Total War: Rome II

Starting at $8.25Buy now

"Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition" is a Historical Real Time Strategy game, with improved politics system, overhauled building chains, and rebalanced battles. The Emperor Edition includes the free Imperator Augustus DLC, offering a new playable campaign post-Caesar's demise. With enhanced visuals and exciting game mechanics, it provides a dense atmosphere, high emotional engagement, and ingenious replayability for both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 43,644 reviews

graphics1,439 positive mentions

stability1,202 negative mentions

graphics
3,098 mentions
46 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Total War: Rome II" have received mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and detail, particularly in battles and the campaign map. Players noted that the game can look stunning on high settings, but it requires a powerful computer to achieve optimal performance, leading to issues like lag and graphical glitches on lower-end systems. While some users appreciate the visual improvements over previous titles, others feel that the graphics do not compensate for gameplay shortcomings and bugs. Overall, the game is often described as visually impressive but marred by performance issues and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics.
- “Historically authentic, highly immersive, wonderful score, gorgeous graphics and insane amounts of content.”
- “The game’s historical setting immerses you in the rise of Rome, and the detailed visuals and epic scale of battles enhance the overall atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with lush landscapes, detailed character models, and breathtaking battle scenes that will leave you breathless.”
- “In general, nothing feels right; the graphics are far more murky and orange and brown, and just unappealing compared to most previous Total War games.”
- “Some graphical assets look poorly done, especially the cloth or armor worn by elephants that have weird gaps.”
- “The graphics are a giant leap backward from Shogun 2.”
gameplay
2,914 mentions
30 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Total War: Rome II" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its depth, strategic complexity, and engaging real-time battles, while others criticize its convoluted mechanics, AI issues, and the removal of features from previous titles. The game offers a vast array of factions and extensive replayability, especially when enhanced by mods, but some players find the campaign mechanics overly simplified or frustrating. Overall, while the game has improved significantly since its rocky launch, it still struggles with balancing and certain gameplay elements that detract from the overall experience.
- “Replayable classic with plenty of units and game mechanics that will keep the game constantly changing.”
- “This game will be played for decades; it's phenomenal and offers infinite replay value with plenty of in-depth mechanics.”
- “The strategic gameplay is robust, demanding careful planning and execution to conquer the ancient world.”
- “The gameplay is where this falls apart.”
- “The civil war mechanic makes no sense: the entire game I assumed that the intra-faction groups were important for the civil war mechanic, since that faction allegiance tab shows up every time you pick a general and the game acts as if having guys loyal to your faction is important when the other faction tries to adopt them.”
- “The gameplay has not improved enough since Shogun 2 to justify spending 60 bucks on Total War: Rome II.”
stability
1,254 mentions
3 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The stability of "Total War: Rome II" has been a contentious topic among players, with many noting that the game launched in a highly buggy state, plagued by frequent crashes, freezes, and various gameplay glitches. While numerous patches have improved the situation over the years, many users still report ongoing issues, particularly with AI behavior and naval battles, leading to a mixed reception regarding its current stability. Overall, while the game has become more playable since its initial release, it remains susceptible to bugs and performance problems, especially on lower-end systems.
- “All my memories of this game are basically bug free, so they are good memories of a lot of hours of fun.”
- “Game runs great and I have found no glitches.”
- “It runs great now after the countless optimization patches they have released.”
- “It's a buggy, unplayable mess that barely worked and when it did, it ran so unbelievably poorly it made you feel ill.”
- “The game was a buggy, broken mess, full of game-breaking bugs, crashes, horrendous AI, badly-implemented campaign and battle mechanics; you name it, Rome 2 had it.”
- “This game is still a buggy mess, with numerous graphical and gameplay glitches that ruin the experience.”
optimization
654 mentions
19 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has seen significant improvements since its troubled launch in 2013, with many users noting that performance issues and bugs have been largely addressed through patches. However, some players still report lingering performance problems, particularly during large battles or on lower-end systems, indicating that while the game is more stable now, it may not run smoothly for everyone. Overall, the game is considered better optimized than at launch, but it still requires a relatively powerful PC to achieve optimal performance.
- “By now, the game has been patched and optimized to the point where it runs smoothly on most modern systems, and the AI has been significantly improved.”
- “A well-polished and optimized gameplay experience.”
- “The game is well optimized, loaded with content, and has a huge map.”
- “But there are significant performance issues that prevent me from recommending this game.”
- “Upon release, the game was plagued with bugs, optimization problems, and underwhelming AI behavior.”
- “The game was a huge disappointment when it was launched, being actually broken and having issues with almost everything: graphics performance, unit and faction behavior and accuracy to historic reality.”
replayability
514 mentions
45 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is highly praised, with many players noting the vast number of factions, diverse gameplay mechanics, and extensive modding community that significantly enhance the experience. While some users feel that replayability diminishes after multiple playthroughs, the majority agree that the combination of unique factions, DLC content, and mods like Divide et Impera provide nearly infinite replay value, making it a staple for strategy enthusiasts. Overall, the game is considered one of the most replayable entries in the Total War series, offering hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of engaging gameplay.
- “This game will be played for decades; it's phenomenal and offers infinite replay value if you don't have the attention span of a tablet kid, with plenty of in-depth mechanics.”
- “With over a dozen playable factions at launch (expanded in DLCs), each with unique units and strategies, the replayability is significant.”
- “The sheer scale and diversity offers a lot of replay value, something which the excellent Shogun 2 lacked (mostly diversity).”
- “This game quickly runs out of its replayability.”
- “The main campaign offers enough faction variety to make it replayable, although after having played for hundreds of hours, the lack of features and faction uniqueness starts to make the game bland.”
- “Even now the vanilla game (without a mod of any kind) is sort of bland and un-replayable.”
story
388 mentions
20 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the engaging historical context and the ability to create personal narratives through gameplay, while others criticize the lack of a cohesive main storyline and the reliance on DLC for richer story content. Many players find the missions and events interesting but feel that the overall narrative could be more developed, leading to a sense of disconnection from the characters and events. Overall, while the game offers opportunities for storytelling, it often falls short of delivering a compelling, structured narrative experience.
- “You get very invested in your nation throughout the campaign, and the story written along the way is neat.”
- “Beautiful graphics, good mini stories within some of the missions, and I love the historical facts it gives you about the cultures, units, buildings... it's just wonderful.”
- “Great game, great story, great campaign, and the graphics are insane.”
- “The campaign is far too easy and the story is linear.”
- “Overall, Rome 2 is a book with an amazing cover and lots of pretty pictures but very little content and a poor story.”
- “There is no storyline or cinematic campaign movies; the diplomacy is completely useless.”
music
377 mentions
30 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment compared to the iconic soundtracks of previous titles like Rome: Total War. While some appreciate the atmospheric qualities and find it fitting for the game's setting, a significant number of players criticize it as generic, repetitive, and lacking the emotional impact of earlier compositions, particularly those by Jeff van Dyck. Mods that restore the original soundtrack are frequently recommended as a solution to enhance the musical experience.
- “The cinematic camera adds to the epic scale, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the game's tone.”
- “The music is sweeping and beautiful.”
- “So much content to experience, epic battles, immersive soundtrack that all fits the ancient historical setting perfectly.”
- “The music is dull, repetitive, and immemorable; general speeches are uninspired and nonsensical.”
- “The soundtrack leaves something to be desired; it is bland and boring and doesn't bring the game to life like in Rome 1, Medieval 2, or Shogun 2.”
- “What is upsetting though is that an advertisement for Rome II used the composer Jeff Van Dyke (who also wrote the music for many of the other Total War games) for its music, but for the game itself he was not invited to participate, and the game suffers as a result.”
grinding
199 mentions
2 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest an inordinate amount of time to progress. Many reviewers noted that the late-game management, including political and economic systems, becomes a monotonous chore, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some players appreciate the depth and complexity, the overwhelming consensus is that the grind can feel like a frustrating checkbox exercise rather than an engaging gameplay experience.
- “Excellent game mechanics, visualizations, historically accurate, and most of all, not tedious in politics like some of the latter 'total' games.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game becomes tedious and boring once your empire stabilizes and the internal politics system is virtually non-existent.”
- “The huge downfall in this game is the tedious micromanagement in campaign which has never been so dominant in a Total War game.”
humor
137 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its glitches, AI inconsistencies, and the absurdity of certain gameplay scenarios, leading to a mix of laughter and frustration among players. Many find the historical strategy elements amusing, with references to pop culture and humorous unit interactions adding to the comedic experience. Overall, while the game has its serious moments, the lightheartedness and unexpected funny occurrences contribute significantly to its charm.
- “It's a hilarious mix of historical strategy and comedy of errors.”
- “Unit chatter is hilarious.”
- “Laughing my ass off; I save the replay, press end battle and am rewarded with a post-battle animation spazout, my victorious dude stands fist-pumping the enemy army dude in the shield at 600 beats per minute.”
- “Too bad it's not funny; there's no sense of achievement, and it's a total failure in terms of strategic and tactical play.”
- “I love both micro and macro managing, but this is so ham-fisted it's not funny.”
atmosphere
92 mentions
55 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its immersive historical setting, detailed visuals, and engaging sound design, which collectively enhance the experience of ancient Rome. However, some players feel it lacks the depth and charm of previous titles like Shogun 2 and the original Rome, citing missing features that contributed to a richer atmosphere. Overall, while the game offers a captivating ambiance, it has received mixed feedback regarding its ability to fully replicate the atmospheric qualities of earlier entries in the series.
- “The game's historical setting immerses you in the rise of Rome, and the detailed visuals and epic scale of battles enhance the overall atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere during the campaign, but especially the battles, is fantastic, and the fighting commotion is accompanied by excellent sound.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, as well as the atmospheric music that I never tired of even after a few hundred hours of gameplay.”
- “However, the units don't collide naturally and the general atmosphere of the game just felt rushed.”
- “The game simply has no atmosphere and nothing worth playing for.”
- “Rome 2 is a brilliant game but lacks the atmosphere we were expecting.”
monetization
79 mentions
4 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
84 % negative mentions
The monetization practices in the game have been widely criticized as excessive and exploitative, with many reviewers labeling the numerous DLCs and microtransactions as blatant cash grabs that detract from the overall experience. Players express frustration over the perceived decline in quality and value compared to earlier titles in the series, often recommending the game only if purchased on sale due to its high cost and questionable DLC content. Overall, the sentiment reflects a growing discontent with the direction of the franchise's monetization strategy, likening it to practices seen in mobile gaming.
- “I recommend this game if it's on sale and truthfully it is fun to play, just know that it could be a lot better if the monetization wasn't so out of control.”
- “Damn, almost 70% of this game is microtransactions, main campaign, historical battles, you name it.”
- “I expect heavy in-game purchases or many DLC on free games, but $49 worth of DLC on a $60 game?”
- “Some people would view it as a cash grab (and that’s true).”
- “The sheer volume and lack of quality of these reeks of cash grabbing.”
- “This is yet another easy cash grab for Creative Assembly, skipping the Chinese and Warhammer Total Wars.”
emotional
54 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players expressing deep attachment to the historical context and gameplay, while others feel disappointed by the lack of character depth and emotional investment. Many reviewers lament the absence of immersive elements that previously fostered emotional connections, such as family trees and unique faction identities, leading to a sense of detachment. Overall, while some moments evoke strong feelings of triumph and nostalgia, the game's execution has left many fans feeling heartbroken and dissatisfied compared to earlier titles in the series.
- “The gameplay dynamics are a bit different from everything CA had done before, but once fully understood, it opens the door to one of the most emotionally involving Total War experiences to date, especially for Roman Empire history lovers... the game earns extra points by featuring Titus Pullo and Vorenus as available ancillaries in the late game.”
- “The feeling when I conquered the world got me so happy and it made me cry, such a lovely war.”
- “It's one of those mechanics where you easily become emotionally attached to your armies and are able to craft destinies for each one.”
character development
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking in depth and context compared to other titles like Crusader Kings II. While some appreciate the mechanics that allow for passive character development and the impact of player actions on the game world, others criticize the overall execution, noting that generals and politicians lack meaningful growth and that the political system feels disorganized. Mods have been mentioned as a potential improvement, adding more engaging traits and development options, but the base game still falls short for many players.
- “The gameplay is solid, the armies work well, and the character development keeps you enjoying it.”
- “The tech tree may look simple, but people are discounting the character development tree for generals, spies, champions, and dignitaries.”
- “Traits, talents, and toadies: this mod adds a trait tree and makes character development much more fun and adds many ancillaries.”
- “The character development is also complete trash; the interface is also poor.”
- “Generals have no character development and die way too soon to care about them, unlike Rome 1.”
- “Politics is a mess - the loss of family trees is a blow, and the political parties don't work properly. Character development is at least improved with most mods using traits, talents, and toadies, but yes, this is disappointing.”