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Rome: Total War
- Windows PC
- 2004
- Turn-based Strategy
- The Creative Assembly
The first game I played in the 'Total War' series was immediately a keeper. The game hits the mark and paints the early Roman Empire, still the Roman Republic, in a way that couldn't have been done any better. The game is huge, though technically smaller than 'Empire' which was in my list earlier, it has more regions on the European continent and it will take a very long time to conquer as much provinces as the Romans did in real life.
The player takes control of one of Ancient Rome's leading noble families. These families all represent the Roman world and share military technology and social advances, but are in effect rivals and it's vital to get the upper hand during the course of the game. The end-goal has the player challenging the other two families and the senate itself for total control of Roman territory and becoming the first Emperor, like Augustus did in real life. Like the other Total War games, there's two parts to the game; the campaign map and the battles. The map is turn-based and armies are moved as pawns across the world, while the battles are real time, controlling each company of units against the enemy.
Micromanagement is what gives the game it's finesse, and it's what makes the politics and the managing of your Empire interesting without getting too complicated or tedious. Tax and building policies control the wealth of your settlements, and even the different governors under your command have their influence. 'Rome' has a beautiful looking sequel, and while I also find that one a great game, the real classic among the strategy genre is this initial game, and it is a game I can get back into any day.
