Total War: Rome II

Veni, vidi, vici!

Rome II is probably my favourite Total War game so far.
It is all about "historical" gameplay during the Roman Empire.
Rome II is worth your money because it offers you a lot... (I had more than 1000 hours of fun with this game and still enjoy the game!)

My review is based on the game without mods. Yes, vanilla from release on.
(I never had any serious problems with the game except a few bugs from time to time) [Latest version 02.04.2019]

Pro

+ Graphics are very good for a 2013 game since patches improved them until now
+ Battlefields are well made with some love for details
+ Unit detail is not bad and the animations are good (Blood DLC gives you some gore)
+ Naval battles are a mess but it seems that they really happend like in the game^^
+ Huge map (Known ancient world, regions [2-4 towns])
+ Region system and edicts
+ Wonders and important ressources
+ Environmental impact on armies (Desert, Snow, Alps)
+ War Elephants!
+ Seasons
+ Unique buildings for a lot of factions
+ Revolts! (Even slave riots...)
+ Over 100 factions
+ Armies can level up in addition to the generals
+ Good weather effects (Might feel old by now)
+ Religion and diplomacy (Diplomacy has been improved by patches)
+ Huge battles (Even sea and land battles at the same time!)
+ Barbarians
+ Great sound, ambient music = great feeling
+ High replayability (DLC's for factions, units and additional campaigns)
+ More than one campaign besides the main one
+ A few historic battles
+ Multiplayer Co-Op or Versus
+ Family tree (Free Ancestral Uptade)
+ Mods for every taste
+ Improved skill trees for characters
+ A lot of DLC's to have fun with

Con

- The AI is sometimes gamebreaking bad. It is passive and has a bad pathfinding. Simply, it has often no strategy... [mods could help out]
- In the grand campaign one year is one turn (Characters die too early...)
- Sieges are not bad but the town designs repeat themselves often...
- Some DLC's should have been already in the game (Blood & Gore!?)
- Missing street improvements from Rome 1
- In my opinion the Generals are weak and have no real skills...
- I miss the watchtowers and forts from Rome 1
- Object placement in towns is sometimes really bad (flying rocks, buildings etc.)
- The rain effect on surfaces of walls and buildings is weird
- Compared to other Total War games before it seems to have less game mechanics (You can't place any forts or towers like in the first Rome Total War)
- I miss the agent videos of older Total Wars
- Nealry no historical background informations like in "Empire Total War"
- Most gamebreaking bug: End- or Mid-Turn Crash

Personal DLC ranking:

1. Rise of the Republic
2. Desert Kingdoms
3. Caesar in Gaul
4. Empire Divided
5. Hannibal at the Gates
6. Greek States
7. Black Sea Colonies
8. Beasts of War
9. Wrath of Sparta
10. Blood & Gore
11. Daughters of Mars
12. Nomadic Tribes
13. Pirates and Raiders
Imperator Augustus is free!

Conclusion:

Although I miss a few game mechanics in Rome II, which had been in Rome I, it is a great Total War game. Even without mods the replayability is high! Numerous mods can give the game more depth and replayability. The ancient world is waiting for you to be conquered. This game is a must have if you like Total War games!

My rating is
92/100

Have fun!

English is not my native language. Grammatical mistakes are possible :D

Total War: Rome II Veni, vidi, vici! Rome II is probably my favourite Total War game so far. It is all about "historical" gameplay during the Roman Empire. Rome II is worth your money because it offers you a lot... (I had more than 1000 hours of fun with this game and still enjoy the game!) My review is based on the game without mods. Yes, vanilla from release on. (I never had any serious problems with the game except a few bugs from time to time) [Latest version 02.04.2019] Pro + Graphics are very good for a 2013 game since patches improved them until now + Battlefields are well made with some love for details + Unit detail is not bad and the animations are good (Blood DLC gives you some gore) + Naval battles are a mess but it seems that they really happend like in the game^^ + Huge map (Known ancient world, regions [2-4 towns]) + Region system and edicts + Wonders and important ressources + Environmental impact on armies (Desert, Snow, Alps) + War Elephants! + Seasons + Unique buildings for a lot of factions + Revolts! (Even slave riots...) + Over 100 factions + Armies can level up in addition to the generals + Good weather effects (Might feel old by now) + Religion and diplomacy (Diplomacy has been improved by patches) + Huge battles (Even sea and land battles at the same time!) + Barbarians + Great sound, ambient music = great feeling + High replayability (DLC's for factions, units and additional campaigns) + More than one campaign besides the main one + A few historic battles + Multiplayer Co-Op or Versus + Family tree (Free Ancestral Uptade) + Mods for every taste + Improved skill trees for characters + A lot of DLC's to have fun with Con - The AI is sometimes gamebreaking bad. It is passive and has a bad pathfinding. Simply, it has often no strategy... [mods could help out] - In the grand campaign one year is one turn (Characters die too early...) - Sieges are not bad but the town designs repeat themselves often... - Some DLC's should have been already in the game (Blood & Gore!?) - Missing street improvements from Rome 1 - In my opinion the Generals are weak and have no real skills... - I miss the watchtowers and forts from Rome 1 - Object placement in towns is sometimes really bad (flying rocks, buildings etc.) - The rain effect on surfaces of walls and buildings is weird - Compared to other Total War games before it seems to have less game mechanics (You can't place any forts or towers like in the first Rome Total War) - I miss the agent videos of older Total Wars - Nealry no historical background informations like in "Empire Total War" - Most gamebreaking bug: End- or Mid-Turn Crash Personal DLC ranking: 1. Rise of the Republic 2. Desert Kingdoms 3. Caesar in Gaul 4. Empire Divided 5. Hannibal at the Gates 6. Greek States 7. Black Sea Colonies 8. Beasts of War 9. Wrath of Sparta 10. Blood & Gore 11. Daughters of Mars 12. Nomadic Tribes 13. Pirates and Raiders Imperator Augustus is free! Conclusion: Although I miss a few game mechanics in Rome II, which had been in Rome I, it is a great Total War game. Even without mods the replayability is high! Numerous mods can give the game more depth and replayability. The ancient world is waiting for you to be conquered. This game is a must have if you like Total War games! My rating is 92/100 Have fun! English is not my native language. Grammatical mistakes are possible :D