Total War: Rome II

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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 3974 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,184 out of 3974
  2. Mixed: 613 out of 3974
  3. Negative: 2,177 out of 3974
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  1. pajomife
    May 20, 2014
    2
    The most disappointing game I ever played,sorry,i dont play it no more,The transport ships Spam to disguise the lack of CA competence to add proper naval invasion its the ultimate ultrage,
  2. pinkklashinov
    May 19, 2014
    10
    End Turn time takes so long to start a new turn .. that's so poring i suggest to put option in the settings to skip the far away nations from being showed in every turn only to show the nations that i have borders with it .. but in general i love the series of TOTAL WAR
  3. scorpiangamer27
    May 17, 2014
    10
    This game is VERY fun. I think it's better than Sid mires civilizations 5. And if u guys don't agree o well DEAL WITH IT! (I AM NoT talking to the crictics)
  4. carsal
    May 14, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After 12 patces and 6 dlcs the game is still unplayable. The worst of the whole series. Biggest fraud in video game industry that I ever see. There is no way to preorder a game of CA ever before… Expand
  5. ilovelamp12
    May 13, 2014
    0
    Total War: Nope

    Seriously though, all CA has to do is look at the mods for rome 1 and medieval 2 to see how to make these games awsome. Anyone who has played total war realism or stainless steel knows what I'm talking about. This game is as far from those mods as it can get. Bring on the mods people!
  6. KillaBadg3r
    May 3, 2014
    9
    this really isn't that bad. I feel like the original is a 10/10 and this is 9/10 for a few confusing things, but overall its great. I think everyone just expects so much from Creative Assembly. I haven't experienced anything major in the way of problems
  7. Th3UniQu3
    May 3, 2014
    0
    Biggest pile of trash I've ever played in my entire life. **** mechanics, **** graphics, terrible AI, repetitive shallow campaign map gameplay, there are no positive things to say about this steaming pile of slag.
  8. Mitzu
    May 1, 2014
    4
    Can't give this more than 4/10. Played all total war games since Rome 1. It feels weird when a game 10 or so years older has better AI and unit colission than it's much newer counterpart. I bought it when it came out and was able to play a game as Rome. Stopped playing for a while and started it up again and just fount it as sad as it was before. Can't play it anymore, I guess i'll justCan't give this more than 4/10. Played all total war games since Rome 1. It feels weird when a game 10 or so years older has better AI and unit colission than it's much newer counterpart. I bought it when it came out and was able to play a game as Rome. Stopped playing for a while and started it up again and just fount it as sad as it was before. Can't play it anymore, I guess i'll just install shogun 2 and medieval 2.… Expand
  9. ninjamandela
    Apr 28, 2014
    2
    First of all I'm a fan of Total war series since the first Rome game. But this new game, although its pretty when it works most of the time its crashes because you need a high end gaming rig to play. Even then the game still is broken with lots of bugs. There are up to 12 big patches already released by CA to correct and fix their broken game but still have not iron it all out. I've paidFirst of all I'm a fan of Total war series since the first Rome game. But this new game, although its pretty when it works most of the time its crashes because you need a high end gaming rig to play. Even then the game still is broken with lots of bugs. There are up to 12 big patches already released by CA to correct and fix their broken game but still have not iron it all out. I've paid $74 when it came out and kinda regret it. I've lost 100 hrs or Rome Campaign too with one of those patches. Not being able to load it anymore. Plus all these DLC add-on that cost at least $3 should be free. I will not spend a single cent anymore on this game and any other CA release games.… Expand
  10. Meglos
    Apr 26, 2014
    2
    As a long-term player of Rome Total War I was looking forward to this game, but it has disappointed me in the way that most strategy game sequels do. I would have been happy if they'd kept everything the same as the original game, but streamlined some of the management and made the AI less stupid in strategy, combat and diplomacy (anybody new to the franchise would probably have enjoyedAs a long-term player of Rome Total War I was looking forward to this game, but it has disappointed me in the way that most strategy game sequels do. I would have been happy if they'd kept everything the same as the original game, but streamlined some of the management and made the AI less stupid in strategy, combat and diplomacy (anybody new to the franchise would probably have enjoyed that too). Unfortunately the new game is everything that most sequel strategy games are: more pretty and more complicated. Not complicated in a puzzling, challenging sort of way, complicated in a "lots more dull things to deal with" sort of way. Hundreds of regions acand custom unit types, after the first rush of interest, are just a bore. I guess the sort of programming that requires adding lots and lots of "stuff" is easier to do than the sort that makes the computer think and act like a clever and crafty human.
    If you're the sort of person who likes auditing accounting spreadsheets, you'd probably like this game. If you actually want to have some fun, avoid it.    … Expand
  11. Ronaldus7
    Apr 24, 2014
    10
    TW: Rome II is a perfect game with mods. For me is it the best game of the series. (I have spent 200 hours in this game) Only AI is bad, but if you want all achievements, its hard enough :)
  12. SmoothCriminal
    Apr 19, 2014
    0
    This game was the most disappointing and boring game in a long line of Creative Assembly disappointments It was not worth the £30 tag and I was galled I couldn't get a refund only recommendation however shrill would be to look up the previous game and play that instead . The much toted graphics and AI were poor and broken even on my gaming laptop this game was grudgingly drawn out and slowThis game was the most disappointing and boring game in a long line of Creative Assembly disappointments It was not worth the £30 tag and I was galled I couldn't get a refund only recommendation however shrill would be to look up the previous game and play that instead . The much toted graphics and AI were poor and broken even on my gaming laptop this game was grudgingly drawn out and slow this has to be the worst game I've played on PC, not in terms of its not Rome 1 ergo its bad, It was bad because it was slow, boring and too long like all the bad parts of Empire total war without the fun of any previous TW games. Its a shame because I looked forward for years for this (I was a child playing Rome 1 and a fan) and once again creative assembly disappointing and doesn't deliver.This however, is the straw that has broken my resolve I am no longer a fan of CA and when they release another TW I cannot say I will trust them to make it good or at least playable. P.S. this game was dismal and poorly optimized at best and the most nice thing I can say is that I don't know how they managed to release this without also releasing an apology as well 2nd P.S. I still cant believe they withheld so much content for a game so bareboned and sold it for a tenner the day after I bought 3rd P.S. (AND A WARNING OF GRAPHIC LANGUAGE) **** you Creative Assembly you traitorous thieving **** how dare you sully your name and my trust in you I'm going somewhere else for my conquering fix next time( you had a golden chance to rekindle my love for the TW franchise with this you could have just released a HD remake and wallowed in old ground nostalgically but no) tip for CA sometimes nostalgia is neither good or bad as a well for ideas it is just the ideas which are good and bad like, oh i don't know criminally retarded AI or picking on new ideas the food and happiness balancing act which... sigh I cant actually think of a worse idea in the entire total war series which is incredible its like this game can only be compared with the worst Nicholas Cage movie. Definitely the worst game I have ever played on anything I.e. I'm actually trying to think of something worse and I cannot so well done CA in that field you've made my jaw drop like you did for Rome 1 but for the exact opposite reason. 4th P.S. hahah so many of these but seriously I am a fan of TW and CA I've liked Rome, Medieval 2 but I am not completely blind I.e. I thought Empire started **** but got good later and the sort same for Shogun and Napoleon however this game really scares me because I cant believe how bad it is I cannot phrase it in words or letters. I can only say what has gone wrong here? and hope someone at CA will take notice I know this is constructive criticism however I want it to be destructive instead I don't think there is a way so save this game I just want CA to not make anything with the ideas from this game for It is all bad and irredeemable and should instead be a model for how we can fail for CA. ( CA stands for Creative Assembly and TW stands for the Total War franchise)… Expand
  13. Alaric88
    Apr 16, 2014
    10
    I'm one of many who hasn't experienced any problems with this game. Sure, it's not perfect, but no game will be until we all have better, more advanced technology. Many of these reviews are disappointed fanboys with outdated tech with unattainable expectations exaggerating the games' release time faults. This is a big game, if you don't have a very good PC, you won't be able to play theI'm one of many who hasn't experienced any problems with this game. Sure, it's not perfect, but no game will be until we all have better, more advanced technology. Many of these reviews are disappointed fanboys with outdated tech with unattainable expectations exaggerating the games' release time faults. This is a big game, if you don't have a very good PC, you won't be able to play the highest settings.
    Rome II has undergone significant patching since release, and while at first it lacked substance and wasn't very absorbing; it now it vastly improved. CA have been very supporting of their fanbase and they appear to have acknowledged the design flaws which they are continuing to fix. It's only going to get better!    … Expand
  14. usmanali
    Apr 13, 2014
    7
    overall the game was not bad although it has some features that needs to be improved regarding the details.AI does not play so bad but it is also not convincing.overall a good game.
  15. gjgfjgfjgfjjgfj
    Apr 8, 2014
    0
    Utterly and entirely disappointing experience . A broken game months after release. The product released 10 years ago by the same developers was 10 times better. This is such an abysmal product its hard to put into words.
  16. Kazakdum
    Apr 7, 2014
    5
    Nostalgia was the greatest selling feature that this game had going for it. To compare the first to the second, witnessing how far the gaming industry has come in a decade of innovation and development. What was actually received from Creative Assembly, bought from paying customers, was a game that was broken, mechanically flawed and had unsuitable computer expectations from the averageNostalgia was the greatest selling feature that this game had going for it. To compare the first to the second, witnessing how far the gaming industry has come in a decade of innovation and development. What was actually received from Creative Assembly, bought from paying customers, was a game that was broken, mechanically flawed and had unsuitable computer expectations from the average consumer. Months later and the game is still getting ridiculously large patches to fix gameplay issues that should have been resolved in Alpha. Consumers have the right to high expectations from a developer who have: 1. high experience in the creation of games; 2. Have worked on TW games for over a decade and should be developing, innovating and perfecting the genre; 3. Have released a game that was broken, awful mechanic decisions (1v1 fighting) and have further released DLC that was already in the game.

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

    Its positives? This is a Total War game, and in the end they are fun. I just feel that this game has frustrated me now, beyond return. Will seriously have to consider whether to buy one in the future. And don't get me started in pre-release DLC. Cause that is another post WAITING to happen.    … Expand
  17. Lunaheal
    Apr 6, 2014
    0
    The game is completely broken.A lot of bugs.AI dead. Diplomacy is completely awful. Battle is worse than in Rome one. Music is 10 times worse than in Rome one.
  18. JonMetacritic74
    Apr 1, 2014
    7
    The game is far from flawless, but it is no junk as most of the users say. With the latest patches Creative fixed the game and it rather enjoyable to play. It was a shame to launch the game with such a poor AI. However, they tried to improve the game and answer the fans' demands. It is a must if you like the Total War series.
  19. Matteo21
    Mar 30, 2014
    4
    only new players of Total War saga are going to like this game, this is the worst, too much advertising and not programming enough. i'm am italian and this game is not translated in italian, but CA wrote on the pack "All in Italian". bad for a Total War fan!
  20. greycat
    Mar 27, 2014
    10
    Good game after 11 patches. Don't expect to run game at high fps but neither does original. Game has a lot of content with DLC for future playing. Game has improved much from the original release.
  21. D73
    Mar 26, 2014
    9
    O jogo esta muito melhor do que estava quando foi lançado. A companha é ótima com novas boas diplomáticas apesar de não haver mais algumas como trocar territórios.
  22. Raskol
    Mar 26, 2014
    0
    I bought this game at launch worked till decemeber, since then doesent work, keep getting the sam CTD. So I recommend wait 2-3 years for the modders to fix it, this is just a store platform for CA to sell buggy crap. I even made a complaint to my local consumer protectio agency as this people are scammers.
  23. IGNsus
    Mar 26, 2014
    0
    I am at a loss why Creative Assembly wanted to ruin their reputation with this pile of trash. It's also inexplicable how Total War: Rome II is made by the same studio that made Shogun II, an excellent successor to the original Shogun. The game betrays every single Total War fan. It is so casualized I felt like I was playing a tablet game. Some lamentable design decisions include no familyI am at a loss why Creative Assembly wanted to ruin their reputation with this pile of trash. It's also inexplicable how Total War: Rome II is made by the same studio that made Shogun II, an excellent successor to the original Shogun. The game betrays every single Total War fan. It is so casualized I felt like I was playing a tablet game. Some lamentable design decisions include no family tree, no attrition, no AI aggression, and my personal favorite: fire torches for gates. Then of course you get the expected technical issues of a CA game. But wait. This isn't your typical CA technical mess. It's much, much worse. On a nice computer you would be lucky to get more than 30 FPS on the campaign map. Do you like to wait 5 minutes at end turn? This game offers that. The biggest joke of this joke is unit AI, where units clump up together like a mosh pit and run randomly in all directions.

    Heh, I actually told people how great this game was going to be. Good job using misleading footage, CA.

    P.S. When your game is absolute trash, you might not want to anger your fans by releasing DLC.    … Expand
  24. Chunderfield
    Mar 24, 2014
    7
    Total War has a long, illustrious history. The pinnacle of which was Empire: Total War. That's is about as fine as they come. Since Empire we've had Shogun 2 and now Rome 2. I found Shogun to be underwhelming and now with Rome 2, the downward spiral into obscurity continues.

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

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

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

    Conclusion:
    Rome 2 stays true to its Total War heritage. I jumped in and it felt familiar and comfortable. It's a weak and unworthy successor to the original Rome though. The resource management is basic, and the empire building is rather shallow. Empire: Total War felt deep. I felt invested in that masterpiece. I feel very little with Rome 2 other than disappointment at wasted potential. It's a big budget game that's worth no more than $30.    … Expand
  25. ben14edwards
    Mar 23, 2014
    1
    Unfortunately, this game is dreadfully oversimplified. I suspect that the developer is attempting to replace its longtime fanbase with a new breed of teenage gamers. That is to say, this game will be extremely fun if you have never played a Total War game before, and overwhelmingly disappointing if you are familiar with these games.

    Rome II, despite being visually impressive, takes a    Unfortunately, this game is dreadfully oversimplified. I suspect that the developer is attempting to replace its longtime fanbase with a new breed of teenage gamers. That is to say, this game will be extremely fun if you have never played a Total War game before, and overwhelmingly disappointing if you are familiar with these games.

    Rome II, despite being visually impressive, takes a step down from its predecessors in terms of game mechanics. Everything that you loved about empire-building, city construction, dangerous wars, and important decisions are replaced with redundant, repetitive gameplay. The AI is a tremendous failure and poses no challenge, even on legendary difficulty. The only thing that higher difficulties do is increase the number of enemies (so that each miniature little tribe is unrealistically hosting two thousand armed men).

    Strategy is non-existent, so look elsewhere. This game only has repetitive sieges that mean nothing. If you lose your army due to a bad mistake, you can simply recreate it in one turn. Therefor, the game does not punish the player for mistakes like it should.    … Expand
  26. Murphmeister
    Mar 21, 2014
    6
    Really bad launch but good support from CA are now getting this game back on track. The reviews here just go to show why it's important that a developer be given time to finish and polish their product rather than release early just for the sake of hitting a deadline.
  27. junedragon3
    Mar 20, 2014
    2
    I find myself conflicted on whether to review this as a Total War game or as an individual game. I'll start of with the TL;DR version:

    As an individual game I'll be generous and give 2/10 As a Total War game? 0.5/10 And here's why (to call a handful out of a host of issues): Luckily I did not buy the game at launch and missed that epic disaster. All of my experience with this    I find myself conflicted on whether to review this as a Total War game or as an individual game. I'll start of with the TL;DR version:

    As an individual game I'll be generous and give 2/10
    As a Total War game? 0.5/10

    And here's why (to call a handful out of a host of issues):

    Luckily I did not buy the game at launch and missed that epic disaster. All of my experience with this game is up to date with the most current patch.

    Feature stripping: Gone is the innovative multiplayer of Shogun ii, the faction-intro videos (and most other polish of past games that lent to the overall experience), great elements of the campaign game (eg. no family tree and the turns are so long (1 year) they'll die before you can really put much work into them), and a host of other features throughout the game.

    Disappointing battles: The battles, the heart of total war games, just feel off and generally disappointing. Numerous mechanics are plainly broken (naval battles are utterly broken, cavalry/chariots routinely routs formed spearmen, unit grouping messes up all the time, especially when transitioning positions, etc.) and the battles are often flat-out boring (even in MP).

    Dreadful Campaign - It's far too easy, ridiculously dumbed-down/simplified/feature-stripped, and just in general boring. It's nowhere near as engaging as past titles in the TW series and is just not very enjoyable overall.

    DLC whoring/practices: oh boy, where to start. From charging $8 for the greek states DLC (pay-to-unlock/on-disc "DLC") which they knew people would really want (as Spartans were really popular in Rome Total War) to the debacle in which units claimed to be added-on in the Beasts of War DLC were found in pre-release advertising footage, which brings us to the next complaint...

    False Advertising: From the "screenshots" and other pre-release footage which hardly resemble the final product even on the mightiest of rigs to promises of the best AI to date (...ya...) and the aforementioned lies about DLC, the level of dishonesty displayed so far has been extremely disappointing.

    I won't even bother complaining about the host of glitches, those god-awful capture flags, the psychotic diplomacy, the atrocious optimization, and other issues that have already been complained about to death.

    Why such a low score (1.5/10) as a TW game? Because not only does it contribute nothing to the series and fall well short of quality standards set by past titles, it strips some of the great features of said past titles.

    Why not a 1/10?

    Redeeming qualities: At least they tried to add a new feature in combined land/sea battles (even though its still quite broken and the mentally challenged AI can't handle it and often end up staring at a wall for an hour - oh and ya, the AI still will stand dumbly staring at you for an hour sometimes, a brilliant strategy in ensuring their victory by making you ragequit). And... the ... um... the graphics are better I guess... Oh and at least they did fix *most* of the game breaking bugs of launch (though that never should have happened...)    … Expand
  28. Spedattack
    Mar 20, 2014
    5
    I have very much enjoyed the Total War series especially when I played Empire. However, I am really starting to get tired of the almost broken AI both on the Campaign and Battlefield. I have tried for months to give this game a chance to kick in, but it just isn't working. There are times that I enjoyed the game, but most of the time it was just frustrating at how difficult it is to playI have very much enjoyed the Total War series especially when I played Empire. However, I am really starting to get tired of the almost broken AI both on the Campaign and Battlefield. I have tried for months to give this game a chance to kick in, but it just isn't working. There are times that I enjoyed the game, but most of the time it was just frustrating at how difficult it is to play the campaign when the AI is so bad. The game definitely looks good, but it lacks the enjoyment of its predecessors. Creative Assembly needs to stop trying to add new features that aren't needed and fix the AI that has been a problem since the beginning of the series. There is no longer an excuse for the AI to be this terrible and I hope Creative Assembly has the sense to address these issues before adding new features.… Expand
  29. ZombieZleeping
    Mar 15, 2014
    9
    I have to agree, the game was horrible on release, but with the patches and DLCs, it is without a doubt the best grand strategy game of 2013. Why I gave it 9 instead of 10 is because some features have been stripped, the most noticeable is the family tree. But if I look past all that, the game is a masterpiece.
  30. Cioby
    Mar 15, 2014
    9
    People really have a bad memory, the first Rome had a lot of bugs and issues even after years of patching. I played Rome 2 since the first day it got released. I was captured by it's beauty. A few bugs here and there but that's nothing new to the gaming industry, the only games that lack release bugs are those stupid action/cartoon(ish) games, mainly because those type of games leavePeople really have a bad memory, the first Rome had a lot of bugs and issues even after years of patching. I played Rome 2 since the first day it got released. I was captured by it's beauty. A few bugs here and there but that's nothing new to the gaming industry, the only games that lack release bugs are those stupid action/cartoon(ish) games, mainly because those type of games leave nothing to the player's freedom or imagination.
    The AI now is almost too good on higher difficulties, I can play on maximum settings with my new PC, the combat realism is much better than the old game or any other strategy game I have played. I don't get how a crappy game like Medieval 2 has a higher rating.
    The multiplayer is still kind of poor, though they implemented the one thing I always wished since the first Rome Total War, yet they fixed it and it works perfectly. You can even join in the fights when it's not your turn, this is something games like Heroes lacks. Waiting for your friend/enemy to play is a lot more enjoyable now.
    There are still a few issues, for example Spartan elite troops are weaker than before, the game is unbalanced a bit by this. The economy system could be better. Yet there are thousands of mods that can customize the game to your likes + they are still patching and fixing stuff. People should give them more credit for the work they are doing.
    I recommend this game to anyone with a decent PC and a passion for war or strategy games.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 71
  3. Negative: 7 out of 71
  1. Worth Playing
    Nov 18, 2013
    74
    The game is far less polished than Shogun 2, and a few more patches will help, but Rome II is still a flawed game that is underwhelming when compared to previous titles in the franchise.
    Read full review
  2. PCGamesN
    Nov 6, 2013
    70
    And here’s the rub: every addition, every sub-system, every mechanic is subservient to War. War is what Total War is really about. Everything else not directly related to conflict comes across as ancillary. Rome II is a game for warmongers, on both the campaign map and, obviously, on the battlefield. When peace is happening, nothing is happening. When war is happening, Rome comes alive.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »