Total War: Rome II

Last updated

Total War: Rome II
Total War Rome II cover.jpg
Developer(s) Creative Assembly
Publisher(s) Sega
Composer(s) Richard Beddow [1]
Series Total War
Engine Warscape
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, macOS
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
macOS
  • WW: 3 September 2014
Genre(s) Turn-based strategy, real-time tactics
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Total War: Rome II is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was released on 3 September 2013, for Microsoft Windows [4] as the eighth standalone game in the Total War series of video games and the successor to the 2004 game Rome: Total War .

Contents

Rome II received generally positive reviews from critics on release, but was criticized for its significant technical problems. However, it proved a commercial success, surpassing all other games in the Total War series in both sales and number of concurrent players on its release day. [5] [6] [7] In September 2014, an Emperor Edition was released, which added macOS support and addressed many of the technical problems in the game, as well as overhauled AI battles and upgraded certain visual elements. It was offered as a standalone edition and a free upgrade to all current players.

Gameplay

Total War: Rome II is set in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East in the Classical antiquity period. The grand single-player campaign begins in 272 BC and lasts for 300 years. However, the player also has the option to play further, as there are no timed victory conditions.

Like its predecessor, Rome II blends turn-based grand strategy and civilization management with real-time tactical battles. The Warscape engine powers the game's visuals and new unit cameras allow players to focus on individual soldiers on the real-time battlefield, which may contain thousands of combatants at the same time. Creative Assembly has stated that it wished to bring out the more human side of war, with soldiers reacting as their comrades get killed around them, and officers inspiring men with heroic speeches. [8]

Rome II features more sophisticated portrayals of each culture and civilization of the period, which in its predecessor had been portrayed anachronistically. The Creative Assembly tried to ensure the uniqueness of different cultures and fighting forces. Lead unit designer Jack Lusted stated that instead of the "rebel nation" used to represent minor states in the original Rome: Total War, Rome II features a large number of smaller, individual nations and city-states represented by their own factions. Each ethnic group has a unique play-style. A tribe of Gallic barbarians looks and feels different from a disciplined Roman legion. Different agents and technologies are implemented for different factions. [9] There are over 500 different land units in the game, including mercenaries. Over 30 different city variants avoid siege battles feeling and playing out the same every time. [10]

Diplomacy

The diplomacy system has been revamped with a new artificial intelligence. The Creative Assembly has acknowledged anomalies in previous games, where the AI could perform strange or even suicidal actions, such as very small factions declaring war on very large ones such as the Roman Empire; the AI is said to be more "intelligent" and cunning in Rome II. [9] The player's own actions will determine whether or not the enemy AI will be a trustworthy ally or a suspicious traitor.

The political system of Rome II has been completely redone. The factions of Rome and Carthage each have three political entities that vie for power. Players will choose to be part of one of the entities once they select the faction they want to play. Other factions have internal politics between a single ruling family and a class of nobles. [11] [12] The political standing of different entities is based on a resource system, which is, in turn, based on the deeds and actions of its generals and characters. If one's standing drops too low, they may find themselves powerless to affect their nation's affairs, or if they become too powerful, rivals might unite against them. In certain cases, a player may attempt to take all power for himself to become emperor or king, which requires a civil war—another part of the game completely redesigned. [11]

As with Total War: Shogun 2 , the player is prompted with decisions throughout the game. The Creative Assembly has expanded on this mechanic, with each decision leading the player down a particular "decision path" based on previous decisions. These then affect the way the campaign plays out; for example, the Roman Republic may become the Roman Empire through civil war. [13] Additionally, rather than solely assigning traits to generals and family members as with previous Total War games, the player can assign traits to entire legions as they gain combat experience. [13] Players can also customize legions by choosing their weapons. Players can still determine the composition of individual cohorts, even though they will be building entire legions at a time, unlike in previous Total War titles where all units had to be created separately. [13]

As with Rome: Total War, special units known as agents play important roles in gameplay. There are three core types of agents in Rome II: the dignitary, the champion, and the spy, [11] and each culture has its own variants. When spawned, each agent has a "profession" that is determined by its supposed background or ethnicity. A player can invest in an agent's profession as well as its skill tree. Each agent can try to assassinate other characters or convert them to their faction. When an agent is asked to perform a certain task, there is a deeper set of choices on how to complete the task. For example, when getting rid of an enemy agent, one can bribe him, convert him, or murder him.

Combat

In addition to traditional sieges and field battles, a myriad of other battle types is available in Total War: Rome II. These include: [11]

Navies play an important role in Total War: Rome II. The Creative Assembly introduced mixed naval and land combat for land battles and city sieges, to reflect the naval strategies of the Classical era. Legions can attack the enemy's ground forces and cities, while naval units provide supporting fire or engage in naval warfare on the seas. Navies can conquer poorly guarded coastal cities by themselves. In addition, naval combat has been modified. Navies are now composed largely of troop carriers, designed to ram and board opposing ships, and land units can now commandeer merchant vessels as naval transport units. Naval units are bigger in size and a player may recruit several at a time. [9] Naval regions, originally introduced in Medieval: Total War , have returned. Their purpose is to prevent players or the AI from slipping an invasion force right past a huge enemy fleet. Entering a naval region where an enemy fleet is present will trigger naval combat. [10]

Armies and navies have changeable stances on the campaign map. Stances determine factors such as total movement points per turn or the ability to deploy traps for an ambush. The "Forced March" stance allows an army to march further, but will tire out its soldiers, reducing their fighting ability and leaving them vulnerable to ambush; the "Defensive Stance" enables fortifications such as stakes or redoubts and the "Ambush Stance" enables traps such as fireballs and sulphur pits. Armies and fleets can contain a maximum of 20 units and must have a general or admiral to lead them. A faction's power, or "imperium", determines the number of armies it can raise. A faction can gain more imperium by conquering more regions or acquiring more gold. Players can also name units in an army and change their emblems. [10]

When an army is formed, the player must pick a general to lead it from a list of available faction members. Generals can now be both military leaders and skilled politicians, depending on their traits and skill trees. When an army recruits new units, it enters muster mode and cannot move until they have been added to the army. Both armies and generals can gain skills and traits from experience in battle. Each skill can be upgraded up to three times. If an army loses its general, a new one must be appointed by the player. These rules also apply to fleets and admirals.

Campaign

The game's primary campaign map extends from Bactria in the east (present-day Afghanistan) to Lusitania in the west (present-day Portugal), and from Caledonia in the north (present-day Scotland) to Garamantia in the south (present-day Libya) to Aksum (present-day Ethiopia), and is divided into 57 provinces and 173 regions. Each province is a grouping of up to four regions, and each region can be conquered separately. However, control of an entire province allows a player to pass edicts at a provincial level, which provide bonuses such as increased public happiness or military production. Construction options for regions within a province are displayed on a single menu, while public happiness is also province-based. This means that if public happiness drops too low, the most unhappy region will rebel instead of the entire province.

Individual villages and resource buildings are absent from the campaign map and are confined to the regional capital. Each regional capital generates an automatic garrison, with its size defined by its population, which can be increased by constructing various buildings. Armies now have a raid stance, which automatically generates loot and reduces their upkeep cost. A player can raid in both friendly and hostile territory, although raiding one's own regions is detrimental to public happiness.

Each province has a provincial capital with walls. Siege battles only occur when fighting in a provincial capital. Because of their larger size, provincial capitals also have more building slots than regional capitals.

Factions

The game features 117 factions, [10] each with a unique unit roster and agenda, as well as overall bonuses and penalties. Eight of these are playable on the initial release, with more included either free or as paid downloadable content. The playable factions are divided into ten cultural groups: Hellenic, Latin, Punic, Celtic, Germanic, Desert Nomadic, Iberian, Tribal Nomadic, Balkan, and Eastern. Each has unique traits. Some factions focus on military conquest (such as the barbarians), while others (like the Hellenic or Eastern) focus more on diplomacy and trade. Playable factions from the Classical era include the Roman Republic, Carthage, Ptolemaic Egypt, the Seleucid Empire, Parthia, the Iceni, the Arverni, the Suebi, and Macedon.

The Caesar in Gaul downloadable content (DLC) pack adds numerous Gallic tribes not present in the main game, while Hannibal at the Gates adds two new Iberian factions as well as Syracuse. Imperator Augustus adds Lepidus', Mark Antony's, Pompey's, and Octavian's Roman Factions, as well as several other factions such as Dacia and Armenia. [14] [15]

Downloadable content

Much like the other games in the Total War series, several packs of downloadable content have been released for Rome II, adding new factions, units, and standalone campaigns to the base game. Content released for free is marked with light green color in the table below.

NameRelease dateAdditions and notes
Campaign packs
Caesar in Gaul17 December 2013Adds a new campaign based on the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC). The map covers Gaul and some surrounding lands and the campaign features 4 playable factions.
Additional content: Caesar in Gaul also adds the Nervii, Boii, and Galatia as playable factions in the Grand Campaign.
Hannibal at the Gates27 March 2014Adds a new campaign based on the Second Punic War (218 BC). [16] The map covers the western Mediterranean [16] and the campaign features 5 playable factions.
Additional content: Hannibal at the Gates also adds the Arevaci, Lusitani, and Syracuse as playable factions in the Grand Campaign.
Imperator Augustus16 September 2014 (free)Adds a new campaign based on the Second Triumvirate War (32–30 BC). [17] The map covers Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and the campaign features 10 playable factions.
Wrath of Sparta16 December 2014Adds a new campaign based on the Peloponnesian War (beginning in 432 BC). [18] The map covers Greece and parts of Anatolia and the campaign features 4 playable factions.
Empire Divided30 November 2017Adds a new campaign based on the Crisis of the Third Century with a focus on the reign of Aurelian (AD 270–275). The map covers Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and the campaign features 10 playable factions.
Rise of the Republic9 August 2018Adds a new campaign based on the expansion of the early Roman Republic (beginning in 399 BC). The map covers the Italian peninsula and some surrounding lands and the campaign features 8 playable factions. [19]
Culture packs
Greek States3 September 2013Adds Athens, Epirus, and Sparta as playable factions in the Grand Campaign. The DLC was free for pre-purchase customers of Rome II, but was made available for purchase upon release date.
Nomadic Tribes22 October 2013Adds Massagetae, Roxolani, and Royal Scythia as playable factions in the Grand Campaign. This DLC was made available for free to all Rome II owners for the first week upon its release.
Pirates and Raiders29 May 2014Adds the Ardiaei, the Odrysian Kingdom, and Tylis as playable factions in the Grand Campaign.
Black Sea Colonies20 November 2014Adds Cimmeria, Colchis, and Pergamon as playable factions in the Grand Campaign.
Desert Kingdoms8 March 2018Adds the Masaesyli, Kush, Saba, and Nabatea as playable factions in the Grand Campaign.
Unit packs
Epirus & Elephants10 February 2014 (free)Adds a new model for African elephants as well as four new units recruitable by Epirus. [20]
Beasts of War17 February 2014Adds seven new animal-themed units. [21] The number of added units was extended to ten post-release.
Daughters of Mars15 August 2014Adds seven new female units. [22] Released alongside the August Warrior Update, which added a five further new units for free. [22]
Faction packs
Pontus3 September 2013 (free)Adds Pontus as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign. [23]
Seleucid Empire18 October 2013 (free)Adds the Seleucid Empire as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign. [24]
Baktria5 December 2013 (free)Adds Baktria as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign. [20]
Getae & Pydna29 May 2014 (free)Adds the Getae as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign as well as Battle of Pydna as a playable historical battle. [25]
Armenia16 September 2014 (free)Adds Armenia as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign. [17]
Massilia20 November 2014 (free)Adds Massilia as a playable faction in the Grand Campaign.
Other content
Blood & Gore31 October 2013Adds blood and increased violence to battles (not included in the base game to decrease the rating). [26]
Seasons & Wonders26 March 2014 (free)Adds seasons and their effects to the game, alongside the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and new units for Carthage. [27]
Power & Politics9 August 2018 (free)Overhauls the political system of Rome II, adding political parties and various new possible actions. Released alongside the free Ancestral Update, which adds family trees to the game. [28]
DLC timeline
2013Greek States
Nomadic Tribes
Blood & Gore
Caesar in Gaul
2014Beasts of War
Hannibal at the Gates
Pirates and Raiders
Daughters of Mars
Black Sea Colonies
Wrath of Sparta
2015
2016
2017Empire Divided
2018Desert Kingdoms
Rise of the Republic

Special editions

Since its original release, Total War: Rome II has been re-released numerous times in physical special editions bundled with a selection of thematically connected DLC packs. [28] [29]

NameRelease dateAdditional content included (campaign packs underlined)
Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition [lower-alpha 1] 16 September 2014Imperator Augustus [30]
Total War: Rome II – Spartan Edition9 October 2015Imperator Augustus, Wrath of Sparta, Greek States, Daughters of Mars [31]
Total War: Rome II – Caesar Edition6 September 2018Imperator Augustus, Caesar in Gaul + Julius Caesar ebook [29]
Total War: Rome II – Enemy at the Gates Edition30 January 2020Imperator Augustus, Hannibal at the Gates, Empire Divided [28]

Novels

According to The Bookseller website, Pan MacMillan and Thomas Dunne Books purchased the rights from The Creative Assembly in 2012 to publish a series of novels based on Total War: Rome II. Author David Gibbins was tasked to write the series, with the first of the novels released in October 2013. [32]

Reception

Critical reception

Total War: Rome II has an average score of 76/100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [33] PC Gamer scored the game 85%, praising the cinematic scale of the battles and attention to detail, calling them "stunning" and "the most marvellous moments of the fifty plus hours I've played so far". In the same review, however, there was also criticism towards apparent glitches on its initial release, including issues with the AI, calling it "floppy". [42] Edge similarly praised the visuals and battles while noting bugs on release, stating that "even as it topples, it's glorious to look at, and to live through." [34] Daniel Starkey of GameSpot enjoyed the variety of units and what it called "spectacular sound design and great attention to visual detail". However, in the same review, he also noted "problematic" camera angles and control, particularly during siege and larger field battles. [37] Justin Clouse of The Escapist also enjoyed the unit and visual variety, stating "to its credit, Rome II does an excellent job of giving all the factions a unique feel", in what it called "impactful variations". [43]

Outside of the battles, GameRevolution called the campaign map "a treat to look at" while also praising the new features and depth, yet took issue with the wait times between player and AI turns, [44] a view echoed by Steve Butts of IGN who reported "a single turn can take as much as 10 minutes... those little inconveniences add up. Don't get me wrong; Rome II is a game worth savoring, but it also asks you to tolerate difficulties that don't need to exist". [40] Paul Dean of Eurogamer enjoyed the new additions to the gameplay systems while also felt "stagnation" detracted from others, concluding that "for all that the game may have promised, it isn't such a big step forward for the series. It's Total War done a bit bigger, a bit better and a bit different." [35] Adam Biessener of Game Informer unfavorably compared the game to the previous title in the franchise, Total War: Shogun 2 , calling it a "step backwards", in that "where Shogun 2 accelerated into the massive endgame war just as administrating your empire started to become tedious, Rome II slows down far in advance of a campaign’s finale", concluding by calling it a "disappointment coming off of the brilliance of Shogun 2". [36] Mike Suskle of GamesRadar , however, called it "a worthy continuation of the franchise and an overdue update to one of the greatest strategy games of all time". [38]

The Emperor Edition was released on 16 September 2014, as a standalone release and a free update to all current players. [45] The update integrated all prior fixes while adding improvements to the AI battles, political system, building chains, and visuals. [46] Softpedia, for example, gave Emperor Edition a 90, saying that it "shows how much the title from The Creative Assembly has evolved since it was originally delivered and the way the entire experience has been updated based on the needs of the community and the cool ideas of the development team." [47]

Technical problems and controversy

Upon the game's initial release many users reported technical faults such as being unable to load the game following installation, crashes, texture optimization problems, and broken artificial intelligence; poor game performance was also constantly reported. [48] [49] In a negative review by Rich Stanton for The Guardian , he reports having to re-download the full game following problems with his own review copy, noting that his "PC runs Shogun II at ultra settings without any issues but Rome II on medium makes it "choke like a dog", and judging by the developer's own forum many others are having the same issues." [41] On the official forums, an "anonymous developer" from another studio posted his own complaints, including numerous bugs and poorly implemented features such as "capture the flag" style battles, feeling that the game had "comprehensively failed" to be tested and blaming the publisher Sega for its state on release. [50] A review by critic and comedian Joe Vargas (aka Angry Joe) also complained about AI problems and unit balancing with in-game video examples while also noting differences with the preview builds, [51] while William Usher of Cinema Blend supported Vargas' review while questioning other reviews due to the number of reported problems on release prior to patching. [52] Following its release, developer The Creative Assembly announced regular patching in order to fix the reported issues, with the first update coming the Friday the same week of release. [53] On the Total War official forums, admins on behalf of Creative Director Mike Simpson issued an apology along with a statement, promising to further patch the game, encouraging players to report all problems given the variety and difference of issues between players. [54] Simpson would later go on to state, in a second public announcement about new and upcoming fixes, about asking for further player input while also "hoping we can fundamentally treat our releases differently in the future." [55]

Sales

Total War: Rome II surpassed commercially all other games in the Total War series in both sales and number of concurrent players on its release day. [5] [6] [7] By 23 August 2013, Total War: Rome II had achieved more than six times the number of pre-orders of Total War: Shogun 2 , making Rome II the most pre-ordered game in the history of the Total War franchise. [56] As of 31 March 2014, the game had sold 1.13 million copies in Europe and North America. [57]

Notes

  1. Emperor Edition was released as a free update for owners of Rome II, but also received a limited physical release of its own. [30]

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 October 11, 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 19 August 2002 and in Europe on 30 August for Microsoft Windows.

<i>Rome: Total War</i> 2004 video game

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. The macOS version was released on February 5, 2010, by Feral Interactive, who also released the iPad version on November 10, 2016, the iPhone version on August 23, 2018, and the Android version on December 19, 2018. The game is the third title in The Creative Assembly's Total War series, following Shogun: Total War, and Medieval: Total War.

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 built on the success of Shogun: Total War, increasing the company's critical and commercial success.

<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.

Real-time tactics (RTT) is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time, simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics. It is differentiated from real-time strategy gameplay by the lack of classic resource micromanagement and base or unit building, as well as the greater importance of individual units and a focus on complex battlefield tactics.

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>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>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>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>Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead</i> 2010 video game

Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead is a standalone expansion pack to Bohemia Interactive's tactical shooter Arma 2. Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead includes three new multiplayer maps, new vehicles and equipment, new factions, along with a new campaign.

<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>Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai</i> 2012 video game

Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is a standalone expansion to the strategy video game Total War: Shogun 2, released on 23 March 2012. Taking place 300 years after the events of the base game, Fall of the Samurai is set in mid-19th century Japan during the Bakumatsu and the Boshin War, which pits supporters of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate against supporters of the Emperor, who wish to overthrow the Shogunate. The time period coincides with arrival of the Western powers, which forced Japan to modernize and eventually abolish its traditional samurai-based society and adopt modern technologies. The players takes on the management of one of the many domains on either side of the conflict and must help their side win the Boshin War.

<i>Wargame: Red Dragon</i> PC game

Wargame: Red Dragon is a real-time strategy video game developed by Eugen Systems and originally published by Focus Home Interactive, released on April 17, 2014. It is the sequel to the 2013 Wargame: AirLand Battle.

<i>Total War: Attila</i> 2015 video game

Total War: Attila is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, released on 17 February 2015 for OS X, Windows, and Linux. It is the ninth standalone game in the Total War series.

<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 10th title in the Total War series and the first title to be released in the Total War: Warhammer trilogy.

<i>Total War: Warhammer II</i> 2017 video game

Total War: Warhammer II is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is part of the Total War series and the sequel to 2016's Total War: Warhammer. The game is set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. The game was released for Windows-based PCs on 28 September 2017. Feral Interactive released the game on macOS and Linux on 20 November 2018. Total War: Warhammer II was succeeded by Total War: Warhammer III, which was released in February 2022. The game requires a Steam account to play.

<i>Total War Saga: Troy</i> 2020 turn-based strategy video game

Total War Saga: Troy is a 2020 turn-based strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly Sofia and published by Sega. The game was released for Windows on 13 August 2020 as the second installment in the Total War Saga subseries, succeeding Thrones of Britannia (2018). The game received generally positive reviews upon release.

<i>Total War: Warhammer III</i> 2022 video game

Total War: Warhammer III is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is part of the Total War series, and the third to be set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. The game was announced on 3 February 2021 and was released on 17 February 2022. It received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for the British Academy Games Award for British Game at the 19th British Academy Games Awards.

References

  1. "Interview with James Russell". Oyunfest. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  2. "Total War: Rome 2 releasing in October 2013, according to report". Computer and Video Games . 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  3. "Rome II release date set for late 2013". PCGamesn. 12 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. "Total War: Rome II Release Date Revealed". GamesLatestNews. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Total War: Rome 2 concurrent players peak at three times that of Shogun 2". VG247 . 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition". steamcharts.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Total War: Rome II trumps Shogun II's peak number of players three times over". PCGamesN.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  8. "Total War: Rome II Fact Sheet". BlogCDN-Joystiq. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 Onyett, Charles (12 July 2012). "Making a Bigger War in Rome 2". IGN . Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Total War: Rome 2 will find homes for 117 factions, and might just run on your laptop". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 19 July 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Robinson, Joe (6 June 2013). "Total War Rome 2 Preview". Strategy Game Informer. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  12. "Jack Answers [Updated with part 3!]". Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 Thursten, Chris (2 July 2012). "Total War Rome 2 preview: every detail about the new engine, naval combat, multiplayer and mods". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  14. "Hannibal at the Gates Campaign Pack". totalwar.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  15. "Premium Patching: Total War Rome 2 Emperor's Edition". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 1 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Total War: Rome 2's second major expansion Hannibal at the Gates out this month". VG247. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Total War: Rome 2 - Emperor Edition release date announced". Eurogamer.net. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  18. "Total War: Rome II Expansion Wrath of Sparta Announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  19. "Total War: Rome 2 – Rise of the Republic PC review". PCGamesN. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  20. 1 2 "Rome 2 killer camel DLC backlash prompts rethink at Creative Assembly". Eurogamer.net. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  21. "Total War: Rome II Beasts of War DLC introduces throwing bees, snakes, scorpions". PCGamesN. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Total War: Rome II adds several units in Free August Warriors Update and Daughters of Mars DLC". Neoseeker. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  23. Haas, Pete (26 April 2013). "Total War: Rome 2 Pontus Faction Is Free DLC, Release Date Coming Soon". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  24. Dumitrescu, Andrei (24 October 2013). "Quick Look – Total War: Rome II Seleucid & Nomadic Faction DLC". softpedia. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  25. "Total War ROME II: Getae and Pydna Update". Total War. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  26. Usher, Will (31 October 2013). "Total War: Rome 2 DLC Charges You For Blood And Gore". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  27. "Total War: Rome II receives free Seasons and Wonders". GameWatcher. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 "Introducing Total War: ROME II – Enemy at the Gates Edition". Total War. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  29. 1 2 McConnell, Ella (6 September 2018). "Introducing Total War: Rome II - Caesar Edition". Total War. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  30. 1 2 Savage, Phil (4 September 2014). "Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition releases later this month, is free to all Rome 2 owners". PC Gamer. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  31. "Spartan Edition". Total War. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  32. Nunneley, Stephany (9 October 2012). "Total War: Rome 2 releasing in October 2013, according to book deal report". VG247 . Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  33. 1 2 "Total War: Rome II for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  34. 1 2 "Total War: Rome II Edge Magazine review". Edge. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  35. 1 2 Dean, Paul (2 September 2013). "Total War: Rome 2 review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  36. 1 2 Biessener, Adam (4 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II: Falling Short Of Immortality". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  37. 1 2 Starkey, Daniel (5 September 2013). "Total War: Rome 2 review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  38. 1 2 Suskle, Mike (2 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II GamesRadar review". Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  39. "Game Trailers total War: Rome II Text Review". Game Trailers. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  40. 1 2 Butts, Steve (6 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II IGN review". IGN. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  41. 1 2 Stanton, Rich (6 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II - review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  42. 1 2 Senior, Tom (2 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II PC Gamer review". Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  43. Clouse, Justin (5 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II Review - Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum". The Escapist magazine. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  44. Gil Almogi (2 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II Game Revolution review". Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  45. Karmali, Luke (4 September 2014). "Total War: Rome 2 - Emperor Edition Gets a Release Date". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  46. Karmali, Luke (29 August 2014). "Total War: Rome 2 - Emperor Edition Unveiled". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  47. "Total War: Rome II Emperor Edition Review (PC) - Softpedia". Softpedia. 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  48. "Total War Rome 2 releases – Graphics issues, crashes and bugs abound". 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  49. "Total War: Rome II review – when in Rome, fight as the Romans do". 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  50. Sharkey, Mike (6 September 2013). "TAnon Dev: CA 'Comprehensively Failed' to Test Rome 2". Game Front. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  51. Vargas, Joe (9 September 2013). "Total War: Rome II Angry Review". The Angry Joe Show. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  52. Usher, William (11 September 2013). "Gaming Blend - Total War: Rome 2 Controversy Spotlights The Poor Integrity Of Game Reviews". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  53. Savage, Phil (4 September 2013). "Total War: Rome 2 to get first patch this Friday, weekly fixes for immediate future". Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  54. "Sorry From CA - Current State of the Game and What Happens Next TW Forums". Creative Assembly. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  55. "Second statement from CA on Rome II's release (11 Sep 2013)". Creative Assembly. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  56. "Total War: Rome 2 pre-sales more than six times higher than Shogun 2". games.on.net. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  57. Yin-Poole, Wesley (9 May 2014). "How are Sega's video games selling?". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2014.