The developers kept adding new DLC ranging from modest culture packs to the tiny Blood & Gore pack. I never got around to writing a full review of the game because it remained in a near constant state of flux for over a year after its release. Relative parity between the different Roman factions makes the beginning of the campaign very tense in a Cold War kind of way.Ī couple years ago, I wrote an impressions post for Total War: Rome II with a tentative review score of 5 out of 10. Slower turn pacing makes characters, terrain, and seasons feel more relevant. Senate still doesn't feel as impactful as it should.
Grand Campaign is still poorly paced, and caps on the number of armies and fleets can lead to long, stagnant periods. The lack of pre-battle prep speeches is a sad omission, even though I skipped a lot of them in previous games. Blood & Gore DLC makes combat much more visceral if you don't mind paying a few extra bucks. Graphics seem to be a step down from Shogun 2, with lackluster textures. Tactical battles are much longer, allowing for deeper strategy and tactics, but still feel rushed and require constant pausing to issue orders.
