam winter sales. While the lag and crashes seem to be fixed the ai and game mechanics are broken. The only thing that stops me from giving this game a 3 is the modding scene that has done a wonderful job to try to fix the game with some exellent improvements. All-in all only get the game if your a fan of the series and can cope with the horrendous ai and broken campaign mechanics.… Expand
  55. The_Shamwow
    Jan 19, 2014
    6
    I have logged just over 100 hours in Rome 2 and I have played at least once every other total war game. I have to say this is not the worst I have played but it certainly is not the best. I have owned the game since its launch date pre-ordering out of my extreme excitement for it but found myself disappointed, if asked then I would have given it a 3 at best but with the patches itI have logged just over 100 hours in Rome 2 and I have played at least once every other total war game. I have to say this is not the worst I have played but it certainly is not the best. I have owned the game since its launch date pre-ordering out of my extreme excitement for it but found myself disappointed, if asked then I would have given it a 3 at best but with the patches it certainly has improved but still not enough to be the game it should have been. Though the diplomacy is still shoddy and honestly the AI has marginally improved the look of the game graphically and the fact that the AI does have it's moments still makes this a decent game but nothing else. Personally I would have still gotten the game BUT I would have to play it mod heavy much like I have for the last month.… Expand
  56. Jingo
    Jan 11, 2014
    7
    I gave this game 4 when it first came out. But now that it's up to build 1.8 it's time for a re-review. It is much better now! Still the AI is hopeless, particularly on settlement defence mode. That is simply not a challenge. All you need to take an enemy settlement is long range units. Line them up, and the enemy will line a target up for you, one after the other until they're all gone.I gave this game 4 when it first came out. But now that it's up to build 1.8 it's time for a re-review. It is much better now! Still the AI is hopeless, particularly on settlement defence mode. That is simply not a challenge. All you need to take an enemy settlement is long range units. Line them up, and the enemy will line a target up for you, one after the other until they're all gone. They will never charge out to get your slingers or catapults or whatever.

    But I'm giving the game a 7 now, because various other things have been improved and I'm enjoying it now.

    The VERY HARD and LEGENDARY difficultly modes give the other factions enormous bonuses, but their AI in the settlement defence battles is the same. It's a poor way to make things difficult.    … Expand
  57. allenbsmith
    Jan 8, 2014
    5
    This game is a disappointment for Total War fans, especially the ones who loved the original Rome: Total War game. The game could have been the best in the series, but it is buggy, unoptimized, and unpolished. However, if you're not a fan of the series, and you're new to the total war series, then you might find this to be a fun and interesting experience, especially if you enjoy RTSThis game is a disappointment for Total War fans, especially the ones who loved the original Rome: Total War game. The game could have been the best in the series, but it is buggy, unoptimized, and unpolished. However, if you're not a fan of the series, and you're new to the total war series, then you might find this to be a fun and interesting experience, especially if you enjoy RTS games.

    I believe this game should have had several more months if not an entire year of extra work, and I'll tell you why. Even on a high-end PC, this game runs poorly. Check for benchmarks and you'll see this game only getting 35 FPS average from systems with an Nvidia TITAN GPU. This has bad engineering written all over it. This game also suffers from a tremendous amount of bugs. The AI is really lacking when they can't even make basic decisions such as taking back a victory point from you less they lose in 50 seconds. To be honest, the AI always has been weak, but that's rather understandable. It's probably one of the hardest AIs to program, and being a programmer myself, I can say it would be a rather difficult logical challenge. Most people just don't understand this. Trust me, if it was easy, then the AI would be brilliant, but it's not. However, it does not excuse the AI's inability to perform actions such as climbing a ladder (no, they can't even do that sometimes). Lastly, the game itself just seems unpolished if not lacking a lot of content. The political system is not explained nor is comprehensible. It just seems useless. There are no extra content videos (except for a general death) to give the campaign life as there usually is, and a feature, previous in the Shogun 2 multiplayer, has been stripped from Rome 2. I could be wrong, but it just seemed like the game was rushed and incomplete. It was as though the development had to make some tough decision that would not only leave out content, but cheapen it just so the game could be released on time. This is probably due to an agreement CA made with SEGA. Mike Simpson even mentioned before with the release of Empire (another Total War game) that there biggest customer was SEGA, and that games have to be released on time at the expense of quality.

    On a side note, I am also having trouble understanding how this game got such positive scores from big name reviewers such as Gamespot and IGN. (Actually, if you read the Gamespot review, you'll notice that it is vague and without merit, the reviewer doesn't seem to mention and specifics, and uses "big" words to cover this up. They probably only played the game for a few hours, and called it quits. There are no screenshots or videos by Gamespot to be found post release for that game.) I have just lost faith in those companies.

    Anyway, I don't want to convey anger just disappointment. I was so excited for this game. In fact, I had never been so pumped for a game in my entire life. I pre-ordered without hesitation, and I haven't pre-ordered a game in several years. I'm just saddened by the state of this game. If you're enjoying Rome 2, then I'm happy for you. I just wish I could.    … Expand
  58. Driftic
    Jan 6, 2014
    7
    At launch, it was more enjoyable to electrocute your eyeball with a stun gun than play this game. But now there have been a lot of patches that have semi-fixed the ai and performance. I have found the game fun after these patches, and with mods that make the textures better and enhance the campaign Rome 2 is very addicting if you are a fan of the genre.
  59. RKK-SINGH
    Dec 24, 2013
    5
    A huge disappointment and an embarrassment to the Total War series, this game is in need of serious patches because its bleeding really bad, skip this game. Game receives a 5 because the overall concept is amazing, however with all the lag, poor graphics it does not live up to the hype, don't even bother looking at it, instead buy Medieval II Total War or the original Rome Total War, thoseA huge disappointment and an embarrassment to the Total War series, this game is in need of serious patches because its bleeding really bad, skip this game. Game receives a 5 because the overall concept is amazing, however with all the lag, poor graphics it does not live up to the hype, don't even bother looking at it, instead buy Medieval II Total War or the original Rome Total War, those games will not disappoint you.… Expand
  60. Waterz
    Dec 22, 2013
    7
    It is an amazing game much like it's predecessor, yet as many point out it seems more or less unfinished.
    The initially released version 1.0 barely deserves beta status, and i would deem not even worth playing.
    Update to latest beta patch (even though the patch is in beta and can contain some minor problems, the game heavily needs all the fixes they bring in the newer patches!), and you    It is an amazing game much like it's predecessor, yet as many point out it seems more or less unfinished.
    The initially released version 1.0 barely deserves beta status, and i would deem not even worth playing.
    Update to latest beta patch (even though the patch is in beta and can contain some minor problems, the game heavily needs all the fixes they bring in the newer patches!), and you will find it not just playable but very enjoyable!
    Alas you will continually find stuff like phalanx units having so many problems you will all together drop them, and ranged units not firing like suppose to.
    All in all, the recent patches has made the game enjoyable, and hopefully the future patches will restore it to the polished game it deserves to be!     … Expand
  61. TWfreak
    Dec 16, 2013
    6
    Despite the somewhat nice graphics, the game has a lot of problems, like bugs and of course the goddamn 5yr old AI!
    As you may have guessed the problems are all caused by the quick release and the patches have made this game slightly more playable than at first
  62. ApexPanda
    Dec 6, 2013
    5
    So I've played about 200+ turns and about 55 hours of play time into this game. Did CA up with the release? Yeah! BUT a lot of the problems you guys seem to have encountered have been fixed for the most part. And don't complain about a game this big crashing. All big games do when they first releases bad if you play any game enough it's bound to crash eventually. I got this game a fewSo I've played about 200+ turns and about 55 hours of play time into this game. Did CA up with the release? Yeah! BUT a lot of the problems you guys seem to have encountered have been fixed for the most part. And don't complain about a game this big crashing. All big games do when they first releases bad if you play any game enough it's bound to crash eventually. I got this game a few days ago and it seems like a lot of the issues are patched/fixed. But seriously! No family tree?! Wtf!?
    For content I give this game a 3/10
    For playability I give it a 8/10
    For CA/Sega being such and releasing this too soon without proper testing 1/10. Bad show    … Expand
  63. spartan1008
    Dec 5, 2013
    5
    absolutely painful to play for any total war vet in its current state. how and why this was released as it is, no one knows, but it is lackluster and boring. the ai doesnt do any thing, completely non aggressive on the battle field and campaign map. and once you grow just a bit, its next to impossible to lose, you pretty much just steam roll every thing in front of you
  64. Brickfaced
    Dec 3, 2013
    6
    This game was certainly an anti-climax upon release, with numerous game breaking bugs and poor design choices. Although some of these faults are still present, CA have put a lot of effort into ironing them out, more effort than people seem to acknowledge anyway. Of course it should have great from the start, and it still isn't without its faults, but not that they aren't as crippling, theThis game was certainly an anti-climax upon release, with numerous game breaking bugs and poor design choices. Although some of these faults are still present, CA have put a lot of effort into ironing them out, more effort than people seem to acknowledge anyway. Of course it should have great from the start, and it still isn't without its faults, but not that they aren't as crippling, the beauty of the game can now stand out. It still doesn't have that pick up and play fun factor that previous Total War titles have, as the game seems to have formed some kind of hybrid with management rather than just assault. It feels like one half a total war game, and the other half Sid Meier's Civilizations. Individually the themes are great, but merged in the way that they are in this game, the hybrid isn't so appealing. It is still an intricate and ambitious effort, with enjoyment to be had once you see past the little faults. It's just that it isn't on the scale, or the addictive and time-eating measure of Rome 1.… Expand
  65. JBOer
    Dec 3, 2013
    5
    Until now I played 48 hours of Rome II. And to be honest, it was a fight to get this time. This game is just disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I love the Total War franchise, but to play this game isn't fun at all.
    OK, the graphic is awesome, but that's pretty much it. The AI fails time after time after time, the UI is horrible and the big announced home policy doesn't effect anything.    Until now I played 48 hours of Rome II. And to be honest, it was a fight to get this time. This game is just disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I love the Total War franchise, but to play this game isn't fun at all.
    OK, the graphic is awesome, but that's pretty much it. The AI fails time after time after time, the UI is horrible and the big announced home policy doesn't effect anything. Generals are completely changeable and their "portraits" look like sh**. Oh and the music... I muted it after 5 min.
    After all I have to say this Total War is a big disappointment and not the game CA announced. If they won't fix it, this will be the last Total War I ever bought.    … Expand
  66. Parkateer
    Dec 1, 2013
    5
    Now that the game has been out a couple of months you would think it would be solid, but unfortunately glitches remain. It is still possible to get stuck in a screen with no option but to ctrl-alt-delete out of the game. The battles, while fun, can become tedious as enemy forces stand off, forcing you to run out the clock to victory. This has all the feel of the Empire Total War engineNow that the game has been out a couple of months you would think it would be solid, but unfortunately glitches remain. It is still possible to get stuck in a screen with no option but to ctrl-alt-delete out of the game. The battles, while fun, can become tedious as enemy forces stand off, forcing you to run out the clock to victory. This has all the feel of the Empire Total War engine (which I loved), however, everything they tried to improve on is seemingly broke. Rome 1 was great and I, for one, am sorry they could not improve on it.… Expand
  67. Operative13
    Dec 1, 2013
    5
    It is obvious there has been a ton of work put into this title. However, it does not excuse the fact that the game is virtually broken, with buggy AI, clunky graphics performance, questionable design decisions, and current game price of $60. When a game is released, it is expected to, at the bare minimum, function. It is even more so that these problems be fixed as soon as possible afterIt is obvious there has been a ton of work put into this title. However, it does not excuse the fact that the game is virtually broken, with buggy AI, clunky graphics performance, questionable design decisions, and current game price of $60. When a game is released, it is expected to, at the bare minimum, function. It is even more so that these problems be fixed as soon as possible after release. However Rome II so far has failed to provide any of these even in the few months after its release. The game obviously was not ready to be released and does not bring the Total War experience as much as previous titles have in its current state. Unless drastic measures are taken to improve the game's current quality, it will be riddled with poor gaming experience.… Expand
  68. baktor
    Nov 30, 2013
    7
    This game takes a step back from Shogun 2. The game does have quite a few bugs, most fixed now. The combat has some awesome features with automatic unit grouping and better AI. The campaign is just as good and improves on the territory features. It feels lacking of differences and strategies from AI. The entire game will freeze up and drop to 3-6 FPS in some siege battles. This drop isThis game takes a step back from Shogun 2. The game does have quite a few bugs, most fixed now. The combat has some awesome features with automatic unit grouping and better AI. The campaign is just as good and improves on the territory features. It feels lacking of differences and strategies from AI. The entire game will freeze up and drop to 3-6 FPS in some siege battles. This drop is after a constant 75~FPS in everything.… Expand
  69. Master-of-War
    Nov 29, 2013
    5
    At first completely unplayable. After 7 patches boring, uninspiring and unchallenging. Very disappointing total war game. Very disappointing sequel to the first Rome game. Too great an emphasis on graphics and changing core elements. Should have focused on gameplay and immersion. And should not have released a game in such a state. Everything Rome II now has a foul stench about it. But itAt first completely unplayable. After 7 patches boring, uninspiring and unchallenging. Very disappointing total war game. Very disappointing sequel to the first Rome game. Too great an emphasis on graphics and changing core elements. Should have focused on gameplay and immersion. And should not have released a game in such a state. Everything Rome II now has a foul stench about it. But it does look great.… Expand
  70. Onebadbasterd
    Nov 19, 2013
    5
    At this point 2 months and a few days after it's release it's beggining to be ''playable''. (Thanks to some mods also)

    I was one of those who DID pre-order this game and sadly was deceived by SEGA and CA that made false promises and false advertisement...But that is another story. Buy the game at your own risk because it's the Stripped Feautures,DLC Whoring and ''X'' number of bugs    At this point 2 months and a few days after it's release it's beggining to be ''playable''. (Thanks to some mods also)

    I was one of those who DID pre-order this game and sadly was deceived by SEGA and CA that made false promises and false advertisement...But that is another story.
    Buy the game at your own risk because it's the Stripped Feautures,DLC Whoring and ''X'' number of bugs that are killing the game.

    Thanks SEGA for making our greatest expectation this year become our worst deception ever.    … Expand
  71. DarkMandalore
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    After 90 hours I can say I like the game quite a bit although I'm somewhat disappointed in it. They made a bold move trying the new system's out but some have come out tedious or limiting by quite a bit. I miss that in the first Rome you could have as many troops as you could afford and split them into as many "armies" as you liked general or no general, the only limitations were did youAfter 90 hours I can say I like the game quite a bit although I'm somewhat disappointed in it. They made a bold move trying the new system's out but some have come out tedious or limiting by quite a bit. I miss that in the first Rome you could have as many troops as you could afford and split them into as many "armies" as you liked general or no general, the only limitations were did you have enough available population and do you have the income to sustain your armies. I also miss being able to fully develop cities and towns with all upgrades based on population rather than having 3-6 slots to work with total. In most towns you can't have any walls, not even a simple defensive palisade. There are definitely some nasty bugs, though the worst I've personally encountered is when the enemy is coming from the sea they tend to have at least one ship lock up where your forces cannot hit it without siege weaponry. Troops cannot board vessels on the shore to go and deal with them even if the ship in question is one they themselves came ashore on. The AI has been really tame in the world map and is purely driven by capture points in many battles. The AI will regularly try to run right through multiple phalanx formations to go right for the capture points making battles no longer about the fight so much as watching your troops murder hundreds of unthinking AI troops hell bent on taking that point regardless of what's in the way. The food and squalor system is somewhat obnoxious. You'll have entire town building sets dedicated to one or the other. There's a command console, but it doesn't do anything aside from closing the game when you type "quit". The AI has a nasty habit of demanding money from you for ALL diplomatic agreements, even for non-aggression treaties to keep you from attacking them, yes, that's right, they want YOU to pay THEM to keep you from attacking and conquering them. Auto-resolve can be quite inaccurate on occasion, some battles you'll walk up to say you would lose almost all your troops but then you fight it and lose almost none of your men while others put you in favor when the enemy actually has a notably superior force. That doesn't happen often but it does happen enough to be mentioned. There is no demand surrender button in battles for use when you've got a notable upper hand, only "Concede Defeat" meaning that if you have a bug like I mentioned earlier and no battle timer then you cannot hope to win courtesy of a stupid glitch.

    That all said there are a lot of positives. The graphics are great, especially if you get a mod to remove the grainy, always afternoonish effect. When there's no capture point combat seems to be MUCH better, the AI actually tries to fight instead of running right through your lines. The map looks great. I LOVE the new line of sight features. Even though, like I said, the AI is fairly tame to the player, you'll see the borders of nations change frequently, wars happen quite often and can be vicious often completely devouring entire nations. New nations rise and fall often. There's several ways to make your money and if you do it right you can run your nation tax free with the maximum in full flag armies. Cities look nice and are usually pretty well built. No nation is immune to defeat. HUGE world map. I'm really liking the spy agent capabilities, no campaign is complete without them really. It's pretty darn fun to play once you snag the right balance mods from such places as the steam workshop or TWCenter. There are many mods you can get and if you like you can mod it yourself for a custom balanced game tailored to your idea of a proper balance.

    If there was one major addition I'd like to see it would be something along the lines of a big continent expansion allowing you to play all of Africa and Asia as well as Europe complete with local factions of the time. I hope with the future they can fix the issues I've listed and put out some awesome expansion grade content at the same time. The game will take work to be perfect, but it's not bad. It's not a typical Total War game, but it's still one I'd recommend.    … Expand
  72. DatGamingCritic
    Nov 17, 2013
    5
    Rome II... A good game but first one is the better of the two. In this TW you can only choose I think it is 12 factions from what I remember. In the old one it was 24. However the graphics are stunning but the gameplay is lousy. It's just basically troops go there. They attack for 2 minuets. In the old one it's more Troops go there. Wait fall back! Because there are like 400 odd troops onRome II... A good game but first one is the better of the two. In this TW you can only choose I think it is 12 factions from what I remember. In the old one it was 24. However the graphics are stunning but the gameplay is lousy. It's just basically troops go there. They attack for 2 minuets. In the old one it's more Troops go there. Wait fall back! Because there are like 400 odd troops on the other side. I don't know. This one just seems a bit meh to me.

    Overall
    -Amazing Graphics
    -Not enough Factions
    -Easy gameplay
    Score 57/100    … Expand
  73. sirxchrish
    Nov 15, 2013
    5
    The game isn't bad but it's not good either and it certainly can't hold a candle to it's predecessor Rome 1. So here are a couple of things I liked and didn't like. This is just my opinion, so it's all debatable.

    Thing's I didn't like- -Dumbest AI. (Self-Explanatory.) -Shallow Campaign and Questionable In-game Design. (No Family Tree, Bare-boned Political System, Meaningless    The game isn't bad but it's not good either and it certainly can't hold a candle to it's predecessor Rome 1. So here are a couple of things I liked and didn't like. This is just my opinion, so it's all debatable.

    Thing's I didn't like-

    -Dumbest AI. (Self-Explanatory.)

    -Shallow Campaign and Questionable In-game Design. (No Family Tree, Bare-boned Political System, Meaningless Objectives/Victory Conditions, No cut-scenes or unique transformations with agents, Too many unplayable factions make conquering the world a very tedious task, Bland User-Interface, Unnecessary limit on how many generals or agents you can have, No general's speeches, etc.)

    -Inferior Music Score. (It's predecessor, Rome 1 had a way better soundtrack.)

    -Horrendous Multi-player. (No avatar system, Constant Crashes and Desynchronizations.)

    Things I liked-

    -Custom Battles. (Gives me the option to fight where I want, with the units I want.)

    -The Blood and Gore DLC. (I'm sanguinary.)

    -Military Traditions/Edicts/Expanding Cities in Campaign. (I loved making each of my individual armies unique with it's own traditions which add bonuses to their fighting ability. I liked the edicts cause they saved my men from starving to death with the Bread and Games edict. I also loved that animation where the city changes in appearance before your very eyes while on the campaign map.)

    -The Modability. (The Best Part of Total War Games are the creations that it's fans come up with.)    … Expand
  74. Lopsang
    Nov 14, 2013
    5
    Rome 2 has an awesome concept and I've been a fan of the series for a long time. Unfortunately, SEGA wanted the devs to rollout the game maybe some 6 months to a year too early. As a result, the game is incredibly slow for no purpose, and bugs are rife. Buy this game during a sale.
  75. Ender1183
    Nov 13, 2013
    6
    I would figure I would finish a Campaign before I made a recommendation. I just didn't know it would take 80 hours to finish. If you a fan of the Total war series chances are you have already have this game and have either been blinded by your fandom or the hype that this would be the best TW to date. It didn't take me long to quickly realized this was a rushed game, put out several monthsI would figure I would finish a Campaign before I made a recommendation. I just didn't know it would take 80 hours to finish. If you a fan of the Total war series chances are you have already have this game and have either been blinded by your fandom or the hype that this would be the best TW to date. It didn't take me long to quickly realized this was a rushed game, put out several months before it was ready. I can only imagine that CA was forced by Sega to get the game out before some of the other big titles of the holiday season got out. There are several features that where in previous TW games such as the political and family system that where not even half as complete in past games. I completely didn’t care what happened to my family if someone was being bribed or shamed, I just didn't care. I was really happy when I won my civil war and could be an empire so I would not be bothered by the family bs.
    As for the campaign map you end up building the same 3 builds to have enough food and keep public order under control. This makes it almost impossible to upgrade your army or economy and very boring since you can't specialize a providence until late in the game. I'm sure if I started a new campaign I would have an easier time but since there is no building tree that is easy to compare buildings, even of the same type, there is a lot of trial and error before you can get the balance right. An other problem I ran into was that the auto resolve doesn’t seem to take into account the quality of your units. There where several battles where I would lose in the auto but crush the AI in a battle. The research is also out of balance even after 200 turns unless you focus on one tree you can't even upgrade to the best builds. Which is also impossible because you will have bad pubic order of lack of food because you ignored those trees. Over all I would say once you beat your civil war that is a good place to stop. After that it is a steam roll over the AI who is to passive or has so horribly manage there own providence they are starving to death. Its too bad there weren’t options to have a short campaign and start later so you could see some of the late builds and units when they would matter.
    It has been a common theme that the AI in the TW series has always been bad but this game takes it to a new level. Don't bother with sieges just auto resolve. The AI will run to there death when attacking or sit there and get pounded by your artillery until they are so softened up that sending in a few units in will make them rout. After been told that is was going to be the best AI yet it is actually worst then any other. There have been some improvements with the patches but it is still easy to beat the AI in a battle and on the campaign map... unless you play on a harder setting but all that does is buff there morale, armor and income.
    Tried a few MP battles but it seems that is has come down to who can macro the fastest and press a units special ability buff the most. There is no chance to sit back and watch the units fight it out or use much more of a strategy then rush your units in spamming the special ability and flanking your cav around to the back to make units rout. Well it was fun to play against friend and make your own rules you can't really do that against pubs.
    Overall I did enjoy the era and the workshop looks like it is starting to fill up with some interesting mods and tweaks. Hopefully CA can patch up this game but I have a feeling they will save any changes for the expiation pack. If you haven't played TW before I would look and see if you can pick up Empire up for cheap before getting this game. If you are a fan and just held off buying(good for you) I wouldn't pay more then 30 bucks. By then it maybe patched up enough to make it enjoyable and with the workshop there maybe a few decent mods to fill in the games.    … Expand
  76. MarcusManus
    Nov 12, 2013
    5
    I originally gave this game a 10 after 14 hours....
    I need to revisit that score and now give it a solid 5.
    Too many errors and design flaws to list here, please review the official forums for more information, or better yet, angryjoe. AI is the primary concern, along with stripped down features that make this game sad. Very sad. Breaks my heard. I uninstalled it until they do some    I originally gave this game a 10 after 14 hours....
    I need to revisit that score and now give it a solid 5.
    Too many errors and design flaws to list here, please review the official forums for more information, or better yet, angryjoe.
    AI is the primary concern, along with stripped down features that make this game sad. Very sad. Breaks my heard. I uninstalled it until they do some serious work on it.    … Expand
  77. larek
    Nov 12, 2013
    7
    A lot better now, they released a free dlc and have fixed some of the major bugs. Now perhaps worth the money, before it wasn't by far. Yet it still is laggy, even with superior rig.
  78. Hellmut34
    Nov 8, 2013
    5
    Been a fan of TW games since the first Shogun came out. Although i have enjoyed this more than Empire TW i just can't justify giving the game a decent mark.
    So much about it is done badly and i can't for the life of me understand why the dev's would have ever have thought that it was the best direction for the game to go.
    I worry for the upcoming impending Warhammer Total War now. For me    Been a fan of TW games since the first Shogun came out. Although i have enjoyed this more than Empire TW i just can't justify giving the game a decent mark.
    So much about it is done badly and i can't for the life of me understand why the dev's would have ever have thought that it was the best direction for the game to go.
    I worry for the upcoming impending Warhammer Total War now. For me i play Shogun 2 again, its much much better than this.    … Expand
  79. NobbyNobbyBoy
    Nov 7, 2013
    5
    I dearly wanted to love this game. I have enjoyed every Total War so far (except Empire and Napoleon that wouldn't work on my computer!) and especially Shogun 2. I felt as if this game might bridge the gap between the dated but undeniably fun Rome and the beautiful, tactical game that Shogun 2 is.
    Unfortunately, the failure to release this game in a playable state has ruined the fun for    I dearly wanted to love this game. I have enjoyed every Total War so far (except Empire and Napoleon that wouldn't work on my computer!) and especially Shogun 2. I felt as if this game might bridge the gap between the dated but undeniably fun Rome and the beautiful, tactical game that Shogun 2 is.
    Unfortunately, the failure to release this game in a playable state has ruined the fun for me. I can see the potential and I fully expect this to be a great game in a year or so. But, (and this is a big but) you cannot release games in such a poor state and not expect a customer backlash.    … Expand
  80. VOP2288
    Nov 5, 2013
    6
    As the game stands now I would've given it an 7 or even an 8 but since I bought it on release I have to dock it down to a 6 for its less-than-stellar launch.

    First and foremost I just want to throw out there that this game doesn't deserve its current 3.9 user score. 75% of the reviews giving this game under a 5 are nothing more than butt-hurt children and/or man-children who got caught    As the game stands now I would've given it an 7 or even an 8 but since I bought it on release I have to dock it down to a 6 for its less-than-stellar launch.

    First and foremost I just want to throw out there that this game doesn't deserve its current 3.9 user score. 75% of the reviews giving this game under a 5 are nothing more than butt-hurt children and/or man-children who got caught up in the hype and truly believed that Rome 2 was going to be an absolutely (and unrealistically) flawless game that was going to cater to every single one of their personal fantasies and desires.

    Truth is Rome 2 isn't actually that bad of a game, in fact it's easily one of the better strategy games out there on the market right now and I'd be willing to say that it's also one of Creative Assembly's better Total War installments. Don't get me wrong though, the game has its flaws and its launch issues and apparent lack of proper testing was a travesty but by now they've squashed the most significant issues and fixed/tweaked a lot more.

    I honestly could gone on for quite some time about the game but in the interest of being straightforward I'll just list off the game's positives and negatives.

    Pros -

    - Fantastic looking campaign map that really captures the scope and size of the ancient world.
    - Noticeably different culture-based faction groups that each have their own strengths/weaknesses and play styles (economically and militarily).
    - Individual soldiers are no longer carbon copies of one another and feature different faces, hair colors/styles, clothing/armor types, and other small differences that make them feel like actual people.
    - The changes to city-building and introduction of the province/region system adds a nice layer of strategic depth in how you grow and maintain your empire.
    - The new military tradition system.
    - Though disliked by some, the army/navy limit puts greater emphasis on how you use your military forces, adds gravity to your victories and defeats, and for the most part keeps the TW AI's long running disposition towards force spamming in check.
    - Battle maps are large and vary in environmental details, the cut-and-paste city siege maps are thrown out and replaced by unique ones that actually feel like true urban environments.
    - A LARGE assortment of unit types spread out amongst all the factions.
    - Battles have never looked better in a TW game.
    - Slightly better consistency between campaign map and diplomacy AI (was a BIG issue in all past TW games).

    Cons -

    - Units tend to rout too easily in battle, leading to some battles taking no longer than 3 or 4 minutes.
    - Ranged units (Slingers, Archers, Javalinmen, etc) are just as overpowered as they were in Shogun 2 and some battles can be entirely won with three or four units of them.
    - Naval battles are simply broken. Seems to be a massive bonus granted to the AI during sea engagements even when you're fighting a fleet of the same size and composition. Too much micromanaging needed and ships can be unresponsive much of the time.
    - AI in general can be at times too passive, too aggressive, and just all-around quirky in general. Pretty much a common factor in ALL Total War games that CA has yet to really master and perfect.
    - Absolutely terrible manual and tutorial that only explains the very basics of the game but NOT the list of small and large changes made to the gameplay, reminds me of Paradox tutorials...
    - The "War Target" feature just plain doesn't work very well (you're supposed to be able to target enemy military forces but you can only target settlements).
    - The politics aspect is broken and unfinished. A true shame as it could've brought even more strategic depth to the game.

    I'm not going to bother mentioning the little bugs and glitches b/c CA has been cleaning those up pretty consistently since launch as well as the more glaring performance issues. And that's another thing that I'm not going to acknowledge performance issues given that TW games have ALWAYS been GPU and CPU hogs that will just plain not run or look its best on release unless you have a top of the line PC (which many incorrectly presumed they had).

    Overall Rome 2 is the not the disaster that many here have claimed it to be (it's also not the pristine 10/10 that many "professional" critics painted it as either). Much of its significant launch issues have been tackled by now and CA continues to clean up the smaller bugs. Fact is, this game is definitely a good time and one of the best current strategy games out there.    … Expand
  81. SaintJames012
    Nov 4, 2013
    5
    Coming off of Shogun 2, the only word you can use to describe Rome II is utter disappointment. This game took out a lot of what made Shogun 2 so fun. There are bugs that cause it to become just an annoying PoS, and overall after about 10 hours you will stop having fun. the game feels more like a chore than a fun strategy. Family trees and rulers have become completely irrelevant and whenComing off of Shogun 2, the only word you can use to describe Rome II is utter disappointment. This game took out a lot of what made Shogun 2 so fun. There are bugs that cause it to become just an annoying PoS, and overall after about 10 hours you will stop having fun. the game feels more like a chore than a fun strategy. Family trees and rulers have become completely irrelevant and when one of your generals dies the game just spawns another one almost equal to what your last general's stats were. victory is too easy and battles seem to be rushed as I have run into epic battle of 1500+ armies win in 15 minutes flat. The only thing I think the game added that is useful is auto pilot. There is a move you can do in battles where you can tell specific units to attack an enemy unit, then that unit will be set on auto pilot and attack the unit you ordered, once the enemy is killed the auto pilot unit will then go and attack another enemy where it is needed. This is nice as it allows for you to set a couple units to autopilot and eases the burden of running a massive army in battle, as you can set some units to auto pilot then set them back to manual once you need them. Other than that Rome II is a major step back and not worth the $60 pricetag. Game is worth a $20 tag maybe, but beware, this game sucks. Go back to Shogun 2… Expand
  82. TheGamer31
    Nov 3, 2013
    5
    They up this game so bad. Quite possibly the most disappointing game this year. Let us talk about how this game was disappointing, hm? Horrible in game character face models compared to the screen shots, laughable face animations, atrocious AI, painfully stressful loading times for both the single player campaign and multiplayer campaign with the more than 100 factions in the game, andThey up this game so bad. Quite possibly the most disappointing game this year. Let us talk about how this game was disappointing, hm? Horrible in game character face models compared to the screen shots, laughable face animations, atrocious AI, painfully stressful loading times for both the single player campaign and multiplayer campaign with the more than 100 factions in the game, and unbalanced units. I could take ONE group of twenty-four elephants and wipe out an opposing army of 2000 TROOPS!!! Yet I LOVE this game! Why? Because... it's Total War.… Expand
  83. Pandakiller984
    Nov 1, 2013
    6
    Well lets start off by saying this game has a TON of potential.....and I'm sure that it could be delivered if the game was actually finished...which it is clearly not. The reason this horribly unfinished game a whopping 6 is because it has obviously given us a lot things such as simpler city management, Cool battle animations with a sweet camera, and various other things such as buildingWell lets start off by saying this game has a TON of potential.....and I'm sure that it could be delivered if the game was actually finished...which it is clearly not. The reason this horribly unfinished game a whopping 6 is because it has obviously given us a lot things such as simpler city management, Cool battle animations with a sweet camera, and various other things such as building unique armies and navys and having a lot of various things to do within your faction.....But boy oh boy is this game flawed with an enormous amount of glitches and bugs, the game's AI is LAUGHABLE some of the dumbest I have ever seen, and I said the city management is simpilar but it gets rid of so much control that we loved in the first Rome Total war, While the battles are cool the graphics and UI are a little bad considering the 40% bigger budget than all the other games. There is many more Cons and a few Pros I missed as well but I hope this gets you to think about possibly waiting until the price drops or the game is actually...Finished… Expand
  84. leoriela
    Nov 1, 2013
    5
    Total ripoff. Developers did not complete the game but released a bunch of DLC expecting us to pay what should have been in the game in the first place. This is the last TW game i am going to buy
  85. Ed_
    Oct 30, 2013
    7
    After the release of patch 5, the game improved really well. The gameplay became enjoyable and the AI improved slightly.

    The campaign map is very nice, graphics is amazing. The new family and upgrading system are also fascinating, however the one-year turn system is pretty annoying and fast.

    All in all, download all the patches and feel the difference.
  86. sir_langan
    Oct 29, 2013
    6
    While there are a lot of problems, a hell of a lot, this is still a good game. One of the problems this game has is that the bar was set so high after all the previous titles in the series. Without that as a comparison this would be a great game.

    But there is the comparison. Streamlining isn't something the fans of this series want. This game was streamlined in so many ways it is    While there are a lot of problems, a hell of a lot, this is still a good game. One of the problems this game has is that the bar was set so high after all the previous titles in the series. Without that as a comparison this would be a great game.

    But there is the comparison. Streamlining isn't something the fans of this series want. This game was streamlined in so many ways it is ridiculous. Hopefully it has a long redevelopment life.    … Expand
  87. Garloz911
    Oct 24, 2013
    5
    I really like the art. It's pretty. Sadly that is just about it for this game. The battlefield AI was recently made slightly more intelligent which is always nice. However the world map AI is garbage. I really wish we the players were given as good a copy as the "professional" critics. They seem to have gotten a good working version.
  88. NecroMnemic
    Oct 24, 2013
    7
    I rate it a 7 out of 10, as it is a decent game, but does not live up to the Total War standard and doesn't even come close to the original Rome 1.

    I'm writing this after patch 5 has been applied and sadly the performance is still... not atrocious but not good either. The battles are still somewhat too short and AI does some really weird things. But actually these are not the issues    I rate it a 7 out of 10, as it is a decent game, but does not live up to the Total War standard and doesn't even come close to the original Rome 1.

    I'm writing this after patch 5 has been applied and sadly the performance is still... not atrocious but not good either. The battles are still somewhat too short and AI does some really weird things.

    But actually these are not the issues that I found saddening, I much rather regretted seeing that still all factions somewhat play the same and there has not been done enough to make them distinct from each other.

    All in all I recommend buying it for 25€ or less.    … Expand
  89. Brawlz
    Oct 21, 2013
    7
    Despite a rocky start, Creative Assembly have managed to fine tune Total War: Rome II, into a game worth of the Total War title, The AI seems vastly improved from launch, with the previous AI battle "Tactics" no longer consisting of running into a solid wall of spears, and actually using the terrain against you. But alot of things were changed from the older Total War games which kindaDespite a rocky start, Creative Assembly have managed to fine tune Total War: Rome II, into a game worth of the Total War title, The AI seems vastly improved from launch, with the previous AI battle "Tactics" no longer consisting of running into a solid wall of spears, and actually using the terrain against you. But alot of things were changed from the older Total War games which kinda hurt the games, with Generals dying really quickly from old age, leaving little incentive to put time into individual generals. The political system has also changed, with faction leaders being absent from the game, where instead you play a House or Party, which has to vie for political power. Not the same as invading a entire nation, your King/Faction Leader at the head of the fighting.

    Overall though a good game, People that didn't like it when it first came out should give it another chance if they were dissatisfied. Your opinions may change after you see the improvements made over the past two months    … Expand
  90. Alienpope
    Oct 20, 2013
    6
    As a hardcore TW fan even since rom 1 i can say that this game is good. It is not amazing, not mind blowing... Just... Good. The game released with hundreds of problems and i am not talking about the minor problems. The AI was horrible. I've played all factions by now on very hard and breezed through it all.

    But now... 5 patches later.... Things are looking better. Much better i have to    As a hardcore TW fan even since rom 1 i can say that this game is good. It is not amazing, not mind blowing... Just... Good. The game released with hundreds of problems and i am not talking about the minor problems. The AI was horrible. I've played all factions by now on very hard and breezed through it all.

    But now... 5 patches later.... Things are looking better. Much better i have to say.

    It went from the worst pd release of the year (not including sim city) to a decent game. The AI will still make the worst possible decisions at times... But overall it will challenge you.

    The real reason to buy this game however is not because of the campaign. If you want that you can try crusader kings or maybe civ5. The battles are what makes this game good. Realistic looking fighting with a quite deep strategy depth to it. So the multiplayer really brings this game up to a 6.0 instead of a 3.0    … Expand
  91. jase1974
    Oct 15, 2013
    5
    Is a real shame that one of the finest makers of strictly PC games has let us all down. Of all the complaints to make, I feel this is the most important. Certain aspects have been streamlined. Just as certain pockets must have been streamlined in mainstream media to get the reviews it got at release.

    Hopefully CA will learn a lesson from this. Also, professional reviewers, actually play    Is a real shame that one of the finest makers of strictly PC games has let us all down. Of all the complaints to make, I feel this is the most important. Certain aspects have been streamlined. Just as certain pockets must have been streamlined in mainstream media to get the reviews it got at release.

    Hopefully CA will learn a lesson from this. Also, professional reviewers, actually play the game before you bend over and drop your pants for Sega.    … Expand
  92. Pandasareevil
    Oct 15, 2013
    6
    Did not give me that same feeling as previous Total war Games. The UI is terrible, the release was far below average, though I do quite like the unit cards, once the optimization issues were fixed the game was playable-ish.
  93. Rogan
    Oct 14, 2013
    7
    I really like this game, it might not be as good as Shogun, but it isn't as bad as Ride To Hell Retribution, seriously giving this game a 0 out of 10? With some patches the annoyances in this game will be fixed.
  94. Halfmad
    Oct 13, 2013
    5
    Played this now for around 40 hours, most of which weren't particularly enjoyable. I'm a long time fan of the Total War series, going right back to the original Rome and every single one in between these two. I have to say it can look glorious, but as many people who love this franchise know it's how it's plays that matters. Unfortunately it doesn't play very well at all, bugs aside thePlayed this now for around 40 hours, most of which weren't particularly enjoyable. I'm a long time fan of the Total War series, going right back to the original Rome and every single one in between these two. I have to say it can look glorious, but as many people who love this franchise know it's how it's plays that matters. Unfortunately it doesn't play very well at all, bugs aside the game is still a mess with poor strategy shown by the computer during battles even on higher difficulty settings. They have for some reason removed the family tree, which makes no sense to me at all, I don't feel involved in the combat or game the way I did with even older games such as MTWII. Can I recommend it? Sadly I have to honestly say no, fire up MTWII with some mods and play that instead, it's vastly more entertaining. Even if the few serious bugs that remain are fixed this is still a soul-less, vaguely entertaining game and I really can't understand how they've managed to create it.… Expand
  95. g4br1x
    Oct 13, 2013
    5
    Not as I expected.
    Confusing UI and unit card
    You cannot un-zoom the map
    Not optimized for any hardware/ GPU Awful performances.
    Audio not completely translated from English
    Bugs and glitches everywhere.
    Fortunately i spent only 30€ to buy this badly-done game....
  96. Theodwulf
    Oct 7, 2013
    5
    After two full campaigns, both on easy, Rome (juno) for a Military victory and Carthage (barca) for an economic victory.
    This Game is a Total Tedium(really could use a short campaign)
    I hate the research mechanic, the new provincial mechanic and the building scheme. The map feels "epic" as do the victory conditions but none of the cities feel all that grand, at the ends they are all    After two full campaigns, both on easy, Rome (juno) for a Military victory and Carthage (barca) for an economic victory.
    This Game is a Total Tedium(really could use a short campaign)
    I hate the research mechanic, the new provincial mechanic and the building scheme.
    The map feels "epic" as do the victory conditions but none of the cities feel all that grand, at the ends they are all basically back waters. The more you develop cities the more likely they are to go down the toilet. Rome I did a much better job Just another awful game mechanic.
    Naval battles are incredibly clunky empire was better here) and you are better off auto-calcing.
    Missile troops (specifically slingers) are just silly OP, rate of fire and damage are way over the top, basic levy units maul real professional troops
    Calvary go real slow and get stuck on infantry, so there is little maneuver once engaged
    Armies of Briton chariots harken back to rome I with their OPness, just don't auto-calc with them that goes for elephants and cavalry as well.
    Auto calc is still awful, it's like they feel you need to be punished for not personally overseeing every skirmish.
    Diplomacy is awful as the AI will ask for 10-30% of your total wealth regardless of power differential for trade agreements.
    The first 10-20 rounds can be tough but once you get past that don't expect to much in aggression from the AI, it gets real passive..
    The AI cannot handle the clunky building scheme so it's settlements will eventually rebel, just wait.
    political system does something..not sure what..i just ignore it everything still works.
    Civil war..i have no idea why it happened but ti was real easy to fix, no outside factions noticed or cared

    It is really too bad, the franchise gets more and more clunky game mechanics with every iteration, which makes it more difficult for an AI any AI) to be effective competition for a human player. Without that the game is a Total Dud. Just allowing the AI to cheat isn't the answer, as we have seen it only makes the problem worse.

    they really need to go back to the beginning, using Rome I as a templete    … Expand
  97. CanOmer
    Oct 7, 2013
    5
    I played Rome II more than 230 hours. Rome I was my all time favourite game. So I have huge expectations on Rome II.

    Battles are great, they put so much in here. But campaign is near empty. You can get bored on campaign. In Rome I campaign was far more detailed. They should add more content to the campaign. Campaign map is distorted also. Map projection is the worst projection I have    I played Rome II more than 230 hours. Rome I was my all time favourite game. So I have huge expectations on Rome II.

    Battles are great, they put so much in here. But campaign is near empty. You can get bored on campaign. In Rome I campaign was far more detailed. They should add more content to the campaign.

    Campaign map is distorted also. Map projection is the worst projection I have ever seen; tiny Arabia, compressed Persia, oversized Gaul and Germania, shortened Italy..etc    … Expand
  98. jadereviewer
    Oct 6, 2013
    7
    The overall concept is sound, and a large improvment for total war. On release, this was poorly executed but three patches later this game is very good fun. Bugs aside, this game is good fun- but a step backwards for SHOGUN 2: Total War.
  99. Franotix
    Oct 3, 2013
    7
    I change my score now

    After many patches, since the first one, I put a 7 instead of a 3 Now the AI will try to destroy the walls, or the doors and enter in the cities at least at very hard difficulty this is what they do before they were standing in front of the wall doing nothing. The AI turns are now alot more fast from what I can see in my advanced campaing at least 5 time    I change my score now

    After many patches, since the first one, I put a 7 instead of a 3

    Now the AI will try to destroy the walls, or the doors and enter in the cities at least at very hard difficulty this is what they do before they were standing in front of the wall doing nothing.

    The AI turns are now alot more fast from what I can see in my advanced campaing at least 5 time more fast than it was... So Now I play more than i waiting, its already a great improvement.

    some capture point on open battlefield have been remove this is a great improvement too
    But theres many point inside a cities and AI split his army sometime because of this, and its really easy to beat them when their unit are all split across a giant city you just got their stack one by one... Still need improvement

    And in average it seem I have better fps for the same graphics I had.    … Expand
  100. Schmidte
    Oct 3, 2013
    5
    Okay, I originally thought the game was an 8.5 but reviewed this game as a 10 to offset the 0's...but after having it for a full month, I can't honestly say it is even an 8.5. I'm simply NOT enjoying the game like Shogun 2. I've played every single total war game there has been. All the way since the original shogun. This one currently feels like a chore to play though. The turn times getOkay, I originally thought the game was an 8.5 but reviewed this game as a 10 to offset the 0's...but after having it for a full month, I can't honestly say it is even an 8.5. I'm simply NOT enjoying the game like Shogun 2. I've played every single total war game there has been. All the way since the original shogun. This one currently feels like a chore to play though. The turn times get sooooo long. Which makes things very tedious. Generals die too quickly because it is only 1 turn per year. 30 turns and your general is dead. So many UI failures that make things way harder than they need to be.

    IT'S LIKE THEY DIDN'T PLAY THEIR OWN GAME! There are seriously features (like not easily being able to go to characters that need leveling up which was a feature in Shogun 2 but not here) that you couldn't POSSIBLY not notice or want.

    If what they said it true and Tim Heaton designed this game for metacritic it is a shame and horrifying. I honestly I can't rate this game higher than a 5 right now. I hope they can release large patches and really overhaul this game, but that's all on them. I'll edit my score up if they do and I won't if they don't.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 71
  3. Negative: 7 out of 71
  1. Worth Playing
    Nov 18, 2013
    74
    The game is far less polished than Shogun 2, and a few more patches will help, but Rome II is still a flawed game that is underwhelming when compared to previous titles in the franchise.
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  2. PCGamesN
    Nov 6, 2013
    70
    And here’s the rub: every addition, every sub-system, every mechanic is subservient to War. War is what Total War is really about. Everything else not directly related to conflict comes across as ancillary. Rome II is a game for warmongers, on both the campaign map and, obviously, on the battlefield. When peace is happening, nothing is happening. When war is happening, Rome comes alive.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 28, 2013
    40
    If you will play literally anything featuring Total War and Rome in the same title and don't value your time, this is for you. [Nov 2013, p.80]
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