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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3974 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Sep 8, 2013
    8
    I write this review in a hope that the creators will fix the massive bugs, try to optimize the game and improve the AI of enemy player. Gameplay is great, graphics arent too great but they had to be toned down because of many units and big maps. If they fix it, it will be one of the best games in its genre but for now, i have to put lower score.
  2. Sep 4, 2013
    8
    This game can be reviewed in two ways. Comparing it to all video games, and comparing it to other Total War games. In relation to other games, this game is amazing, a solid 9. It requires thought, has very good graphics and has a sense of epicness and scale no other game can match. Compared to total war games, I'd say it's a 7. Battles are resolved very quickly, optimization isn't great,This game can be reviewed in two ways. Comparing it to all video games, and comparing it to other Total War games. In relation to other games, this game is amazing, a solid 9. It requires thought, has very good graphics and has a sense of epicness and scale no other game can match. Compared to total war games, I'd say it's a 7. Battles are resolved very quickly, optimization isn't great, and the campaign UI isn't my favorite. Diplomacy works decently with other factions, but they don't seem to deal among themselves. Others complain of bugs, but I haven't encountered absolutely none. The AI has seen little to no noticeable improvements from Shogun 2. In the campaign it is quite passive, and in battles, it seems to be worse than in Shogun 2. Probably not as quality a game as Shogun II, but has vastly more replay value. I had decently high expectations, and they were generally met. The Auxiliary system for the Romans is something that I'm very happy about, allowing very powerful armies. The province system is also a plus, although the UI could definitely be improved. The economics are as simplistic as ever unfortunately. If I hadn't bought the game yet, I'd probably wait for 1 or 2 major patches, then definitely jump on. Expand
  3. Sep 15, 2013
    8
    The game is great! There is a lot of complaining of bugs and stupid AI, but I don't find that true. I've encountered almost no bugs, and the AI seems to be at the same level of inteligence that the rest of the total war game (don't shoot me!).

    We can all agree that the game was rushed, but if it wasn't a total war game, and the same hype would not be around, I am pretty positive most
    The game is great! There is a lot of complaining of bugs and stupid AI, but I don't find that true. I've encountered almost no bugs, and the AI seems to be at the same level of inteligence that the rest of the total war game (don't shoot me!).

    We can all agree that the game was rushed, but if it wasn't a total war game, and the same hype would not be around, I am pretty positive most would give the game a lot better rating. There is some bugs that has to been taken care of, and there is some lagg if your graphics card and CPU is not high end. But patch 2 fixes many of those issues.

    Due to the game just beeing so much fun, I give it an 8/10. I have not encountered any game breaking bugs, and if you play at the hardest difficulty, the AI is not that stupid.
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  4. Sep 19, 2013
    10
    THE GAME IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have 40 hours and I want more.I played mostly every TW and I love the franchise.I waited this game so much time and it is great.

    100/10
  5. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    I have been playing the game for 10 hours now and I am still exploring the game. I can't imagine how the game will feel like in a few weeks/months when I am starting to master it.
    I have the same feeling with this game like in the beginning with Shogun II. "What am I supposed to do/build now? Whats steps should I undertake? Which faction should be my ally, which my foe?"
    I am very
    I have been playing the game for 10 hours now and I am still exploring the game. I can't imagine how the game will feel like in a few weeks/months when I am starting to master it.
    I have the same feeling with this game like in the beginning with Shogun II. "What am I supposed to do/build now? Whats steps should I undertake? Which faction should be my ally, which my foe?"
    I am very excited to what the game will bring me and what I shall discover.
    I feel sad for all the poor guys who think this game sucks, they are simply not giving it a chance. I don't want a game that plays the same as Shogun II just with other units. When I buy a game I want something new. And that is what Rome II is giving us. Something new to learn and master.
    It looks great and feels immersive. The end turn time is very long when you play a coop game with someone.
    When I play single player it really only takes about 20-30 secs. I'm fine with that no problem.You must realise that it is a HUGE map with a lot more factions, it is normal. If u have a problem with it, get OVER IT.
    I find the AI challenging and surprising sometimes as well.
    It will be a game that may need some bug fixes but I will enjoy putting 400+ hours into this game as I did with Shogun 2.
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  6. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Amazing game, but not polished well. Thankfully my rig can handle it but for people who cant the patch they promised needs to hurry up. Its much better than a re skinned Shogun 2 or Rome its an entirely new game.
  7. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    I think this game is great overall. Even though it has some bugs and doesn't run well, but it has beautiful graphics and great gameplay. The animation, graphics, sound, and gameplay dynamics were completely redone from the previous total war games. Bugs and performance issues should be fixed in a couple of weeks and patches, so therefore I don't think people should judge this game uponI think this game is great overall. Even though it has some bugs and doesn't run well, but it has beautiful graphics and great gameplay. The animation, graphics, sound, and gameplay dynamics were completely redone from the previous total war games. Bugs and performance issues should be fixed in a couple of weeks and patches, so therefore I don't think people should judge this game upon those issues. Expand
  8. Sep 14, 2013
    8
    I don't like the fact that there are support ships and that there is no family tree. Why can the enemy sail farther than u and be able to attack in the same turn while on forced row? If u attempt the same thing and try to attack then u sail like 3 feet compared to them just magically being able to go anywhere they want. I still love the game it just needs some major tweaks!
  9. Sep 9, 2013
    8
    While it definitely has some small bugs, I think the game is pretty great. Last TW game I played was Medieval 2, and I find the UI very much improved, the graphics are staggering. My main complaints would be that your generals do not live long enough (would prefer 4 turns per year lucky there's mods). I did think combat was better in Medieval 2, but I am really impressed with theWhile it definitely has some small bugs, I think the game is pretty great. Last TW game I played was Medieval 2, and I find the UI very much improved, the graphics are staggering. My main complaints would be that your generals do not live long enough (would prefer 4 turns per year lucky there's mods). I did think combat was better in Medieval 2, but I am really impressed with the campaign in this one. I'm in the middle of a Very Hard campaign (61 hrs) but am planning to start over on Legendary because I could use some extra difficulty (the AI is a little weak, but I remember it being weak in Med2 as well). I recommend the game, though apparently lots of folk are having trouble with it. Expand
  10. Oct 1, 2013
    9
    At first i was fairly disappointed the game, Rome Total War was the first Total War game i got to play back then. The new game, even though it added ton of improvements game-wise over the former Total War games, just didn't played comfortably due to AI errors, graphic issues, bugs and other stuff you probably heard about already. Today though Creative Assembly released their 3rd majorAt first i was fairly disappointed the game, Rome Total War was the first Total War game i got to play back then. The new game, even though it added ton of improvements game-wise over the former Total War games, just didn't played comfortably due to AI errors, graphic issues, bugs and other stuff you probably heard about already. Today though Creative Assembly released their 3rd major patch for the game.

    Thanks to the new Patch the game runs really smooth now, ending turns went from 5 mins to 1 minute, no more crashes, weird bugs or issues and the AI is much improved. The game isn't perfect yet but it sure comes close to what the game should have been from the start. It's absolutely fun now to play. I've completely forgiven the rough start thanks to the efforts to create a proper game again and their is much more coming in the future. I think this game deserves a new review with this new patch, its a life changer compared to the release.
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  11. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    All of you guys are full of I have an i5, HD 7850, and 8gb of ram, this game runs smooth like butter on fully max settings. I've had no bugs, and the AI works perfectly fine. The game is epic, plays great and looks amazing. You guys want even better graphics so your computer frames drop form 5 fps to 1 fps. Give me a break, do the world a favor and go play call of duty or something.
  12. Sep 12, 2013
    9
    So far I've logged 30 hours in this game and I'm still entertained. Great value.

    Aesthetically the battlefields are crisp and realistic, with greater attention to terrain detail than in previous titles. Particularly in cities I pause to study the architecture or just awe at the battle scenes. The UI is minimalist with elements inspired by roman art. The unit cards are an example of
    So far I've logged 30 hours in this game and I'm still entertained. Great value.

    Aesthetically the battlefields are crisp and realistic, with greater attention to terrain detail than in previous titles. Particularly in cities I pause to study the architecture or just awe at the battle scenes.

    The UI is minimalist with elements inspired by roman art. The unit cards are an example of this, it's curious that some people rage about it.

    So far I've played Rome and a Germanic tribe. I've not finished neither campaign, and doubt I will. On the contrary I look forward to trying other factions and exploring new theaters; the size make the game seem endless.

    This is very much a stop-and-smell-the-flowers-game for people who love history, military and the Roman era.

    Negatives: The AI is weak, and the game has plenty of bugs. Other than this the critique seem to be based on either on particular tastes or a lack of brains; it's hardware demanding because it was made without regard for console specs and IT'S SIZE IS EPIC.
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  13. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    I think the main gripe one can have is that game isn't (more or less) a complete remake of the first Rome Total War. Then again, I personally loved Shogun 2 as well as its add-ons. Rome II makes me feel pretty much at home whilst there's plenty of changes in the system to make it feel like a whole other game. Yes it's buggy, there's a lot that goes in combat and those shield bearers reallyI think the main gripe one can have is that game isn't (more or less) a complete remake of the first Rome Total War. Then again, I personally loved Shogun 2 as well as its add-ons. Rome II makes me feel pretty much at home whilst there's plenty of changes in the system to make it feel like a whole other game. Yes it's buggy, there's a lot that goes in combat and those shield bearers really hurt. As for framerate, a lot of games run poorly on launch, just wait for a new driver for your graphics card. Mine runs 40~60 on ultra without SLI (680). A month after release it'll feel totally different and a lot smoother! Expand
  14. Sep 6, 2013
    9
    Real review, already 40 hours of playtime, hope below helps. TLDR Great game with some bugs that are frustrating but don't ruin the experience more than bringing it from a 9 to an 8.

    Overall, Rome II is an excellent game that is enormously fun. The campaign is compelling, and the battles are epic. I found myself not being able to pull away, even with some annoying bugs. The game of
    Real review, already 40 hours of playtime, hope below helps. TLDR Great game with some bugs that are frustrating but don't ruin the experience more than bringing it from a 9 to an 8.

    Overall, Rome II is an excellent game that is enormously fun. The campaign is compelling, and the battles are epic. I found myself not being able to pull away, even with some annoying bugs. The game of course breaks into two parts, the campaign map and actual battles. The campaign map is huge, leaving plenty of room for strategically planning the marches of your army. This matters because you're limited to a certain number of armies based on how many provinces you control and while slightly limiting, it also forces a greater amount of thinking and strategy. The management of cities is not complicated at all, but takes a little time to get the hang of. It's essentially a balancing act of money making buildings, food producing buildings and population happiness buildings. Overall it works well, and once you have an expansive empire will be thankful it's not much more complicated. The technology tree is like previous games, pick a perk you want and wait so many turns to research it, one perk at a time. And diplomacy is improved since shogun II, but you'll still find yourself ignoring it for the most part after you have some trade agreements set up. The fun comes from strategically planning your armies marches. So far, Ive yet to run into a real bug on the campaign map, although your agents which are assassins, diplomats and champions are painfully bad at their jobs, and even though they say they have a 50% chance of success, will fail over and over and over again to a point that clearly something is broken in the system. I also haven't tried co-op campaign yet which was broken in shogun II.

    Now the battles. You'll get what you expect, epic battles with ai that is sometimes fully functional and will beat the crap out of you. But other times, the ai can be incredibly dumb, and you'll enjoy your victory but it will feel hollow. It is very hit or miss. On the open battlefields the ai seems fine. When they are sieging a castle though, with you defending, the ai is broken. I've repeatedly reenacted 300 at the castle gates, armies of several thousand fleeing from one squad of my Greek hoplites (yea i chose athens not sparta) that held the line. It's very epic, but at the same time the ai could of gone around to different gates, or picked away at my units with archers, but they don't, they just charge into your spear choke point. But the battle ends, and you'll hold your city against all odds and its soon forgotten or even cherished as your campaign continues. The other issue during ai sieges is sometimes, they will just stare you down outside the city gates, leaving you fast forwarding the entire battle, and the fast forward button is painfully slow in those circumstances. Once again, these bugs are sporadic and will hopefully be fixed, but they do detract a little bit.

    Overall, I find myself loving the game, loving the game, hating the ai during a siege battle, then loving the game again. There are bugs, that once again will hopefully be ironed out, but regardless of what they detract the overall experience is a blast, and well worth it if you're ready to plan your conquest of the known world while twiddling your thumbs at work waiting to go home. I'd give the game a 9/10, but the bugs although not game breaking are frustrating enough to bring it down to an 8. I also have to mention that there is some credence to the complaints that its a rehash, just like every total war game that's come after shogun... but they haven't changed the formula because its not broken, and so if you like the total war series, you will most likely enjoy this game.
    Ps meta critic mobile sucks and will only let me submit this review at 9/10 even though I want to give it an 8 out of 10, oh well ill counter some trolls.
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  15. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Amazing. Has some bugs, but after the first patch a huge improvement. Also, the developers seem dedicated to fixing the bugs by promising a patch a week. A very very deep game with tons of stuff to do. The graphics are better than many movies out right now. Just epic. Its amazing how much they have improved upon the original.
  16. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    easily the largest, most ambitious, and most fun total war game to date. from graphics to game-play to sound audio this is a masterpiece from Creative Assembly.
  17. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    While this game does have issues, it is indeed an incredible experience and falls in line with every vanilla total war released to date, the graphics are beautiful and the Ai does a good job of maintaining battle lines and i am yet to see a suicide general, playing on very hard or legendary is indeed a challenge, the battles are however short, but this game is worth getting regardless andWhile this game does have issues, it is indeed an incredible experience and falls in line with every vanilla total war released to date, the graphics are beautiful and the Ai does a good job of maintaining battle lines and i am yet to see a suicide general, playing on very hard or legendary is indeed a challenge, the battles are however short, but this game is worth getting regardless and with the help of mods could be something special. Expand
  18. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    Excellent game. I'm not a huge fan of the Unit Cards, and the battles are a tad fast pased; but still truly an amazing game. I'm looking forward to seeing new content and patches. When you expand the map to India; I will be buying it.

    However, I'm a big Total War fan as is. This is a different experience from Modding RTW and M2TW:K; which I've done a LOT. However, I wouldn't say
    Excellent game. I'm not a huge fan of the Unit Cards, and the battles are a tad fast pased; but still truly an amazing game. I'm looking forward to seeing new content and patches. When you expand the map to India; I will be buying it.

    However, I'm a big Total War fan as is. This is a different experience from Modding RTW and M2TW:K; which I've done a LOT. However, I wouldn't say bad. CA is attempting to make the game available to people who are NOT like myself; which I can respect. They did not create the money for a few thousand purists; and they have bills to pay.

    Assuming the modding tools are there and we can extend and slow down the combat a bit; this will become an 11 with mods.
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  19. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    I simply do not understand all the whining about this game it is simply amazing, and easily the best Total War I have played (which is all of them). It takes the changes made in Shogun 2 and finally brings them to completion, combining it with the theme of Antiquity in a way that simply has to be played to be appreciated. If you dislike this game then I suggest moving on from the strategyI simply do not understand all the whining about this game it is simply amazing, and easily the best Total War I have played (which is all of them). It takes the changes made in Shogun 2 and finally brings them to completion, combining it with the theme of Antiquity in a way that simply has to be played to be appreciated. If you dislike this game then I suggest moving on from the strategy genre because clearly you are looking for something else. Expand
  20. Sep 7, 2013
    9
    Good:
    - More focus on individual armies and their generals
    - Multiple settlements in provinces adds a nice strategic element to building your cities. - Huge map Bad - Bugs. Sadly this game have some pretty nasty bugs. Especially in multi player, which is a real selling point for this game. - Poor optimization. - UI mediocre. Some areas simply does not work well enough. Diplomacy
    Good:
    - More focus on individual armies and their generals
    - Multiple settlements in provinces adds a nice strategic element to building your cities.
    - Huge map

    Bad
    - Bugs. Sadly this game have some pretty nasty bugs. Especially in multi player, which is a real selling point for this game.
    - Poor optimization.
    - UI mediocre. Some areas simply does not work well enough. Diplomacy for example.

    Reason for 9/10:
    I give this a 9 because this game, despite the bugs and all, is FUN.
    And I'm absolutely sure that Creative Assembly will fix the bugs, and optimize the game.
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  21. Sep 13, 2013
    10
    I want to reward the great diligence to fix a game, that is potentially the best Total War ever made. Great setting, great atmosphere, a huge improvement for IA and diplomatic story, the game needs just a little time to shine.
  22. Sep 5, 2013
    8
    i love this game and know that what ever bugs there are they will fix like the ai, and ai have played for 40 hours so far and still love it but they need ti fix the public order thing
  23. Sep 15, 2013
    10
    As Total War veteran I find the game very enjoable. The campaign map is beatiful. The battle graphics are great. The province system, squalor and food system means you actually have to plan when developing your provinces and empire. The unit rosters of the different factions are diverse and interesting. The battle maps are varied and very well made. Character and army development is great.As Total War veteran I find the game very enjoable. The campaign map is beatiful. The battle graphics are great. The province system, squalor and food system means you actually have to plan when developing your provinces and empire. The unit rosters of the different factions are diverse and interesting. The battle maps are varied and very well made. Character and army development is great. Faction politics add further depth to this character development.

    This is a Total War game and a very ambitious Total War game at that. Se of course it is full of buggs and be completely unbalanced on release. The AI is bugged (though all ready getting much better with the 2.0 patch), but when not bugging out is actually doing good things like circumventing my armies and attacking unprotected settlements. When the buggs are worked out I am confident that the AI will be good. Turn time are overly long because of all the factions, but I find it much more exiting with all the factions instead just lots of characterless rebels.

    As for ballance I actually find this game far more balanced then the first Rome on release were cavalry and elephants literally just trampled everything (stacked Equities death armies were all you needed to conquer the world as Rome). Sure slingers are to strong, but they are easily be chased down by cavalry and wardogs. Larger Naval battles are sadly a mess right now with boarding overpowered, but for now navies are useful for autoresolving against transport fleets.

    This game will be a classic. It will take some patches and mods, but this is the norm for ambitious Total War games and should not surprise any Total War veteran. Stop whining about paying to be a beta tester, you knew what you were getting into. Enjoy empire building for now and make yourself epic battles by charging heroically into superior enemy stacks. The challenging gameplay and campaigns will come later when the game and mods have matured. This game is so big you can enjoy it from different angles.

    10/10 for limitless potential to counteract all this downvoting done by ragers
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  24. Nov 25, 2013
    10
    At the start, Rome II was a total let down; bad AI, poor optimisation and the fact I didn't get the Greek States Culture Pack even though I pre-ordered it. Since then, multiple patches have fixed my problems and the Blood and Gore DLC has satisfied my need for... Well, blood and gore. I loved how the Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack was free for a week as an apology (even though I don't reallyAt the start, Rome II was a total let down; bad AI, poor optimisation and the fact I didn't get the Greek States Culture Pack even though I pre-ordered it. Since then, multiple patches have fixed my problems and the Blood and Gore DLC has satisfied my need for... Well, blood and gore. I loved how the Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack was free for a week as an apology (even though I don't really play as those factions), I bought the Greek States pack and I have a successful army of Spartans, BOW TO ME, WORLD! The gameplay has been fixed, now the Athenians wait instead of charging head-first into my pike phalanx. Glad its fixed. Expand
  25. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Fantastic game, yes the AI could be better but other than that it is fantastic. One of the best in the series imo and will only get better in the future with updates. Alot of the changes I like but they do take some time to get use to, I think once people play the game for more than 5-10 hours they will relize the game is pretty awesome.

    It seems like people forget about the launches of
    Fantastic game, yes the AI could be better but other than that it is fantastic. One of the best in the series imo and will only get better in the future with updates. Alot of the changes I like but they do take some time to get use to, I think once people play the game for more than 5-10 hours they will relize the game is pretty awesome.

    It seems like people forget about the launches of Empire and Shogun2, people had said they hated the games on release then after some patches they love it.

    Whats here now is great and can only get better in the future, optimization and AI can ALWAYS be improved, these are things the series could always do better.
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  26. Sep 5, 2013
    9
    Whilst I do know that some people are having issues with the graphics, and some bugs are here, I know it will be patched out soon enough. Now for my review of the game. Coming from long term total war series gaming, I am pleasantly surprised by this. Don't bother comparing it too Rome 1 though, it has much more in common with Shogun 2 than Rome, but it is also a new game in its own right.Whilst I do know that some people are having issues with the graphics, and some bugs are here, I know it will be patched out soon enough. Now for my review of the game. Coming from long term total war series gaming, I am pleasantly surprised by this. Don't bother comparing it too Rome 1 though, it has much more in common with Shogun 2 than Rome, but it is also a new game in its own right. Now, the campaign. The map is HUGE, the size of the map is about the same as medieval, but the scale is so much larger. Moving from modern day England to France into Germany, took a bit of time and it felt like a proper journey. Scale is much better here, that's the first real improvement. The UI is actually pretty nice to my eyes, but its going to come down to personal taste,and some people are a bit iffy on it. The battles are shogun 2, but with large scale feel to them. Also the "levels" of the battle maps are MUCH more varied, and they do follow the lay of land more so. In winter in northern Europe? expect to be fighting in snow. This is a really nice touch. If you a fan of any of the games in the series, this is a solid choice for a game, and the bugs will be fixed. I say bugs, nothing has happened to mine other than I needed to tone down a few settings (it looks amazing still). But I have seen a fair few people complain of bugs (many more say its fine, but enough to show a problem perhaps), but personally I haven't encountered any (about 15 hours of gameplay, all single player) Expand
  27. Sep 7, 2013
    10
    Pretty great game, the campaign is quite solid I like the objective driven game play giving you the option guidance and rewards for developing Rome historically accurately. Graphics run great, the AI could use some tweaks but I don’t know a total war game that hasn't been seriously patched in that department after release. The UI takes some getting used to for old total war fans.Pretty great game, the campaign is quite solid I like the objective driven game play giving you the option guidance and rewards for developing Rome historically accurately. Graphics run great, the AI could use some tweaks but I don’t know a total war game that hasn't been seriously patched in that department after release. The UI takes some getting used to for old total war fans. Everything is there just streamlined with very different but still functional UI. In all loving it 12 hrs in. Expand
  28. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    O jogo magnífico! Diversão garantida para qualquer um com uma máquina que atenda as exigências. ;D PS: Não sofri com nenhum dos bugs relatados, e o jogo rodou muito bem no meu nem de longe potente computador.
  29. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    Despite the many bad reviews, I have to say that instead the game is awsome and epic as described during this year of waiting. I can run it at maximum with no lag or issues of anysort. The problem is not related to the game but to the poor built rigs of people that pretend to play a 2013 game with so much graphical improvements on a prehistoric PC.
    I can add that the old good mods for the
    Despite the many bad reviews, I have to say that instead the game is awsome and epic as described during this year of waiting. I can run it at maximum with no lag or issues of anysort. The problem is not related to the game but to the poor built rigs of people that pretend to play a 2013 game with so much graphical improvements on a prehistoric PC.
    I can add that the old good mods for the RTW I are now dead and pointless for sure as they have always been. I am confident in CA capability of releasing exstra content and add more factions and features. The usual ranters and whiners are poor childish people who will never be happy.
    I suggest to buy the game and, if not already done, a decent HW.
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  30. Sep 7, 2013
    8
    The best game in the entire Total War lineup. Creative Assembly have outdone themselves with the attention to details and overall ambience in the game.
  31. Sep 5, 2013
    8
    I didn't want to write a review. I stay out of things like this. But in this case, I just can't the fact that everyone is all, "Oh, man, this aspect sucks! 0/10!" is just dumb. It might not have been what you were expecting, but there are very, very few games worth a 0/10 Superman 64 being an exception. Even that I'd give at least a 1 for the laughs. And the very few middle-groundI didn't want to write a review. I stay out of things like this. But in this case, I just can't the fact that everyone is all, "Oh, man, this aspect sucks! 0/10!" is just dumb. It might not have been what you were expecting, but there are very, very few games worth a 0/10 Superman 64 being an exception. Even that I'd give at least a 1 for the laughs. And the very few middle-ground reviews tells me that most people are just angry, and not actually reviewing the game fairly.

    Hence. My review.

    Let me begin by saying that it is not what I expected. It is extremely different from Rome. It's even different from Shogun II. If you champion Rome as the height of RTS brilliance, then you're going to hate this game, because it isn't that. It's not even close. The developers were aiming for a more realistic, historical game, and I think they achieved that.

    So what did they do to achieve this?

    1st they made the game slower. And I mean in almost every way. I just played through a campaign of both Rome and Medieval II, so I have a good comparison. Whereas on normal, as the Julii or Byzantines, you could conquer an entire subcontinent before stopping to take serious stock of your surroundings, here you move at a crawl. I'm on turn 70 or so, and I've just started moving into Gaul, after taking and securing Sicily and the three other Western Mediterranean Islands.

    2nd They adjusted city management, forcing you to differentiate cities, instead of having every city capable of everything.

    3rd They cleaned up the UI, at times making information much more frustrating to get to, at other times leaving it much more streamlined.

    4th They increased the rate of *time*. Whereas before you had seasons, now you just have the summer. This has the adverse effect of killing off your agents and generals much quicker.

    5th They attempted to make politics a bigger deal, instead of just having your family do everything. However, this attempt largely failed.

    Here's what I like and don't like:

    Like Expanding takes forever. Empires, not counting freaks of nature like Alexander, are not built at the speed that they are accomplished in Rome and Medieval and even, to an extent, Shogun and Empire. Right now, my homeland is the Italian Peninsula; I depend on that for well-trained and equipped soldiers. In no previous game have I ever had to consider that. I just took what I needed, and it was ready to be used when I got there, so I expanded out as a single wave. This is more like the tide rising.

    Like Diversified cities. I have trade cities, and I'm careful where I place them. Not every city does every thing.

    Like Limited generals. It forces you to pick and choose where to apply forces. Rome did not have people simultaneously conquering everything. Romans did not generally allow a single family to simply make all of its male children generals and statesmen and they certainly didn't have whole armies of offspring riding around on heavy cavalry, smashing through everything.

    Neutral on The AI. Somewhat better, somewhat worse. I was defeated during a siege because my victim's allies marched to his defense, just to aid in repelling my siege I have never had that happen in a TW game before. Additionally, in the open field, the AI makes better choices. The cities are cramped and crowded and the AI clearly has issues there. But, in Medieval, I halted the entire Timurid invasion with a couple cities of half-flags of basic units. Hard to say that the AI is worse, from what I've experienced.

    Neutral on the new UI. A lot of information is presented more cleanly than it ever was before. However, there are times that it falls flat. Seeing what the building trees are is very inconvenient, but not worse than in Shogun II.

    Don't like the lack of a family. I loved the family management side, marrying daughters, choosing which sons I wanted for what tasks. This is more realistic, but it is less fun.

    Don't like The poorly implemented politics system. So far, it hasn't had much impact on anything.

    Don't like The speed of the battles. Sometimes they last a while, but on the whole I'm reminded of Mechwarrior rounds with inexperienced players ten minutes jockeying for positions, and then everyone throws themselves screaming into the fray.

    Dumbest comments I've heard so far -
    "The slings have greater range than arrows lol FAIL" look up the wikipedia article on slings.
    "The unit cards took away all the information!" no, health is on the card, and if you hover over the unit, it shows you their moral, weariness, hard numbers, etc.
    "You just have to guess what the buildings are gonna do!" no, it shows you to the left, and in the encyclopedia. I've never been surprised by how much/little food I have.

    Summary it's a good game. It's not as good as I was hoping for, and the bugs are dismaying, but it's still solid and worth a little more than it's getting from TW "fans."
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  32. Sep 5, 2013
    8
    Don`t believe the critics. This game is outstanding, my only reservation was that some people do need it patching because of stability with certain system setups. I have been playing the series since Shogun 1 and they get better every time. Cant get enough of it
  33. Sep 15, 2013
    8
    I'm really scared of the state of the gaming community.

    Quick Points for lazy readers: Pros: -Nice new features including overhauled city building, strategic overview and lot's of different options in almost every department -Nicely sized map -Loading times from game to main menu are crazy fast. If you want to quickly hop from single player to multi, it takes 10 seconds. -Unit
    I'm really scared of the state of the gaming community.

    Quick Points for lazy readers:

    Pros:

    -Nice new features including overhauled city building, strategic overview and lot's of different options in almost every department
    -Nicely sized map
    -Loading times from game to main menu are crazy fast. If you want to quickly hop from single player to multi, it takes 10 seconds.
    -Unit cards are sleek and fitting; not confusing

    Cons:

    -frame rate....
    -AA on? just on or off... really?
    -Jesus Christ the faces. The lips flap like fish and the amount of distortion and lines make them looks stupid.
    -Dat blob fighting
    -AI... where are you?
    -multiplayer de-sync

    Whenever a game comes out, people expect day 1 polish when there is no initial open beta. Simply put it is impossible. Yes, the state of the game when it came out was awful, but I still played and enjoyed 30 hours of Rome before the first patch. Yes, like EVERY OTHER CA GAME SINCE EMPIRE they have proved that you beta test for a few months... maybe more. Sure, it isn't perfect but I have enjoyed almost every minute of this game.
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  34. Sep 6, 2013
    9
    Excellent game, sure the AI could be better, and it could be a bit more optimized, but name one game with anything like the scope and ambition of Rome 2? Crusader kings and Europa Universalis maybe be solid and deep games but lets face it they are a pretty interface for a spreadsheet.

    Rome 2's battles are visually epic and the campaign map is fun to play.

    loving it!!
  35. Sep 4, 2013
    8
    I don't understand why this game is receiving such hate, we all know CA releases games a tad too early but they always show strong post launch support for their products. I bet all the major kinks will be sorted out with in the coming weeks.

    As for game play it was exactly what I wanted. An improved version of the first Total War that I ever played with great visuals and increased
    I don't understand why this game is receiving such hate, we all know CA releases games a tad too early but they always show strong post launch support for their products. I bet all the major kinks will be sorted out with in the coming weeks.

    As for game play it was exactly what I wanted. An improved version of the first Total War that I ever played with great visuals and increased historical accuracy. I don't have a problem adjusting to the new UI either. You just need to dig a little deeper and you'll learn it fairly quickly. The only issues that I have are short but brutal land battles and repetitive naval battles in which all that occurs is a massive ****ing ram fest.

    As for everyone having issues with their games crashing and horrible graphics and texture issues, I've got no idea what the hell is going on as my game has only crashed once in fifteen hours. I can also run it on extreme/ultra at a solid 40 fps.

    P.S Sega published this game not EA, the amount of idiots bashing the wrong people is astounding.
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  36. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    Rome 2 was the most awaited game for me since probably Rome. I still play Rome, Shogun 2, and occasionally Empire and Napoleon. So in many ways I was expecting that in Rome 2 we will have the best aspects from all these other TW games. I am not disappointed at all. And, Rome 2 offers so much more.

    I did find the game a bit slow even on my extreme Alienware pc and the game probably still
    Rome 2 was the most awaited game for me since probably Rome. I still play Rome, Shogun 2, and occasionally Empire and Napoleon. So in many ways I was expecting that in Rome 2 we will have the best aspects from all these other TW games. I am not disappointed at all. And, Rome 2 offers so much more.

    I did find the game a bit slow even on my extreme Alienware pc and the game probably still needs some fine tuning, which should be done with the first patch. However, this is the grandest TW experience till date.

    On the gameplay front, the game is again slower than usual with long wait time between turns, but if you can accept this and live with it, Rome 2 will be the best strategy game you can play. I would also recommend that the first few play through need to be all about understanding the interface as even while the design is elegant it can be a bit cryptic at first glance even for seasoned TW players. However, after 10 hours of play through, which is zilch compared to the time I have spent on TW, I am comfortable enough to know about the possible strategic choices and and how to make them at each turn.

    The aspect that is most distinct about this game is that you have more and more strategic and tactical choices and more importantly you will be forced to use them on the campaign map and on the battlefield.

    Battles are so much more interesting and the amount of diversity in terms of units, tactics, terrain, action, and abilities is amazing. This is a far better battlefield experience than other TW titles.

    The art of total war is now more authentic and more diverse. Just need more factions to explore this fully.

    I believe I am going to enjoy this game for a long time.
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  37. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    This is a great game and a step on from Shogun2 both for gameplay and graphics and also for probably the best historical setting for a total war game.

    There are a lot of low scores for tech/grphical issues with some grphics cards which i am sure will be patched soon. So this should not take away from a great game. PS. for balance not a fan of the new capture points in open battles
    This is a great game and a step on from Shogun2 both for gameplay and graphics and also for probably the best historical setting for a total war game.

    There are a lot of low scores for tech/grphical issues with some grphics cards which i am sure will be patched soon. So this should not take away from a great game.

    PS. for balance not a fan of the new capture points in open battles (but its not a game breaker)
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  38. Sep 11, 2013
    10
    Positives
    Love the provincial system. It really lets you turn some cities into big factory or military production cities without it just causing constant riots. Edicts are awesome.
    I actually enjoy the UI a lot. It is different from other games and you will have to learn it, but it wasn't very difficult for me. Like the multiple victory goals. Kinda leans you towards where you want to
    Positives
    Love the provincial system. It really lets you turn some cities into big factory or military production cities without it just causing constant riots. Edicts are awesome.
    I actually enjoy the UI a lot. It is different from other games and you will have to learn it, but it wasn't very difficult for me.
    Like the multiple victory goals. Kinda leans you towards where you want to go. Also love that client states and military allies are counted towards your overall territory. Allows you to have the best empire without just murdering everyone.
    Love the different modes armies can be in Raiding, Fortification, forced march. They were something I didn't use for a long time, but realized the use of them later.
    Agents are actually pretty useful, and all seem diverse in what they can do without being OP like in Shogun 2.

    Negatives
    Dumb AI. They aren't bad in most battles, but when they are having offensive siege battles they sometimes just stand outside the walls or run into a wall of pikes. Needs work.
    Turns take a while. Especially late game. When you have lots of trade partners and see most of the world. All the factions can take a while (usually some good diplomacy and battles in that time though)
    Sometimes enemy generals won't die and just try to besiege your city every turn with like 13 guys, but the unit never dies.
    Lots of people are having bug issues (I haven't really had any yet) One freeze during a lot of play.

    Overall this game is probably an 7-8 right now. It needs some work, but the work is being done, so as long as it gets done I'm still giving it a 10. The game has AWESOME potential, and is still very enjoyable to play. I'd suggest waiting like 6 months if you haven't gotten the game so some kinks are worked out. I'm just tired of seeing a million 0's from people who just don't like the AI or UI. Wait a while and get the game. I wouldn't want to miss this game just because of a crap buggy launch.
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  39. Sep 8, 2013
    9
    Total War has been a long standing favorite of my mine. I've been with the franchise since the first Rome: Total War so this game is like coming full circle for me. While it's not a perfect homecoming by any means, it's a homecoming that any Total War fan will enjoy.
  40. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    good game, suffers from a bit of performance issues, but the gameplay still holds true, making this a fine installation into the total war series and a real gem once everything is ironed out
  41. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    Boy I was really excited for this one. I pre-ordered and avidly pursued all I could that was available to preview before its release. I'd say about a week or so before its scheduled release I became worried and then irritated at a load of negative perception on the TWC forums from folks who just seemed determined to be angry at CA for either the price, or the DLC or something relativelyBoy I was really excited for this one. I pre-ordered and avidly pursued all I could that was available to preview before its release. I'd say about a week or so before its scheduled release I became worried and then irritated at a load of negative perception on the TWC forums from folks who just seemed determined to be angry at CA for either the price, or the DLC or something relatively trivial in comparison to the scope and grandeur of the game. Some of the more serious complaints centered around the AI. Then the first reviews came out and they were mixed... with reviewers claiming something bad (like naval combat) while others claiming the same things was good. So here it is on release day and 10 hours later I am thrilled with this game. I've been playing TW games since MTW1 so I am no newcomer to the franchise and this is the best one yet. Hands down. I was so relieved that the AI was not terrible either in campaign mode or in battle mode. Especially considering it is release day and as history shows CA will improve the game immensely from now on and then mods will pick up the torch and in the end it will be one of the best games I've ever played. Graphics are superb, UI is superb, sound is superb, action is superb, immersion is superb. Except that the wait between turns is a tad lengthy. I highly recommend this game. It is worth buying now at a premium price and will be absolutely worth buying for less in the future. Expand
  42. Sep 11, 2013
    10
    ver 1.1 Simply put. Anyone complaining about low FPS must just have a out dated PC. Please its time to upgrade. Do you wanna be stuck with console graphics forever. A i7 sandy ivy or haswell and a gtx770+ or 7970ghz+ run this game at 60+ on Ultra all day every day. Its like people expect their crap PC's to play the best graphical RTS with over 1000+ individual men on the battle fields. Itsver 1.1 Simply put. Anyone complaining about low FPS must just have a out dated PC. Please its time to upgrade. Do you wanna be stuck with console graphics forever. A i7 sandy ivy or haswell and a gtx770+ or 7970ghz+ run this game at 60+ on Ultra all day every day. Its like people expect their crap PC's to play the best graphical RTS with over 1000+ individual men on the battle fields. Its just not gonna happen. Most of the bugs people complained about were fixed very fast. There is so much that the devs put into this game most other games you pay $60 for don't have 1/4 of the content. The AI is great despite what people say. The enemy will "Lure" "Flank" "Double Flank" and even set up ambushes from the other side of hills or in trees. How is this bad AI? I guess people want to see a blitzkrieg every battle. Don't listen to the junky PC haters out there and do yourself a favor and buy this game. I pirated the game and loved it so much I bought it for $60. Not waiting for steam sale on this one. I usually never buy games unless i have to or the game is so good the devs deserve my money, so that says a lot. I still can't believe these user reviews. Its clear that only Critics and 500 users actually have good gaming rigs. Expand
  43. Sep 9, 2013
    8
    Many negative user reviews are coming out about this game and I would like to give a less emotional review. Rome 2 feels similar to Shogun 2 with more realistic battle engagements than in past total war games. Many elements of the original Rome have been updated to be more streamlined and easier to understand (which has been the source of many negative reviews). If you are a fan of theMany negative user reviews are coming out about this game and I would like to give a less emotional review. Rome 2 feels similar to Shogun 2 with more realistic battle engagements than in past total war games. Many elements of the original Rome have been updated to be more streamlined and easier to understand (which has been the source of many negative reviews). If you are a fan of the Total War series then you might not be happy with some of the changes they have made. However, if you are new to the series, you will be blown away by how good it is.

    Creative Assembly had set the bar really high with the original release of Rome. They don't quite live up to the expectations but Rome 2 is still a great game.
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  44. Oct 5, 2013
    8
    this game may not be the best TW game, but this is certainly an extremely good one but with bugs. Alot of the bugs others are getting I'm not getting so I had a good experience. Everytime I go into a siege battle where I'm the attacker the game always crashes so that was a let down
  45. Dec 5, 2013
    10
    Game is great. Patches help. Mods help more. I have played every TW game and this is the one I have gotten most into. Over 140 hours into it so far. As Suebia literally at war with all of Spain, Greece, and Rome and its never a dull moment. Never had a crash or any tech issues. They have auto guard now btw, that's why there is no guard button. Probably takes a long time to adjust to theGame is great. Patches help. Mods help more. I have played every TW game and this is the one I have gotten most into. Over 140 hours into it so far. As Suebia literally at war with all of Spain, Greece, and Rome and its never a dull moment. Never had a crash or any tech issues. They have auto guard now btw, that's why there is no guard button. Probably takes a long time to adjust to the changes but they are all for the best. AI still needs work, but mods make that irrelevant. Expand
  46. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    O jogo sensacional, grandioso em todos os aspectos. CA tem feito um grande trabalho em manter viva e sólida a franquia. Quanto aos problemas comumente citados, provavelmente serão corrigidos, talvez com exceção da AI, mas a otimização do jogo, a correção de pequenas imperfeições e uma diminuição no tempo de carregamento entre turnos levará esse jogo ao pedestal do melhor já feito sobreO jogo sensacional, grandioso em todos os aspectos. CA tem feito um grande trabalho em manter viva e sólida a franquia. Quanto aos problemas comumente citados, provavelmente serão corrigidos, talvez com exceção da AI, mas a otimização do jogo, a correção de pequenas imperfeições e uma diminuição no tempo de carregamento entre turnos levará esse jogo ao pedestal do melhor já feito sobre esse período histórico, rivalizando apenas com seu antecessor. Expand
  47. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    It might not be the best total war game yet, but they will patch it soon and fix everything wrong with the game. They should have been more prepared for the release, but giving it a score as low such as a straight up 0 is jumping the gun.
  48. Sep 5, 2013
    9
    Best TW ever. Period
    TW are always a game about create a giant army and fight against giant armies. Rome II was the first step to be less TOTAL WAR and litte more Grand Strategy, and I love it.
    The game have bugs, yes, but my PC runs the game well, the IA is bad, like all TW. "OH THE GAME IS A CRAP BAD OPTIMIZATION, BAD GAME, CA IS THE WORST COMPANY EVER" CA is fixing it, and you
    Best TW ever. Period
    TW are always a game about create a giant army and fight against giant armies. Rome II was the first step to be less TOTAL WAR and litte more Grand Strategy, and I love it.

    The game have bugs, yes, but my PC runs the game well, the IA is bad, like all TW.

    "OH THE GAME IS A CRAP BAD OPTIMIZATION, BAD GAME, CA IS THE WORST COMPANY EVER"
    CA is fixing it, and you play Rome II in December and say, Oh, the game is... cool.

    Rome II patches 10/10

    Contragulations CA!
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  49. Sep 11, 2013
    9
    Does the game beat the good old classic Rome: Total War? In some areas it does, in some it does not.

    The Creative Assembly did a good job in creating this sequel. Rome 2 Total War has very good gameplay and shows nice visuals. Also the game is more historical correct to the timeperiod than the previous Rome game. Diplomacy is now very clear and shows great details of their opinions of
    Does the game beat the good old classic Rome: Total War? In some areas it does, in some it does not.

    The Creative Assembly did a good job in creating this sequel. Rome 2 Total War has very good gameplay and shows nice visuals. Also the game is more historical correct to the timeperiod than the previous Rome game. Diplomacy is now very clear and shows great details of their opinions of your faction of choice.

    The visuals of the game a very nice. The game features a cinematic camera which places your view right into the action. However, the game is said to be optimised for low end computers. But many crashes and bugs have been reported already. With high settings, the game can be played at 25-30 fps on a mediocre computer. But the lower end computers will really suffer from big armies marching on screen.

    The UI of the game can be confusing when you just start the game. And takes too much from the screen. But some elements of the UI can be collapsed. But a new played will not be able to play sufficient without these elements, which takes away the point of having the ability to collapse.

    The AI of the game seems to deploy their troops in the same locations over and over agian. And does not really seem to use any tactics. Compared to the previous Rome Total War game, this game however has better diplomacy. Allies will not suddenly attack without a reason and you can clearly see the reasons why factions like or hate you.

    City management has changed very much. In this sequal, the player can capture regions/provinces. By only selecting one of the minor towns or by selecting the major city of a region, one can build in all towns and cities of that region. So the player does not have to go through all the cities to see if there is anything to be done or to check public order. Because public order is managed in a region, not per city or town. Also the role of towns and cities have changed. The major town/city of a region is ment to focus on military and entertainment, while the minor towns focus on production. But the player has the freedom of choice to build any building in any town. Capturing an intire province/region gives the player the option to boost their region.

    The multiplayer works similar to that of Shogun 2 Total War, but without a random match maker. The player can now set up a match or join a match.

    Overall the game has its flaws but those can be, and I am sure they will be fixed by The Creative Assembly in the future.
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  50. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    People complaining about performance and graphical issues has clearly not been with the series from the start. This is a massive game and it's hard to have it fully optimized on release. Previous games has had the same issues, but the bugs and fps drops will solved be solved within 1-2 weeks. But we'll probably have to wait about 4 months until it's fully optimized.
    The gameplay is
    People complaining about performance and graphical issues has clearly not been with the series from the start. This is a massive game and it's hard to have it fully optimized on release. Previous games has had the same issues, but the bugs and fps drops will solved be solved within 1-2 weeks. But we'll probably have to wait about 4 months until it's fully optimized.
    The gameplay is amazing! I really got that feel that ruled an empire. Loved the combat and all the new features!
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  51. Sep 5, 2013
    8
    This game is quite good even if there have been a lot of changes compared to every other total war. They might be confusing at first but might prove interesting in the long run.

    Graphics are good except the characters (generals, agents...) portraits in the campaign map which look low quality somehow. Battles are very dynamic and interesting, much deadlier than before which reflects the
    This game is quite good even if there have been a lot of changes compared to every other total war. They might be confusing at first but might prove interesting in the long run.

    Graphics are good except the characters (generals, agents...) portraits in the campaign map which look low quality somehow. Battles are very dynamic and interesting, much deadlier than before which reflects the savage times.

    The sea+land battles aren't really great but maybe it gets better with higher technology tier.

    The AI is still more or less the same, a darthmod will probably make the game much better... but so far it's quite good.

    Performance wise, i guess people who complain got hamster-powered PCs, everything's on extreme here and i just have an i5 3570k a GTX 660 TI and it's smooth like hell so a decent rig but nowhere near high end. Just some textures look kinda bad sometimes, i guess some DLC will fix it. Also, loading times are much, much, much better than shogun II which took aeons to load.

    The only thing that still didn't change and still doesn't make one bit of a sense is that if u defeat a faction, along with ur allies and that u turn this faction as ur "client state", your allies are still at war with it. It's absurd. It was the same in Shogun...

    I don't know about all the crying on the family tree. U guys played 2 minutes or what Or u don't understand the whole new concept they created for senate control It's not about a dynasty anymore, it's about a whole family that has to rule Rome.

    Idem for generals, they are generals a set number of years, then they change job, so you have to renew them.

    Stop crying everytime someone is innovating or go develop yourself a total war game.
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  52. Oct 4, 2013
    9
    This is a great game that had an awful release. I had issues with the game, but now, with Patch 4 out, my concerns are addressed and I truly enjoy the whole game. That being said, I already put in 100 hours in its imperfect state!

    What Rome 2 has in bounds, and shares this with the best other TW titles, is atmosphere. And I'd argue that Rome 2 surpasses them on the campaign map
    This is a great game that had an awful release. I had issues with the game, but now, with Patch 4 out, my concerns are addressed and I truly enjoy the whole game. That being said, I already put in 100 hours in its imperfect state!

    What Rome 2 has in bounds, and shares this with the best other TW titles, is atmosphere. And I'd argue that Rome 2 surpasses them on the campaign map alone. The map is massive and well designed. The forests of Germania have paths that can allow for chokepoints every so often, while the northern steppes are vast, hard to cross, and frustrating to fight in. The same can be said for the deserts in Arabia and Gedrosia.

    Diplomacy is the best in any TW. Your ally's territory now counts towards your victory goals, so the days of backstabbing allies are over (unless you want to). I cultivated an alliance with Media Atropane and watched happily as they took care of the nomads that were bothering me.

    Battles are fun as well especially with the recent patches. Playing as Parthia, running circles around phalanx troops and crushing then has never been more fun. My strategies had to change for each faction type I faced (Eastern, Greek, etc).

    The role playing aspect has shifted somewhat. If you go slowly, you can sort of get into generals themselves, but the real aspect that makes you attached is the ability to name and level up armies. It's very fun to have specialized armies I had one used for hard siege battles, and another that was more mobile and fast.

    Overall, the games has some flaws I don't feel attached to my generals (just like I didn't in Shogun 2: FotS or ETW/Nap), and the earlier flaws in gameplay were awful.

    I enjoy the new building system. Gone are the days of building everything in each settlement as Rome I had three different coastal cities with three different port types. This adds to the strategic value of settlements, since if the AI takes my military port, my navies will struggle if they take losses. Same goes for the trading port I'll lose a lot of money.

    Non-coastal settlements are the same way. I had an industry and trade-heavy settlement, fed by a few settlements of farms and temples for happiness. The AI took my farming settlement, and suddenly I had a food shortage and less happiness. The ability to have groups of settlements in larger territories, and to issue edicts that benefit multiple provinces is a great way to push for strategic conquests and boost things like trade, food, happiness, and recruitment.

    As it stands, Rome II is a fantastic game and well worth playing. I'm looking forward to taking my best legion and marching off into Thrace now, fighting many unique factions and in diverse landscapes. Love it!
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  53. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    This is the Total War game so many have been waiting for. People complaining about performance issues and lack of multi-card support really need to relax until drivers and profiles have been released. Have you ever bought a new game before? The load times in this are excellent compared to Shogun 2, if you think otherwise... get a SSD. Load times have been a couple seconds at the most. ThisThis is the Total War game so many have been waiting for. People complaining about performance issues and lack of multi-card support really need to relax until drivers and profiles have been released. Have you ever bought a new game before? The load times in this are excellent compared to Shogun 2, if you think otherwise... get a SSD. Load times have been a couple seconds at the most. This game will provide hundreds and hundreds of great hours of epic scaled gaming. I can easily say best game I've bought all year, not to mention the only game I've bothered to pre-order. Any Total War fan knew what they in for when they pre-ordered this. To those who didn't know what they were getting into, just be patient; this is the price you pay for greatness. A required addition to the collection for any Total War fan, and a highly recommended addition for anyone that has hours to burn on another CA masterpiece. Expand
  54. Fir
    Sep 4, 2013
    9
    Compared to the original Rome, almost everything has noticeably changed aside from the setting and the staples of Total War games (Real time battles, turn based empire management, controlling regions, etc.). However, compared to the more recent TW games like Empire and Shogun 2, there's a lot of similarities, so if you've played those than a lot of this should sound familiar. Here's aCompared to the original Rome, almost everything has noticeably changed aside from the setting and the staples of Total War games (Real time battles, turn based empire management, controlling regions, etc.). However, compared to the more recent TW games like Empire and Shogun 2, there's a lot of similarities, so if you've played those than a lot of this should sound familiar. Here's a rundown of the differences I've found from Rome 1:
    -Cities are very different. In Rome 1 each region had its own settlement that you could build on and upgrade to infinite, in Rome 2 settlements are combined into provinces, where there is one major capital of the region that gets walls, and the rest are smaller towns without walls. As an example, the province of Italia has 4 settlements that make up northern Italy, with Rome as the capital of the province. Many of the main capital cities like Carthage, Alexandria, Rome, etc. have unique layouts. Cities now have a certain number of building slots, that can be filled with certain buildings, meaning cities have to be specialized (cities focused on army production, trade, culture, etc.), instead of building anything and everything you wanted. Empire and Shogun 2 had similar setups.
    Prepare to think hard about what buildings to build and be ready for a lot more small town wall-less battles, seeing as the vast majority of settlements don't have walls, which was almost unheard of in the original Rome. Personally I really like the city-slot system, as its got much more depth than the "build whatever you want wherever you can afford it" of the original, though I wish more cities had walls because siege weapons are fun.
    The overall game map is also noticeably bigger, stretching all the way from Spain to western India, covering more of Northern/Eastern Europe as well as the entire Arabian Peninsula. The map is a little more streamlined, since armies are fewer and far between (see below).
    There's also a research tree (similar to Civ), that means there's progression in buildings and units as you play, instead of Rome 1 where everyone except Rome had the same buildings/units available in turn 1 as they did in turn 200. The system is simple, with a tree focused on military stuff and a tree focused on economic/empire management (very similar to Shogun 2).
    -Army management has some major differences. Cities now have their own, free defenders based on the level of defenses for the city, meaning every settlement, big or small, has some level of inherent defense. The number of actual armies you can control is based on the number of regions you control and they have to be led by named generals, meaning you have to move and manage your armies with purpose and intent and you can't just throw some units together on a whim when you see an enemy army coming. Also, naval combat is in this one and its freaking awesome, along with the ability to land naval units/transports during battle, meaning armies and navies can co-exist in a single fight.
    -Armies and generals get upgrades as they fight (very similar to Shogun 2), meaning you get to specialize your armies and generals to your liking. The system of traits and retainers for generals is still there, but you have a lot more control over how your generals progress and what retainers they take along, though much like Rome 1 many of the traits feel pretty negligible (+3% skirmisher attack speed, +5% morale, etc). Agents are very different from Rome 1 (no more diplomats thank god), and have a similar upgrade tree to generals. Families play a much less important role in Rome 2 than Rome 1, though each faction has a political "senate-esque" system they have to deal with, which is cool.
    -Unit and faction diversity is comparable to Rome 1, with more of a focus on historical accuracy in this one, IMO. Each faction has different traits, and then there families within each faction that vary the traits and abilities even more, meaning there's a lot of differences in each of the factions (the complete opposite of Shogun 2 or Empire).
    -The battles themselves are excellent, the amount of detail on each soldier's armor and the way they interact with the world is freaking awesome, whether its watching soldiers jump through marketplaces and break things or put up their shields during missile attacks and talk about the enemy's aim. The battles aren't as "flashy" as Rome 1 could be, but the feel and the atmosphere is far superior. The AI is challenging on higher difficulties, but every now and again it totally screws up and that can break a lot of the immersion. The UI is hit or miss, I like the aesthetic but the overall lack of numbers and extended tooltips means it's hard to catch stuff at a glance and is clunky until you memorize what all the buttons and symbols mean. Some people don't like the "faded" color-scheme and overall hue of the game, but it doesn't bother me.
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  55. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    Ganhou meu 10! item indispensável àqueles que gostam de história e jogos de estratégia que desafiam o intelecto. E jogadores novatos, não se preocupem, o simples fato de ver milhares de soldados combatendo uns aos outros e o prazer sádico de observar tapetes de corpos inimigos espalhado pelo campo de batalha já valem a compra.
  56. Sep 10, 2013
    8
    20130910 I really don't understand the negative reviews at all. I've played the game daily since it was released and I'm still enjoying the heck out of it. I played STW, MTW, RTW, MTWII, ETW, NTW, STW2. This game really isn't any different from those games, just updated.

    I notice that people keep whining about the lack of a family tree; frankly I don't need a family full of halfwit
    20130910 I really don't understand the negative reviews at all. I've played the game daily since it was released and I'm still enjoying the heck out of it. I played STW, MTW, RTW, MTWII, ETW, NTW, STW2. This game really isn't any different from those games, just updated.

    I notice that people keep whining about the lack of a family tree; frankly I don't need a family full of halfwit generals that get shunted to backwater posts where they can accumulate even more negative traits and breed an even larger army of halfwit children. Other people gripe about a lack of guard mode learn the controls, you can assign an AI behavior to duplicate that.

    The only gameplay thing that really bothers me is that a blockade by some other faction on a port city will keep me from invading the port city with my army. I read somewhere that this will be fixed, so I'm not terribly worried about it. Most of my actual complaints are so minor that I can't even think of them right now.

    All that said, you do need a pretty awesome computer to play this with a lot of maxed out eye-candy. I'm running an amd fx4 with 8gb and a gtx 470 and I'm playing with most features on low. I'm upgrading to an hd 7950 this week so I'll see if a little more video card grunt helps significantly or not and will see about updating my review with that information.

    One thing I hate about the internet is the expansion of the entitlement mentality regarding trivial stuff like games. It's difficult to believe that so many people are whining so loudly about this. Almost makes me wish that the internet could be rolled back.
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  57. Sep 15, 2013
    10
    I know there was a lot of bugs for some people but I, like many others, had no problem playing this game flawlessly and I would like to say that it is an outstanding game that adds in many new features and the ai is a huge step up from previous games. Pity people who cant play this game at all feel the need to give it a 0 score when they clearly haven't experienced it
  58. Oct 4, 2013
    9
    After a rough launch, Rome II finally shines. Four *massive* patches in the first four weeks have put the game back on the throne it deserves. The game runs beautifully on Very High/Ultra for me, even on my 5 year old PC. And with the latest patch, balance, performance, AI, and most importantly fun are there. 10/10. LOVE this game. Don't believe the naysayers. It is most definitely worthAfter a rough launch, Rome II finally shines. Four *massive* patches in the first four weeks have put the game back on the throne it deserves. The game runs beautifully on Very High/Ultra for me, even on my 5 year old PC. And with the latest patch, balance, performance, AI, and most importantly fun are there. 10/10. LOVE this game. Don't believe the naysayers. It is most definitely worth the money, and more. Expand
  59. Sep 3, 2013
    10
    I love the first Rome total war 1 ,and now the 2 it's like a perfect version of the 1 so if u are someone that played the 1 you have to play the 2.it's your heaven!.
  60. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    This game is absolutely what I expected it to be and actually much more! Seems as though many of CA's customers are retards though. First off, if you expected to play this game with 20 unit armies, amphibious battles and well over forty factions with five year old pc equipment on ultra everything and maintain a steady 30+ fps then you are a very misinformed person. I saw peopleThis game is absolutely what I expected it to be and actually much more! Seems as though many of CA's customers are retards though. First off, if you expected to play this game with 20 unit armies, amphibious battles and well over forty factions with five year old pc equipment on ultra everything and maintain a steady 30+ fps then you are a very misinformed person. I saw people complaining about the fact that they're i7 940 with 2 gigs of 800mhz ram and their 460g cant run the game faster than thirty fps on high settings. Are you Seriously, stop whining and look at the facts. You are using well outdated equipment to play a game that is pretty much next gen. I have an i7 2.4ghz processor, 8 gigs of 1600mhz ram and a 7970m and I'm having no issues on ultra and these are laptop parts! I mean come on seriously! Save your money up and get some new parts, pc gaming has always been an expensive hobby but a bunch of idiotic kids don't know the difference between a graphics card and a good one.

    Now that I've gotten that out. This game is amazing! A totally different experience then shogun 2 and I must say I am glad that I didn't watch all of the pre-release videos. I was overwhelmed at first with all the new mechanics and gameplay, but I feel like Paradox Interactive and The Creative Assembly had a baby together. This is pretty much EU Rome Total war 4,000. Once they patch all of the FIXABLE issues, this will absolutely be on every strategy gamers must have list. I hated Shogun 2 but damn they still got it.
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  61. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    This is a Good Game, and I will stand by my "9". I do not see how people can justify giving the game a Zero simply because 1) there machine cannot run it (which is a lot of them) or 2) small, petty superficial problems that will be fixed in a few weeks. It is sad that the game is getting rated so low because of people's ignorance and lack of patience. It is a solid game. The Cultures allThis is a Good Game, and I will stand by my "9". I do not see how people can justify giving the game a Zero simply because 1) there machine cannot run it (which is a lot of them) or 2) small, petty superficial problems that will be fixed in a few weeks. It is sad that the game is getting rated so low because of people's ignorance and lack of patience. It is a solid game. The Cultures all look and play differently, unlike Shogun 2 where each faction had 2 or 3 unique units but all played identically. There are no game breaking problems IF you have a good computer and many of the "major issues" will be gone within a few weeks. If you like Total War games, This game is for you. Expand
  62. Sep 6, 2013
    9
    Yes the game may not be perfect on release. But if you can look past that its awesome.
    Rome 2 will become the best total war game ever made.
    Yes even better then empire. :P
    And hopefully Darth comes back to mod the crap out of the game. :P
  63. Sep 10, 2013
    9
    Nothing wrong with the performance, maybe the AI turns take to long, but this IS a long winded game, play your turn, click End Turn, then do something else for a minute or two. If you would rather the AI do nothing then I can understand your gripe.

    The reason I have marked it down is because I really can't stand open land battles, where if I'm not guarding a point on the map, then the
    Nothing wrong with the performance, maybe the AI turns take to long, but this IS a long winded game, play your turn, click End Turn, then do something else for a minute or two. If you would rather the AI do nothing then I can understand your gripe.

    The reason I have marked it down is because I really can't stand open land battles, where if I'm not guarding a point on the map, then the AI can walk in, take the point, and win the battle. I had this when I had deployed my army defensively up a hill away from the center of the map, but the AI just marched over to where the single point is, captured it, and won. I think its a great addition to city battles, but I'd rather be left to slug it out when I'm on the battlefield thanks.
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  64. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    I really don't understand all the hate about this game. People review it basing themselves on the bugs which are to be fixed 1 week after launch. They waited so long for this game (so did I, but not fooling myself) that their expectations were unreachable and are therefore really disappointed. Seriously, this game may deserve a 6 or 7 if you don't like it, but all these 0 aren't correct.I really don't understand all the hate about this game. People review it basing themselves on the bugs which are to be fixed 1 week after launch. They waited so long for this game (so did I, but not fooling myself) that their expectations were unreachable and are therefore really disappointed. Seriously, this game may deserve a 6 or 7 if you don't like it, but all these 0 aren't correct.
    But what I have been playing for already 15 hours is in fact a great game which needs minor fixes beside what have always been Total War games' real flaw: its AI (which is why I'm not giving a 10). CA has in fact improved much, you don't feel like you can't lose anymore after the 10th turn like in Shogun. There's always that mighty eastern empire or that gallic confederation that makes the game constantly hard (even when minor civilisations are very easily crushed). If you have a strong computer, this game is beautiful, music is magnificent, voice acting is splendid and the game is really immersive all in all. The different civilisations are really different to play and it has been done well (I tested Iceni, Rome, Pontus and Egypt).
    So this is a great game and the critic reviews are far more realistic than those of these pissed off, never content players that don't even consider that the modding community can fix the flaws about which they scream so hard (they would surely scream just as loud if CA had done exactly the opposite...)
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  65. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    Probably the most fun I have had on a total war game in years, yes there are some frame rate issues and the AI can be a little underwhelming at times but if you aren't prepared it can still kick your arse. My advise would be to ignore the people giving it a 0-4 due to frame rate drops because that doesn't justify the massive scale and huge amount of work that has gone into this strategicProbably the most fun I have had on a total war game in years, yes there are some frame rate issues and the AI can be a little underwhelming at times but if you aren't prepared it can still kick your arse. My advise would be to ignore the people giving it a 0-4 due to frame rate drops because that doesn't justify the massive scale and huge amount of work that has gone into this strategic behemoth the game still improves on the many previous total war games and I have no doubt it shall continue to improve. Expand
  66. Sep 7, 2013
    9
    First of all i want to say that the release day glitches are patched today so stop since total war usually has release day glitches albeit this one was a annoying one if you got it. Anyways the campaign map and battle setting are breathtaking, the game has attention to detail, the units and faction are historically accurate and the little improvements go a long way. It is a must buy forFirst of all i want to say that the release day glitches are patched today so stop since total war usually has release day glitches albeit this one was a annoying one if you got it. Anyways the campaign map and battle setting are breathtaking, the game has attention to detail, the units and faction are historically accurate and the little improvements go a long way. It is a must buy for total war fans and strategy game enthusiasts in general. Expand
  67. Sep 8, 2013
    10
    This game is amazing! It's WAY better then Shogun 2, I say this because I didnt like the game or where it was set. The really awesome thing is how f*cking realistic this is, when an enemy throws a javelin in your soldier's shields, they stay there throughout the battle and you randomly can just see deer in the background of battles derping. I know alot of people have problems with thisThis game is amazing! It's WAY better then Shogun 2, I say this because I didnt like the game or where it was set. The really awesome thing is how f*cking realistic this is, when an enemy throws a javelin in your soldier's shields, they stay there throughout the battle and you randomly can just see deer in the background of battles derping. I know alot of people have problems with this game, but it's not because of CA, it's because of NVIDIA or AMD. I did some changes to my NVIDIA control panel and everything works great! GotY 2013! Expand
  68. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    Been a fan of the Total War series from the start and this new installment does not disappoint. Plays like most Total War games with a few changes that I don't mind, although the transfer of troops from one army to another should be changed back to the old way, other than that I'm fine with the changes. The graphics look great, especially being run on ultra with my "optimized" setup and IBeen a fan of the Total War series from the start and this new installment does not disappoint. Plays like most Total War games with a few changes that I don't mind, although the transfer of troops from one army to another should be changed back to the old way, other than that I'm fine with the changes. The graphics look great, especially being run on ultra with my "optimized" setup and I have only dropped below 50fps on one siege that I ran yesterday against Athens, so no sure what others are running to be having all these problems. (EVGA 660ti, i7 3770k CPU, 32 Gigs or Ram, BenQ XL2720T) Expand
  69. Sep 13, 2013
    10
    The game is great now with the last patch!!!!!! And CA will release another patch the nest week. I think you should give the game a second oportunity!
  70. Sep 24, 2013
    9
    I dont get why people are on this game so much for things that can be overcome and fixed. Let's start from the top, the Graphics, they are perfect the way they are and with few minor glitches (for some may be more) are perfect to me, people are on them because apparently they want to pay for another graphics card, they made them that way to help save some budget and have betterI dont get why people are on this game so much for things that can be overcome and fixed. Let's start from the top, the Graphics, they are perfect the way they are and with few minor glitches (for some may be more) are perfect to me, people are on them because apparently they want to pay for another graphics card, they made them that way to help save some budget and have better optimization for low-mid end pc's. AI, yes it is bad, but CA is steadily making improvements, stop spamming them about it, they will fix it. The interface is much more simple, i like to be able to control my settlements all in one panel instead of clicking on each individual town. And the release, people are on CA and Sega without knowing who even rushed the game, we dont know who rushed it, the only thing we know, is they didnt have testing or indepedant testers. They will fix the game, they have already rolled out 8 patches. Expand
  71. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    As a devoted TW fan, I have been waiting for this for almost 10 years, and it does not disappoint. Every aspect has been improved upon and by god is it addicting. It may suffer from a few bugs here and there, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is an extremely entertaining and well crafted game. All TW games are massive, and therefore it takes a few patches to fix the stuffAs a devoted TW fan, I have been waiting for this for almost 10 years, and it does not disappoint. Every aspect has been improved upon and by god is it addicting. It may suffer from a few bugs here and there, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is an extremely entertaining and well crafted game. All TW games are massive, and therefore it takes a few patches to fix the stuff that's broken. But this is already a great experience. Thank you, CA, thank you for a great game.

    And hopefully the idiots that plague this page will get some common sense and realize that making games is difficult, and that their doesn't help.
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  72. Sep 4, 2013
    10
    I'm loving this game, there are some random bugs with AI. BUT! Creative Assembly always patches their games to a more enjoyable state, that's for sure.
  73. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Despite minor problems this still is the next Total War game that I have been waiting for so long. And as known, CA will fix most of the problems in the near future.

    There is some thing I dislike however. For some reason, the encyclopedia seems much more complicated and it is sometime hard to figure out what buildings recruit what units and other requirements. About performance have to
    Despite minor problems this still is the next Total War game that I have been waiting for so long. And as known, CA will fix most of the problems in the near future.

    There is some thing I dislike however. For some reason, the encyclopedia seems much more complicated and it is sometime hard to figure out what buildings recruit what units and other requirements. About performance have to say that there is lag sometime, but this far I haven't experienced any crashes.

    9/10 because it's not perfect, but the this far the best TW game. Hopefully they will fix everything soon so that people don't get too angry.
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  74. Sep 6, 2013
    8
    The graphics are beautiful and I have experienced few problems. It has taken a couple of days to learn the new features but I now have a good Roman faction game going. On the negative side, it takes enormous patience to wait for turns to complete and I'm not fond of the unit cards. I know that It will be my favorite game for several years and I look forward to enhancement from CA orThe graphics are beautiful and I have experienced few problems. It has taken a couple of days to learn the new features but I now have a good Roman faction game going. On the negative side, it takes enormous patience to wait for turns to complete and I'm not fond of the unit cards. I know that It will be my favorite game for several years and I look forward to enhancement from CA or modding community. Expand
  75. Sep 6, 2013
    8
    Everyone is bashing on this game because of the glitches present at the launch. People, look past the glitches and look at the game itself. It's still the deep total war experience we all know and love, they didn't change anything drastic or completely ruin the game. Now these glitches SHOULD NOT be here at this point in development, but a few patches should hopefully fix them. StopEveryone is bashing on this game because of the glitches present at the launch. People, look past the glitches and look at the game itself. It's still the deep total war experience we all know and love, they didn't change anything drastic or completely ruin the game. Now these glitches SHOULD NOT be here at this point in development, but a few patches should hopefully fix them. Stop calling this the worst game ever just because of glitches. Those can be ironed out. It's not like they changed the total war formula entirely or anything, the game itself is still great, and one of the best total war games I've played. The only fault I've had with this is that the AI is still pretty awful. Sending slingers in to charge my Spartans, running a full charge and turning back just at the last second, etc. I'm sure the AI can be fixed to some extent by patches or by the community. The game isn't perfect, but by no means does it deserve a zero like some of you have been giving it. Glitches can be fixed. Expand
  76. Sep 15, 2013
    9
    This game is a solid 8 at least, no matter how low it's rated here.
    The only thing these haters are right about is the pathetic AI, which, well, it is indeed pathetic.
    You don't want to pay for a flawed TW game? Wait some months until a solid body of patches and mods fix AI and major bugs, and then buy the game. You should already know by now that CA likes to release games that need
    This game is a solid 8 at least, no matter how low it's rated here.
    The only thing these haters are right about is the pathetic AI, which, well, it is indeed pathetic.
    You don't want to pay for a flawed TW game? Wait some months until a solid body of patches and mods fix AI and major bugs, and then buy the game. You should already know by now that CA likes to release games that need patching/modding in order to achieve the quality we all like.

    But, anyway, what about Rome II's virtues? Only half of the people here are talking about those.
    I've played all TW titles since the original "Rome: Total War" and Rome II has absolutely the best graphics by light years (anyone who says this is a "repixelated" version of Rome:TW whatever that means...LOL, is either a fool or a liar (or has a rig that can't handle Rome II and the game is lowering texture and model quality according to the system capabilities).
    Rome II isn't a pain in the arse to micro/macro manage and has, AT LAST, a clear diplomacy system that makes sense, unlike the original Rome:TW.
    A pretty lame AI is the only real flaw of Rome II, the rest rocks big time. Give them time to improve AI/develop mods and this stuff will be a milestone in ancient era strategy games.

    I don't understand why people is saying Shogun II had a better UI when Rome II has pretty much the same. But anyway, some of them are rating this game a 0 only because they don't like the UI.
    Don't worry guys, someone will patch it or make a mod soon enough that will end your misgivings.
    You think Rome:TW had an intuitive UI? LOL. I hated spending 10 entire minutes endlessly clicking different windows and icons only to manage my construction reports, and after that I had to manage my unit recruitment reports which meant 5 additional minutes of clicking, and after that I had to spend 5 more minutes managing diplomacy and agent actions. So we are talking about AT LEAST 20 minutes of clicking all sorts of things just to manage the basic elements of my faction EVERY TURN.
    The rest of the time I spent moving troops, warring and checking my settlements INDIVIDUALLY (when I had a few of them it was fun, but when I had 30+ it started being really annoying). What many people here is complaining about is that they no longer get to spend nearly half an hour in managing their settlements and getting sick of it in the process.
    Rome II's provincial managing makes it so much faster/easier to handle settlements and troops I can't believe you guys don't like it. And what about the building tree? How many buildings do you need?
    I hated it when I had 10 different types of shrines and temples, when I didn't need a third of them.
    In Rome:TW you didn't need half the buildings available for construction, so what was the point? Immersion? Don't worry, I'm sure someone will make a mod adding hundreds of buildings.
    I like the number of buildings Rome II offers, but if someone makes a mod including more buildings I'll sure give it a try. The same goes for the tech tree, you are complaining about things that are easily solved and don't have a major impact on the game. I'm glad of the simple fact that Rome II has a tech tree, unlike Rome:TW, and If someone makes a script to add even more technologies I'll be even happier, but I won't start complaining about something I regard as an improvement .

    What about naval battles and landings? They are great features, something Rome:TW lacked and has been included in Rome II, so what's wrong? The problem is the AI which is a totally different matter and will disappear when it gets fixed, the rest is absolutely amazing and I'm glad CA included it in the game.

    It's true Rome II doesn't let you split your forces the same way Rome:TW allowed ok this is a setback but, again, I'm sure it can be changed. And what about unit recruitment? It's pretty much the same as always, you can only train troops at the settlements were you have developed the technology to train them so what's wrong about it?
    Someone complained about units becoming a blob after entering combat (losing their formation)...
    first, this also happened in the rest of TW games, second, it's realistic, when you are hitting and getting hit your concentration shifts from keeping your formation to not dying...
    And what about chariot/horse impacts? Of course units fly away and get crushed into the ground, it's kind of what happens...

    And yes, there are no family trees in Rome II, at least not like in Rome:TW, big deal... Rome II deserves a 0 for this?

    Battles are too short and easy... well, that's because the AI is lame. Again, once it gets fixed you won't stand a chance. This is the same problem all the previous TW games had and were eventually solved.
    Rome II runs at decent fps on my rig but, like the rest of TW games, it lags over time. Well, I'm amazed Rome II can run 4000+ hugely detailed units, terrain,sky, water, effects at 50fps, so that's that...

    Great game with a nasty AI and lots of potential.
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  77. Sep 11, 2013
    10
    Great game, amazing strategy map, very solid battles. Unfortunately graphic is laggy, hopefully it will improve with new patches. Still amazing experience for me.
  78. Sep 11, 2013
    10
    While Total War: Rome II was a bit of a shock in the beginning, with the different interface for both skirmishes and campaign, I have grown to like it. There is still nothing like watching you siege the city of an adversary or even watch your men engage in a gruesome battle on land or sea. In the beginning, I did not know how I was to like this game. It does have its errors, however, IWhile Total War: Rome II was a bit of a shock in the beginning, with the different interface for both skirmishes and campaign, I have grown to like it. There is still nothing like watching you siege the city of an adversary or even watch your men engage in a gruesome battle on land or sea. In the beginning, I did not know how I was to like this game. It does have its errors, however, I believe that when people become frustrated, they should not take it immediately to the review board. The game has only been out for several days, the errors will get fixed over time. I am not saying this game is perfect as is, however, it has the potential to become one of the greatest PC games I have ever played.

    Of course, that's my opinion. You make your own.
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  79. Sep 12, 2013
    9
    Rome II is an atmospheric sequel to a fantastic game,which though wounded from a poor launch, contains the foundation of a superb game that will only improve over time.

    Pros: -Atmospheric setting -Graphics -Entertaining combat -Large campaign (Improved Diplomacy, Reduced Micro management late game etc) -Fantastic voice acting and sound effects -Great animations -Diverse Game
    Rome II is an atmospheric sequel to a fantastic game,which though wounded from a poor launch, contains the foundation of a superb game that will only improve over time.

    Pros:

    -Atmospheric setting
    -Graphics
    -Entertaining combat
    -Large campaign (Improved Diplomacy, Reduced Micro management late game etc)
    -Fantastic voice acting and sound effects
    -Great animations
    -Diverse Game play
    -New features
    -Historic Foundation
    -Unique Experience

    Cons
    -Optimization
    -Battle AI (Needs Revamp)
    - A few typical TW features have been removed (Family tree/management)
    -Butt Hurt fans

    If your on the fence about Rome 2, despite the many angry and dishonest reviews, Rome 2 at it's core is a great game and a fantastic experience. Rome II is the closest the franchise has gotten to replicating the original TW experience. With Weekly updates and post launch content planned, the game will only get better with time.
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  80. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    People who have issues in this game ALL have dated pc or they just too stupid to update they drivers...Whit over 27hrs of gameplay, I did NOT encounter ANY bugs.Once they gonna had the blood pack, its gonna be a SOLID 10.A FYI, IA DOES suprise you when play on legendary, the one who mention that he can beat 3 armies whit one is clearly bull*****.Best TW so far, don't listen to dumb peoplePeople who have issues in this game ALL have dated pc or they just too stupid to update they drivers...Whit over 27hrs of gameplay, I did NOT encounter ANY bugs.Once they gonna had the blood pack, its gonna be a SOLID 10.A FYI, IA DOES suprise you when play on legendary, the one who mention that he can beat 3 armies whit one is clearly bull*****.Best TW so far, don't listen to dumb people who don't know how to build a gaming pc. Expand
  81. TIZ
    Sep 5, 2013
    8
    When I started single player I liked it...no graphics issues, everything on full and extreme no lag solid 40FPS with dips to 20FPS very very rarely. My graphics card isn't great (Nvidia GTX560 Ti NVIDIA 314.22 DRIVERS I ROLLED BACK MY DRIVERS BECAUSE OF DRIVER ISSUES!!! Make sure you are not running the game slow because of your drivers). The AI is pretty poor but that's ok because itWhen I started single player I liked it...no graphics issues, everything on full and extreme no lag solid 40FPS with dips to 20FPS very very rarely. My graphics card isn't great (Nvidia GTX560 Ti NVIDIA 314.22 DRIVERS I ROLLED BACK MY DRIVERS BECAUSE OF DRIVER ISSUES!!! Make sure you are not running the game slow because of your drivers). The AI is pretty poor but that's ok because it allows new players to get into the Total War series, and on legendary the AI is better, but also most people complaining about AI difficulty should just play online against human opponents...which takes me to Multi-player issues, YES me and my friend had massive de-sync at launch time and were really annoyed we started and played up to the 3rd turn about 6-7 times until we got fed up and looked for a fix online. We used some BETA code which gave us the "launcher_dll_test_fix" look it up on Google, no de-sync issues after that we are on turn 8 (turns take ages, a lot more to do). Graphics are great only issue there is the poor textures I agree...but overall I really think game deserves minimum 6/10 from the release date. But since I sorted all my issues out I would say a solid 8/10 a few things made differently could improve Total War a lot. Sorry for ppl having issues I guess, hope the patch on Friday helps everyone Expand
  82. Sep 6, 2013
    9
    After playing the game for a decent amount of time I feel it is my duty to say that I have experienced none of the 'horrendous bugs' reported by so many other players. There is nothing complicated about the UI, the artwork is stylized and inspired and all it requires is a simple mouse over. Honestly half the things people complain about here are trivial, telling us more about theAfter playing the game for a decent amount of time I feel it is my duty to say that I have experienced none of the 'horrendous bugs' reported by so many other players. There is nothing complicated about the UI, the artwork is stylized and inspired and all it requires is a simple mouse over. Honestly half the things people complain about here are trivial, telling us more about the excruciating impatience and lack of intelligence of the gaming community surrounding this game. I for one feel this game has it's merits in the improvements and simplifications made to the campaign map stage compared to its predecessor. The ability to manage an entire province at one rather than each individual town simplifies and shortens the grinding process in building a great empire tremendously providing a more enjoyable and less long-winded gameplay experience. Diplomacy is also greatly improved and the removal of the irritating SPQR faction has eliminated the aggravating decision to betray your fellow Romans and take the glory for yourself or sit around doing nothing and being unable to expand anywhere without Mr senator throwing a fit. To this I say bravo Creative Assembly, you make me feel like I am actually in control of my empire now. Finances have been made easier to manage and keep on top of now too.

    To address all the complaints about AI, there have been no problems with my copy. AI seems to be functioning perfectly fine, at the very least on par with the first game, if not, exceeding that. The enemies have given me some rather exhilarating battles already both in campaign and skirmish. So guys you keep can keep complaining, but I am having a great time with this game.
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  83. Sep 5, 2013
    8
    Rome II: Total War has potential to be a better game; I hope the development team pays close attention to their community. First off, give us the option to disable capture the flag on open field battles. It really is unrealistic, and nonsensical. I had a clearly superior force, up against a virtually defeated enemy, and I had lost the battle just because they had one unit in the flag zoneRome II: Total War has potential to be a better game; I hope the development team pays close attention to their community. First off, give us the option to disable capture the flag on open field battles. It really is unrealistic, and nonsensical. I had a clearly superior force, up against a virtually defeated enemy, and I had lost the battle just because they had one unit in the flag zone for 50 seconds. At first I was very confused at what had happened, and thought to myself, the game must have made some kind of mistake. As for bugs, I haven’t noticed many, but my rig is fairly powerful. Had an issue with the graphics, but have not really gotten around to making the fix CA had recommend. This is something they really should have worked out, beforehand. The user-interface is not as helpful as past Total War games; important information needs to be displayed more clearly. Moreover, the art-style for buttons and symbols are very confusing, and take some time to get accustomed to. It becomes a chore to right-click on each ability, unit, and promotion, just to see what effect it has. Naval combat is currently broken, therefore I just auto-resolve with each battle. The voice acting is done well; it reminds me of the countless British historical movies and productions based on ancient Rome. The cinematic feature is enjoyable as well; as you look on to see your troops fighting for their lives. The game is pretty immersive, as troops look individual from one another. Occasionally, you’ll hear them say something humorous, followed by a scolding from their commanding officers. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the faction system, but honestly, I felt that they should have expanded more on the way it was implemented in the first Rome: Total War. Again, the horrendous interface serves to detach you from the individual units, as it makes upgrading, and simply viewing one of your generals a chore.
    The verdict:
    Rome II: Total war has the potential to be a very good game, but this will take time. To anyone thinking of buying this game, I would recommend waiting a bit, for patches, as well as a discount on Steam. I will grant R2: TW an 8, even though it really deserves a 7 or even a 6, for its initial flaws. But I will give it an 8, because nowadays, most games are sold unfinished, Rome II is no exception. After all, Civilization 5 was initial a piece of garbage, today, it is a game worthy of the series after extensive patches and DLC.
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  84. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    My honest opinion: I've been playing TW games for years now and for the most part I've enjoyed a lot of the little changes or new mechanics. I think a lot of us are forgetting that this is day 2 of a major PC release and there's going to be bugs or issues. Rome wasn't built in a day!
  85. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    This game has been in my cross hairs since I heard about release and I am not disappointed. I have read complaints of bad frame rates or lag though I don't seem to have any of these issues on my PC. The AI can be a little lacking the former letter of the name (namely the intelligence) but I think it still does a very good job of keeping you entertained.

    As value for money goes I see
    This game has been in my cross hairs since I heard about release and I am not disappointed. I have read complaints of bad frame rates or lag though I don't seem to have any of these issues on my PC. The AI can be a little lacking the former letter of the name (namely the intelligence) but I think it still does a very good job of keeping you entertained.

    As value for money goes I see myself investing a lot of time in this game making it great value!

    Normally I would only rate at 7 or 8 but my love for the total war series bulks it up to a full 10
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  86. Sep 15, 2013
    8
    Total War: Rome II is a solid release into the long-running franchise by Creative Assembly. Though enduring a rough first two weeks, after some support the game is now wholly enjoyable, giving me yet another excuse to sink hours of my life into a TW game.

    Empire management is streamlined in Rome, with all provincial management being condensed into one screen. While veteran TW fans may
    Total War: Rome II is a solid release into the long-running franchise by Creative Assembly. Though enduring a rough first two weeks, after some support the game is now wholly enjoyable, giving me yet another excuse to sink hours of my life into a TW game.

    Empire management is streamlined in Rome, with all provincial management being condensed into one screen. While veteran TW fans may pan this new system as pandering to new players, the new system is a welcome take to the clunky system of some of the older entries, where each building would have to be found and upgraded individually, instead of from a single screen.

    One sad omission from the game is the family tree system, which in previous TW games added a nice aspect of management to your empire. Instead, your generals are now broken down into a "Ruling family vs non-ruling family" list, where you can use political power gained by your family to promote your generals, hinder non-ruler generals, or adopt/marry them into your family to secure your power base. This is an interesting, if clunky, take on the political intrigue of the time (especially in the Roman world), and highlights the fact that though you are in control of your faction, you are not the only one hungry for power.

    The secondary aspect of any TW game, the battle mode, is brilliant. Though originally the battles were too quick, due to a sped-up fighting and running mechanic, after the recent patch the game feels more like an old-school TW game. The enemy AI can be surprisingly devious, using flanking maneuvers and hiding units effectively, to the point where even on normal difficulty a player who doesnt give a large fight their full attention can quickly be facing a rout as his shield wall is attacked from the side, or their archers are run down by cavalry which skirted the side of the battle.

    Campaign map AI is, so far, the most disappointing aspect of this game. Endlessly blockading an enemy city preventing you from capturing it, fleeing from, instead of defending against your army sieging their capital city, and launching attacks that are doomed to fail can make the player feel like their victory is hollow. After marching my armies across Greece to face Parthage, only to have their army (which was roughly the same size) up and run off into another province left me with a sour taste in my mouth, but it does open the possibility of a counter-attack in the future, should I leave my new conquest without a proper defence.

    Rome II is not the greatest Total War game. Though fans of the series will argue until their faces turn blue about which one deserves the honour of best, Rome II is nonetheless a solid entry into the franchise. Any fan of empire-building strategy games should seriously considering adding Rome II to their collection. Though hampered by initial poor performance, within two weeks the game is up and running to a very healthy level of playability. Early purchasers have every right to be frustrated at the game's poor initial performance, but more often than not, the standard of this industry is to release a far-from-perfect initial release of the game, with early patches to bring it up to snuff. If one can look past these issues, and simply play the game, I think most will find it to their liking.
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  87. Sep 15, 2013
    9
    In under two weeks patches have made enough difference for me to rate this game a 7. While there are still bugs and same questionable design decisions this is still a solid improvement in the Total War franchise. AI is now quite solid and its a heck of an improvement over the constant siege battles of Shogun2 (which I still loved but ...urgh so many sieges).
    If you have brains enough to
    In under two weeks patches have made enough difference for me to rate this game a 7. While there are still bugs and same questionable design decisions this is still a solid improvement in the Total War franchise. AI is now quite solid and its a heck of an improvement over the constant siege battles of Shogun2 (which I still loved but ...urgh so many sieges).
    If you have brains enough to get your settings right it is absolutely gorgeous.
    While this game partially deserves all those zeros for being rushed out the door too early I do wonder if these people will come back and rescore in a month.
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  88. Sep 4, 2013
    8
    Great game, really captures the Total War feel. After playing a lot of Shogun 2 it's refreshing with the changes they've made, especially with how there are a lot more actions available for units from the get-go. Of course there are some issues keeping it from a 10, these can be summed up as follows: some unit actions don't always work as they should; some units have balance issues;Great game, really captures the Total War feel. After playing a lot of Shogun 2 it's refreshing with the changes they've made, especially with how there are a lot more actions available for units from the get-go. Of course there are some issues keeping it from a 10, these can be summed up as follows: some unit actions don't always work as they should; some units have balance issues; graphics drivers not up-to-date so lower framerate; long wait times ending turns in multiplayer; incapable AI. Overall load times are much, much better than in Shogun 2 at least and with the weekly patches it should run fine for most everyone in a matter of a few weeks. The core game however, very solid and worthy of the Total War title! Expand
  89. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    A lot of good details. MUST HAVE for strategy lovers.=3 UI not ideal in battle adn diplomatic part not so progressive. BUT! it very beauty and UI rather nice. 60 too many for this, but i would pay 45 for this. 10/10
  90. Sep 8, 2013
    10
    Being TW series veteran, I really enjoy TWR2 as it is exactly what I have expected it to be. All the new features are improvement to me.

    + much more user friendly (provinces, building, recruiting etc.) compared to previous games + huge and beautiful map + epic battles + no story campaign (the one thing that I didn´t like in Napoleon) freedom to act as I like + cinematic camera (oh,
    Being TW series veteran, I really enjoy TWR2 as it is exactly what I have expected it to be. All the new features are improvement to me.

    + much more user friendly (provinces, building, recruiting etc.) compared to previous games
    + huge and beautiful map
    + epic battles
    + no story campaign (the one thing that I didn´t like in Napoleon) freedom to act as I like
    + cinematic camera (oh, how nice!)
    + for the first time in TW I actually use diplomacy and it works for me

    All in all, I am enjoying the game from day 1. "Must have" for all the fans of strategy games and TW in particular!
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  91. Sep 10, 2013
    10
    This game is awesome, sure it has some bugs and some things needs to be fixed but overall it's very good. Most people who complain are people who don't know what the they are doing, I've seen people complaining they loose in battle and blame it on bugs.
  92. Sep 10, 2013
    10
    I understand that for many players is certainly a very difficult game if it is not available in your language.
    Very detailed game! It is very well organized. Game runs very smoothly for me.
    Maybe little long wait after the "END TURN. Yet super realistic! Really well done.
  93. Sep 10, 2013
    10
    In my opinion the game is excellent. I had no mechanical problems and no graphics. I do not know if I'm a lucky man, but do not understand why so many negative comments and such low scores to a game that is very fun.
  94. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    In response to the most user negative reviews, is that the game does not suck, YOU SUCK. Wanna know why?

    Because the staff that made the game are human, and have a limited budget, (sorry for all the self-entitled folks who had outer space expectations) No, the new unit cards are not ugly, they are refreshing and antique like Campaign looks cool not to mention the new system they
    In response to the most user negative reviews, is that the game does not suck, YOU SUCK. Wanna know why?

    Because the staff that made the game are human, and have a limited budget, (sorry for all the self-entitled folks who had outer space expectations)

    No, the new unit cards are not ugly, they are refreshing and antique like

    Campaign looks cool not to mention the new system they implemented,, and the battles are great too

    Having a general in your army is logical, after all the general is the head of the army... Meaning, anyone who thinks this is stupid should go back playing GTA.

    While the game is great, it still has some weak parts:

    1. Graphic problems for a lot of PC's
    2. Low FPS

    I am hoping the upcoming patches show that this game is still a diamond in the rough...
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  95. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    As a long time fan of the TW series, I find that Rome 2 is a huge step in the right direction. Campaign mechanics have been overhauled and for me almost universally bring an improvement. I believe the UI is actually far more clear and informative than previous iterations in the series. I enjoy the new variety of battle mechanics and overall I feel like the game nails the feel of the clashAs a long time fan of the TW series, I find that Rome 2 is a huge step in the right direction. Campaign mechanics have been overhauled and for me almost universally bring an improvement. I believe the UI is actually far more clear and informative than previous iterations in the series. I enjoy the new variety of battle mechanics and overall I feel like the game nails the feel of the clash of ancient war machines.

    I have experienced very little in the way of bugs or crashes. The game has been overall very stable from a technical standpoint. Load times are long, but that's a great excuse for me to actually stop staring at the screen and grab a drink of water.

    Battles are over a bit too fast for my taste, once some modders endeavor to slow things down I'll definitely be trying those. Battle AI is about where it was in Shogun 2 that is to say a good player won't be losing much to forces of comparable strength. I understand this is frustrating for some people, but to give a zero based on AI is a bit vicious IMHO. After all, designing AI is hard.

    Overall I love this game already I expect to spend a few hundred hours on it and can't wait until mods start coming out.
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  96. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    Truly an amazing game with endless opportunity. Sure the AI isn't the greatest but it doesn't take away from this great game. Many people re complaining of graphical problems but he developers stated they are fixing that and also adding new updates every week. Also for me personally my laptop isn' all that great and it can run the game on the setting extreme or ultra or whatever. OtherwiseTruly an amazing game with endless opportunity. Sure the AI isn't the greatest but it doesn't take away from this great game. Many people re complaining of graphical problems but he developers stated they are fixing that and also adding new updates every week. Also for me personally my laptop isn' all that great and it can run the game on the setting extreme or ultra or whatever. Otherwise the UI and interface take awhile to get used to but overall is a great step forward. The campaign map is huge and the province system is definitely a fun new take. The units are varied and will give a great immersion into it and you care about your armies when they have all those good traits and have won many a battle for you. MY only complaint is really the hoplites who were a bit strange but otherwise an amazing game that any TW fan will appreciate. Also people forget all TW games have bad launches it's expected that people will have issues but everyone always forgets this. Still overall runs great for me and I'm enjoying the challenge of crushing my enemies in the long awaited new Rome 2. And of course there's gonna be mods which can make this great game even greater. My advice is this game is well worth the price and you should definitely pick it up. Expand
  97. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Excellent game all round. Graphically sound, solid gameplay, completely absorbed all my free time since release. Sure, could do with a few AI tweaks and turn time was a until I moved to SSD, but most of the complaints are more down to a person's rig than the game itself (handles fine this end).
  98. Sep 5, 2013
    9
    This game really dwarfs any other modern strategy game in size and development effort. It need some more polishing and some bug fixes for sure but nothing game breaking as many ppl cry here about.
    Some say the cant run the game at all....it didnt crash on me once so far...ppl with higher rigs than mine complain they have lower fps than i do....Personally i have a "Phenom 2 x4 965 7850 2
    This game really dwarfs any other modern strategy game in size and development effort. It need some more polishing and some bug fixes for sure but nothing game breaking as many ppl cry here about.
    Some say the cant run the game at all....it didnt crash on me once so far...ppl with higher rigs than mine complain they have lower fps than i do....Personally i have a "Phenom 2 x4 965 7850 2 gigs 8 ram" and the game runs on my computer ALMOST as good as shogun 2 did Everything on Extreme except shadows/sky (ultra) and Alpha Vegetation off. That is with armies up to 20 units vs 20 units. If we go to 40 units vs 40 units which is new feature in Rome 2 it gets more difficult but that is to be expected ofc. Total war games will crack down any rig if you continue to raise the number of soldiers in a battle. About the new UI so many cry about....Its just different...within an hour of playing i had no problem using it like any other total war game... Some people...they just want to be fed with a spoon in the mouth... There is a guy here in who gave this game a "0" because in the unit cards instead of the classic "soldiers number" we have a health bar now. Get real. Hover your cursor over a few things. All details are there. AI Classic Total war AI Not really improved by Shogun 2 Not worse however in any case..Some bugs need to be sorted out but again nothing really gamebreaking....for example i hear many cry out about enemy units not disembarking from ships when they reach the coast. NOT once in 15 battles did this occurred in my experience.
    For those still skeptical about this game due to numerous user bad reviews, IF you are looking for honest opinions on this game better take it from the official reviews. My opinion is that this is a fantastic AAA title and deserves your attention. If you could wait a couple of weeks -or even months- for some fixes to come out first before buying you would even get i believe the most out of this game.
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  99. Sep 5, 2013
    10
    People need to realize that this game is amazing, it isn't a game that you can run on any ordinary machine though and therefore makes some players think that it is an optimization issue when it may be there computers. I installed the game on the release date, and there was already an update for it in which I installed. When I actually got into the game, it was amazing, no performancePeople need to realize that this game is amazing, it isn't a game that you can run on any ordinary machine though and therefore makes some players think that it is an optimization issue when it may be there computers. I installed the game on the release date, and there was already an update for it in which I installed. When I actually got into the game, it was amazing, no performance issues, the AI were a little rusty but still better than Rome I. I have been reading that people complain that their game crashes and that there is a massive issue with not being able to play due to it, I have played if for over 5 hours and I can't seem to find any problems with crashing. I know that some people may be having problems with it, but I believe that this game deserves the score I am giving it. Expand
  100. Sep 6, 2013
    10
    -Good Graphics
    -Ai are a little clunky but ok
    -Economy model is great
    -very many bugs and glitches but with Creative Assembly's track record they will be fixed eventually
    -overall a very very good game you earned those 60$ i payed for you as long as you can fix some of these glitches but with your track record Creative Assembly i know you will
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 71
  2. Negative: 7 out of 71
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  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]