Rome: Total War

Last updated
Rome: Total War
Romebox.jpg
Developer(s) Creative Assembly [a]
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Michael M. Simpson
Designer(s)
  • Robert T. Smith
  • Mike Brunton
  • Michael de Plater
  • Jamie Ferguson
  • Chris Gambold
Composer(s) Jeff van Dyck
Series Total War
Platform(s)
Release
September 22, 2004
  • Windows
    • NA: September 22, 2004
    • AU: September 24, 2004 [1]
    • EU: October 1, 2004
  • Mac OS X
    • WW: February 5, 2010
  • iOS
    • WW: November 10, 2016
  • Android
    • WW: December 19, 2018
  • Linux, macOS
    • WW: April 29, 2021
Genre(s) Real-time tactics, turn-based strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Rome: Total War is a strategy video game developed by The Creative Assembly and originally published by Activision; its publishing rights have since passed to Sega. The game was released for Microsoft Windows in 2004. [2] The Mac OS X version was released on February 5, 2010, by Feral Interactive, [3] who also released the iPad version on November 10, 2016, [4] the iPhone version on August 23, 2018, [5] and the Android version on December 19, 2018. [6] The game is the third title in The Creative Assembly's Total War series, following Shogun: Total War , and Medieval: Total War . [2] [7]

Contents

The game's main campaign takes place from 270 BC to 14 AD, showcasing the rise and final centuries of the Republican period and the early decades of the imperial period of Ancient Rome. [8] Gameplay is split between real-time tactical battles and a turn-based strategic campaign. [7] Within the campaign, players manage the economy, government, diplomacy, and military of their faction and attempt to accomplish a series of objectives on a map that encompasses most of Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. [9] On the battlefield, the player controls groups of soldiers and uses them to engage in combat with enemy forces.

Upon its release, Rome: Total War received widespread acclaim from critics. [10] In the years since the game has frequently been referred to by critics as one of the greatest games of all time. [11] Two official expansion packs, Barbarian Invasion and Alexander , were released for the game. [12] A sequel, Total War: Rome II , was released on September 3, 2013. A remastered version of the game, developed by Feral Interactive, was released on April 29, 2021. [13]

Gameplay

As with previous games in the Total War series, Rome: Total War has two primary modes of play: a turn-based, single-player campaign that takes place on an overhead map of the world and a real-time battle system that occurs on 3D battlefields. [7]

A Julii family member governing a settlement. His character traits and retinue can be seen beneath his portrait, while his fundamental stats are to the right of his portrait. Further down is a list of the troops that can be trained in the city that he is governing. To the left, the campaign map can be seen; the character is governing Arretium. A diplomat can be seen outside the city. To the north, a Julii army is besieging the Gallic city of Mediolanium. Family Traits.JPG
A Julii family member governing a settlement. His character traits and retinue can be seen beneath his portrait, while his fundamental stats are to the right of his portrait. Further down is a list of the troops that can be trained in the city that he is governing. To the left, the campaign map can be seen; the character is governing Arretium. A diplomat can be seen outside the city. To the north, a Julii army is besieging the Gallic city of Mediolanium.

Control over territory in the game is represented by capturing and holding a settlement in that territory. New cities are conquered by either training soldiers in cities that are already in the player's control and then using those soldiers to besiege enemy cities or by bribing the city into switching sides. Apart from simply expanding one's faction, cities can have positive or negative effects on a nation. For example, well-managed cities can provide the faction that control them with valuable tax income, but poorly-managed cities may cost the player more money in maintenance than they make in taxes. Cities have a variety of buildings that may be built or upgraded, such as temples, barracks, and amphitheatres. Buildings have different effects on the city; for example, aqueducts improve public health and decrease urban squalor, which in turn makes the inhabitants of the city happier. If cities grow too unhappy, they may revolt and either return to a faction that previously controlled them or become a part of a generic "rebel" faction. [14]

Each faction starts with a set of family members. The head of the family is the leader of the faction; any male above the age of 16 can be designated as the current leader's heir. Males above the age of 16 can govern settlements and command armies as generals. Male family members can be added through births between married family members, adoption, or marriage with a female family member. Family members eventually die; natural causes, battles, assassinations, diseases, and natural disasters can all cause a character's demise. Family members can develop character traits from life experiences or heredity. These traits can have both positive and negative effects on the character's stats, which in turn affect their battlefield performance, how well they manage their settlements, and how persuasive they are in negotiations. The stats of family members can also be affected by members of their personal retinue. [15]

Agents are special types of characters that can be recruited in cities with the proper buildings. Agents can also acquire traits and retinue members. There are three types of agents: spies, diplomats, and assassins. Spies can be used to gather intelligence about the composition of armies, infiltrate foreign cities, and serve in a counter-espionage role in the players own cities. When besieging an enemy city, spies stationed within that city have a chance to open the gates. Assassins can assassinate characters and commit sabotage in settlements. Spies and assassins can both be killed during their missions. Diplomats can offer a variety of diplomatic deals to other factions, such as alliances, tributes, and trade rights. They may also attempt to bribe foreign armies, cities, agents, and family members into either defecting or, if the soldiers being bribed are not "compatible" with the other faction, deserting. [16]

Battles

An example of a battle in progress. Here, a group of hoplites are utilizing the phalanx formation to better defend themselves at the cost of decreased mobility. Hellenicphalanx.JPG
An example of a battle in progress. Here, a group of hoplites are utilizing the phalanx formation to better defend themselves at the cost of decreased mobility.

In addition to the turn-based campaign, Rome: Total War also features 3D, real-time battles. Battles can be played as a part of the larger campaign, as a custom battle against the AI, as a preset "historical battle" based on a real-life military engagement, or as a multiplayer battle against other players. As opposed to the campaign, which features an overhead map of the world, battles take place on individual battlefields. The terrain of the battlefield can play a key role in how the battle plays out. In most cases, the ultimate goal of the battle is to defeat the enemy forces by either killing or routing all of their troops; in a siege, the attacker can also achieve victory by capturing and holding the town center for a period of time. In battles, the player commands a variety of soldiers that are arranged into units. The game features a variety of units for battle, which may be broadly categorised into infantry, cavalry, archers, and siege weapons. Different units have different morale, hit points, and general combat skills. If a unit's morale drops too low, its soldiers try to flee the field. [17] Units can create different formations that alter how they perform in combat; for example, many spearmen units can form the phalanx formation, while many Roman units can form the testudo. Both of these formations sacrifice mobility in favour of defensiveness. The player can also employ complex tactics to help them achieve victory; for example, soldiers can ambush enemies from a nearby forest or flank them to avoid a frontal engagement. [18]

Expansions

Barbarian Invasion

Barbarian Invasion allows the player to take control of the barbarian nations of Europe and the Middle East during the migration period. It also adds a more complex portrayal of religion, with changes in the state religion affecting unrest and the popularity of the ruling family. The campaign takes place from 363 AD to 476 AD.

Alexander

The Alexander expansion puts the player in the role of Alexander the Great and replays his conquests and battles. The campaign takes place from 336 BC to 323 BC.

Development

A demo featuring a playable version of the Battle of River Trebia, with the player taking the role of the general Hannibal, was released on August 23, 2004, and is freely available for download. [19]

Prior to release, a preliminary version of the game engine was used in two series of TV programs: Decisive Battles by the History Channel, where it was used to recreate famous historical battles, [20] and Time Commanders by BBC Two, where teams of novice non-gamers commanded ancient armies to replay key battles of antiquity. Military historians fine-tuned the game engine specifically for these television shows, ensuring maximum historical accuracy. Both series also used the same music track as the battles in Rome: Total War.

Jeff van Dyck composed the original music soundtrack for the game and received a BAFTA Interactive Awards nomination for his work. Some of the vocals, including the song "Forever" played during the game's credits, were performed by his wife, Angela van Dyck. Angela also wrote the lyrics for the song "Divinitus," which was written in quasi-Latin.

In May 2014, GameSpy's multiplayer services were shut down, and as a result, the game was migrated to Steamworks as of Patch 1.51.

The iPad version of the game, developed by Feral Interactive, was announced on August 12, 2016 [21] and released on November 10, 2016. The iPhone version was released on August 23, 2018. [22] an Android version was announced on November 8, 2018, and was officially released on December 19th, 2018. [23]

Modifications

Rome: Total War allows for the manipulation of some game resources, including its text files and textures, which has led to the creation of modifications. Among the most notable are Europa Barbarorum and Roma Surrectum, both of which aim to introduce more historical accuracy and rework how the factions are played. [24] [25]

Reception

Sales

According to The NPD Group, Rome: Total War was the 20th-best-selling computer game of 2004. [26] It maintained this position on NPD's annual computer game sales chart for the following year. [27] In the United States alone, the game sold 390,000 copies and earned $16.8 million by August 2006. At the time, this led Edge to declare it the country's 40th-best-selling computer game, and best-selling Total War title, released since January 2000. The series as a whole, including Rome, sold 1.3 million units in the United States by August 2006. [28] By 2013, Rome: Total War alone had totaled 876,000 sales in the region. [29] It also received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), [30] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom. [31]

Rome sold at least 100,000 units in the German market by December 2004. [32]

Critical reviews

The game received "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [33] Many reviewers regarded it as one of the best strategy games of all time; it won numerous awards and high scores from gaming websites and magazines alike.

Computer Games Magazine named Rome: Total War the fifth-best computer game of 2004. The editors wrote, "If there's a magic formula for how to make a great strategy game, Creative Assembly has it down pat." [44] The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated Rome as their 2004 "Strategy Game of the Year (Real-Time)", although it lost to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War . [45] It was nominated for GameSpot's year-end "Best Graphics, Technical" award. [43] During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Rome: Total War with "Strategy Game of the Year", along with receiving nominations for "Outstanding Innovation in Computer Gaming" and outstanding achievement in "Original Musical Composition", "Sound Design" and "Online Gameplay". [46]

Sequel

On July 2, 2012, The Creative Assembly announced the development of Total War: Rome II as the next edition of the Total War series. [47] Rome II became its successor on 3 September 2013 when it was released, featuring gameplay during the time of the Roman Republic and Empire, a larger campaign map, as well as a number of game mechanics both new and carried over from previous Total War entries.

Remaster

On March 25, 2021, 16 and a half years after its initial release, a remastered edition named Total War: Rome Remastered was announced. It would feature improved visuals, additional factions and a modernized interface; and cover the original game and all expansions. [13] [48] Developed by Feral Interactive, the remaster was released on April 29 of the same year. The reception was positive with reviews stating that the remastered edition was the best way to play Rome: Total War today, but that the game mechanics felt outdated compared to more recent releases in the Total War series. [49] [50]

Like the original game, the remaster supports modding. Among the most notable, Imperium Surrectum made by the mod developers behind mods Rome: Total Realism and Roma Surrectum for the original game. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>Total War</i> (video game series) Computer strategy game series

Total War is a series of strategy games developed by British developer Creative Assembly for personal computers. They combine turn-based strategy and resource management with real-time tactical control of battles. Rather uniquely for real-time strategy games, flanking manoeuvers and formations factor heavily into gameplay. The first of the series, Shogun: Total War, was released in June 2000. The most recent major game released was Total War: Pharaoh on 11 October 2023. As of April 2021, the series had sold over 36 million copies.

<i>Shogun: Total War</i> 2000 video game

Shogun: Total War is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows personal computers. Released in June 2000, the game became the debut title in The Creative Assembly's Total War series. Set in Japan during Sengoku jidai—the "Warring States" period from the 15th to the beginning of the 17th century—the game has players adopt the leader of a contemporary Japanese clan, attempt to conquer the nation and claim the position of shōgun. The turn-based aspect of the game focuses on a map of Japan where military force, religion, diplomacy, espionage and economics all influence the player's actions, whilst battles are fought in a 3D real-time mode.

<i>Medieval: Total War</i> 2002 video game

Medieval: Total War is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics computer game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Activision. Set in the Middle Ages, it is the second game in the Total War series, following on from the 2000 title Shogun: Total War. Originally announced in August 2001, the game was released in North America on 21 August 2002 and in Europe on 30 August for Microsoft Windows.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth</i> 2004 video game

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth is a 2004 real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles for Microsoft Windows. The first part of the Middle-earth strategy game, It is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in turn based on J. R. R. Tolkien's original novel. The game uses short video clips from the movies and a number of the voice actors, including the hobbits and wizards. It uses the SAGE engine. The sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, was released on March 2, 2006.

<i>Star Wars: Empire at War</i> 2006 real-time strategy video game

Star Wars: Empire at War is a 2006 real-time strategy video game developed by Petroglyph Games and published by LucasArts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Set between Episode III and Episode IV, it focuses on the fledgling struggle between the Empire and the Rebels. It uses Petroglyph's game engine Alamo. In October 2006, an expansion titled Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption was released.

The Creative Assembly Limited is a British video game developer based in Horsham, founded in 1987 by Tim Ansell. In its early years, the company worked on porting games to MS-DOS from Amiga and ZX Spectrum platforms, later working with Electronic Arts to produce a variety of games under the EA Sports brand. In 1999, the company had sufficient resources to attempt a new and original project, proceeding to develop the strategy computer game Shogun: Total War which was a critical and commercial hit, and is regarded as a benchmark strategy game. Subsequent titles in the Total War series was built following the success of Shogun: Total War, increasing the company's critical and commercial success.

<i>Company of Heroes</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Company of Heroes is a 2006 real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. It is the first installment of the Company of Heroes series, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label.

<i>Homeworld</i> 1999 real-time strategy computer game

Homeworld is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios on September 28, 1999, for Windows. Set in space, the science fiction game follows the Kushan exiles of the planet Kharak after their home planet is destroyed by the Taiidan Empire in retaliation for developing hyperspace jump technology. The survivors journey with their spacecraft-constructing mothership to reclaim their ancient homeworld of Hiigara from the Taiidan, encountering a variety of pirates, mercenaries, traders, and rebels along the way. In each of the game's levels, the player gathers resources, builds a fleet, and uses it to destroy enemy ships and accomplish mission objectives. The player's fleet carries over between levels and can travel in a fully three-dimensional space within each level rather than being limited to a two-dimensional plane.

<i>Commandos 2: Men of Courage</i> 2001 video game

Commandos 2: Men of Courage is a real-time tactics video game, developed by Pyro Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and released on September 20, 2001. It is a sequel to Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and the second installment of the Commandos series, and is the only strategy game of the series to be designed not only for Microsoft Windows, but also for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game sees players taking control of a squad of commandos, along with various allied units, as they sneak behind enemy lines to accomplish various missions in World War II, between 1941 and 1944, that will help them to thwart the war efforts of the Germans and the Japanese. The game features several improvements to the gameplay from its predecessor, including the ability to use enemy weapons and explore interior locations, the inclusion of three new commandos, a number of new skills for the original six members along with their other abilities, and new pieces of equipment to help overcome the enemy.

<i>Medieval II: Total War</i> 2006 video game

Medieval II: Total War is a strategy video game developed by the since-disbanded Australian branch of The Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 10 November 2006. Feral Interactive published versions of the game for macOS and Linux on 14 January 2016. It is the sequel to 2002's Medieval: Total War and the fourth title in the Total War series.

Europa Barbarorum, or EB, is a modification of the PC game Rome: Total War (RTW) based on the desire to provide Rome: Total War players with a more historically accurate game experience.

<i>Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion</i> 2005 video game

Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion is the first expansion pack for the strategy video game Rome: Total War. The expansion was released in 2005 in North America and Europe and in 2006 in Japan for Windows. Feral Interactive released the iPad version on 28 March 2017, the iPhone version on 9 May 2019, and an Android version of the game on 18 June 2019. A remastered version of the game was released as part of Total War: Rome Remastered on 29 April 2021. While the main game deals with the rise of the Roman Empire, Barbarian Invasion covers the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire during the Migration Period.

<i>Empire: Total War</i> 2009 video game

Empire: Total War is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. The fifth installment in the Total War series, the game was released in 2009. The game, which focuses on the early modern period of the 18th century, was announced at the Leipzig Games Convention in August 2007. The macOS version of the game was released by Feral Interactive on 10 June 2014. The Linux version was released, also by Feral Interactive, on 8 December 2014.

<i>Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII</i> 2003 video game expansion

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII is the second of two expansions to the World War II first-person shooter computer game Battlefield 1942. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 4 September 2003 in North America and 5 September 2003 in Europe. It was also released for Mac OS X on 25 October 2004.

<i>Rome: Total War: Alexander</i> 2006 video game

Rome: Total War: Alexander is the second expansion pack for Rome: Total War. It is set in an earlier time period, putting the player in the role of Alexander the Great. It begins with Alexander's ascension to the Macedonian throne in 336 BC and lasts for 100 turns. The game is much the same as the original Rome: Total War, but with fewer factions, different units, and a different map. The expansion was released in 2006 for Microsoft Windows. The macOS version of Rome: Total War: Alexander was released on 27 February 2014 by Feral Interactive. A standalone version of the expansion, also by Feral, was released for the iPad on 27 July 2017. An iPhone and Android version of the game was released on 24 October 2019.

<i>Star Wars: Battlefront</i> (2004 video game) 2004 action shooter video game

Star Wars: Battlefront is a 2004 first and third-person shooter video game based on the Star Wars film franchise. Developed by Pandemic Studios and published by LucasArts, it is the first installment in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. It was released in September 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows to coincide the release of the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set. Aspyr released a Mac OS X port in July 2005, and a cellular phone version, Star Wars Battlefront Mobile, was released on November 1, 2005.

<i>Napoleon: Total War</i> 2010 video game

Napoleon: Total War is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega for the Microsoft Windows and macOS. Napoleon was released in North America on 23 February 2010, and in Europe on 26 February. The game is the sixth stand-alone installment in the Total War series. The game is set in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Players assume the role of Napoleon Bonaparte, or one of his major rivals, on a turn-based campaign map and engage in the subsequent battles in real-time. As with its predecessor, Empire: Total War, which included a special United States storyline, Napoleon features three special campaigns that follow the general's career.

<i>Total War: Shogun 2</i> 2011 video game

Total War: Shogun 2 is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2011. It is the seventh mainline entry in the Total War series and returns to the setting of the first Total War game, Shogun: Total War, after a series of games set mainly in Europe and the Middle East.

<i>Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness</i> 1995 video game

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is a fantasy real-time strategy computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows in 1995 and Mac OS in 1996 by Blizzard's parent, Davidson & Associates. A sequel to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, the game was met with positive reviews and won most of the major PC gaming awards in 1996. In 1996, Blizzard released an expansion pack, Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, for DOS and Mac OS, and a compilation, Warcraft II: The Dark Saga, for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The Battle.net edition, released in 1999, included Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, provided Blizzard's online gaming service, and replaced the MS-DOS version with a Windows one.

<i>Total War: Warhammer</i> 2016 video game

Total War: Warhammer is a 2016 turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega for Windows via the Steam gaming platform. The game was brought to macOS and Linux by Feral Interactive. The game features the gameplay of the Total War series with factions of Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy series; it is the first Total War game not to portray a historical setting. It is the tenth title in the Total War series and the first title to be released in the Total War: Warhammer trilogy.

References

  1. Ports and remastered version by Feral Interactive.
  1. "Rome: Total War". Gameplanet . Archived from the original on October 9, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2024. Release date: 24th September, 2004
  2. 1 2 Kerschbaumer, Florian; Winnerling, Tobias (2014-06-26). Early Modernity and Video Games. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 232. ISBN   978-1-4438-6234-9.
  3. "Feral Interactive: Rome: Total War". Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  4. "Feral Interactive: Conquer and rule the ancient world from your iPad with ROME: Total War". Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  5. "'Rome: Total War' from Feral Interactive Releases on August 23rd for iPhone – TouchArcade". 2018-08-15. Archived from the original on 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  6. "The full glory of ROME: Total War — now on Android | Feral News". www.feralinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  7. 1 2 3 Danahay, Martin (2022-03-18). War Without Bodies: Framing Death from the Crimean to the Iraq War. Rutgers University Press. p. 63. ISBN   978-1-9788-1919-1. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  8. "Rome: Total War". Total War. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  9. SBT (12 August 2004). "Gaming bares its teeth". New Straits Times . p. 25. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  10. Metacritic (August 26, 2016). "Ranked: Best and Worst Computer Strategy Games". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  11. Fox, Matt (2013-01-03). The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962-2012, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 244. ISBN   978-0-7864-7257-4. Archived from the original on 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  12. 1 2 "In a series-first, the classic Rome: Total War is getting an extensive remaster". Eurogamer.net. 2021-03-25. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  13. Vigdahl, Nick (10 November 2016). "Review: Rome: Total War". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  14. Coombes, Lloyd (27 March 2019). "Rome: Total War Review". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  15. 1 2 Ocampo, Jason (September 23, 2004). "Rome: Total War Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  16. Lost Battles, Philip Sabin, page xvii
  17. 1 2 Gillen, Kieron (October 1, 2004). "Rome: Total War". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  18. "Demo Versions: Rome: Total War Demo - Demo Movie Patch Download Section". GamersHell. August 23, 2004. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  19. Gaudiosi, John (May 17, 2004). "Rome: First a Game, Now on TV". Wired . Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  20. Scammell, David (August 12, 2016). "Rome: Total War is coming to iPad". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  21. Hood, Vic (August 15, 2018). "rome-total-war-for-iphone-lands-on-august-23". techradar.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  22. "A joyful Saturnalia in prospect for Android with ROME: Total War". feralinteractive.com. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  23. Senior, Tom (19 October 2010). "10 essential Total War mods". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  24. 1 2 Hospodar, Mark (2021-08-30). "Total War: 15 Best Total Conversion & Overhaul Mods". GameRant. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  25. Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry; 2005 Sales, Demographics and Usage Data (PDF) (Report). Entertainment Software Association. May 18, 2005. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2005.
  26. "Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry; 2006 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data" (PDF). Entertainment Software Association. May 10, 2006. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2006.
  27. Edge Staff (August 25, 2006). "The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century". Edge . Archived from the original on October 17, 2012.
  28. Gaudiosi, John (August 8, 2013). "Sega is refashioning itself as a PC game maker". CNNMoney . Archived from the original on January 26, 2014.
  29. "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association . Archived from the original on May 15, 2009.
  30. Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
  31. "mediabiz.de - News - Zwei weitere Topseller erhalten VUD-Ehrungen". 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Rome: Total War for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  33. "ROME: Total War for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  34. Biessener, Adam (November 2004). "Rome: Total War". Game Informer . No. 139. p. 165. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  35. Ferris, Duke (October 8, 2004). "Rome: Total War Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  36. Kosak, Dave (September 22, 2004). "GameSpy: Rome: Total War". GameSpy. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  37. Butts, Steve (September 22, 2004). "Rome: Total War". IGN. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  38. Bemis, Greg (October 27, 2004). "Rome: Total War Review". X-Play . Archived from the original on March 5, 2005.
  39. "IGN's Top 100 Games (#20-#11)". IGN . 2005. Archived from the original on July 16, 2005.
  40. Adams, Dan; Butts, Steve; Onyett, Charles (March 16, 2007). "Top 25 PC Games of All Time (Page 3)". IGN. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  41. Staff (October 5, 2004). "GameSpot's Month in Review for September 2004". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 9, 2005.
  42. 1 2 "Best and Worst of 2004". GameSpot . January 5, 2005. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005.
  43. Staff (March 2005). "The Best of 2004; The 14th Annual Computer Games Awards". Computer Games Magazine (172): 48–56.
  44. "2004 Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World . No. 249. March 2005. p. 60.
  45. "D.I.C.E. Award By Video Game Details Rome: Total War". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  46. MacDonald, Keza (July 2, 2012). "Sega Announces Total War: Rome II". IGN. Archived from the original on July 5, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  47. "Total War: Rome Remastered Announced, Coming April 29". GameSpot . 2021-03-25. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  48. Bolding, Jonathan (2021-04-28). "Total War: Rome Remastered is a great update but can't compete with modern strategy games". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  49. Wakeling, Richard (2021-05-05). "Total War: Rome Remastered Review -- Et Tu, Total War?". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2022-06-26.