Total War: Rome II

Total War: Rome II
Studio	Creative assembly
Publisher	Sega
Senior Developer	Jamie Russell
composer	Richard Beddow
Erstveröffent- lichung	Windows September 3, 2013 Mac OS September 3, 2014
platform	Windows , Mac OS
Game engine	Warscape
genre	Combination of real-time strategy game and turn-based strategy game
Subject	Ancient , Roman Empire
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	OS : Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 CPU : 2.6 GHz (one core) , 2 GHz (two cores) RAM : 2 GB Graphics card : 512 MB Storage requirement (HDD) : 35 GB
medium	DVD-ROM , download
language	English , French , German , Italian , Russian , Spanish , Turkish
Age rating	USK PEGI

Total War: Rome II is the eighth part of the computer strategy game series Total War , which was developed by the British studio Creative Assembly and published by the Japanese parent company Sega on September 3, 2013 for Windows .

Rome II is a remake of Rome: Total War , released in 2004 . Battles at and within fortified cities were resumed. Furthermore, the number of parliamentary groups included has been increased significantly from 20 to 117 in the basic version. Numerous downloadable expansion packs were released for Rome II, which integrated new campaigns, factions, units and more into the game.

The game received good reviews from the trade press, even if the ratings were lower than its predecessor. Testers criticized that the game was not finished yet and that it suffered from major deficiencies, such as weak artificial intelligence and very high system requirements. Nevertheless, the title developed into the best-selling total war title to date . Sega has sold around 1.1 million copies so far.

Gameplay

General

Total War: Rome II thematically deals with the expansion of the Roman Empire from the 3rd century BC. Until the end of the republic . The player takes control of a historical empire and tries to develop it into a great power. The game deals with military, economic and political aspects. This takes place primarily in the Grand Campaign, the main part of the game. The campaign combines real-time field battles with turn-based army platoons.

In addition, the game includes several individually selectable historical battles to replay, such as the Battle of the Nile , the Siege of Carthage or the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest .

Turn-based game

The turn-based game takes place on a map that depicts Europe, North Africa and West Asia. The map is divided into provinces, which in turn consist of several cities. This division into provinces is a novelty of Rome II, which makes it easier for the player to manage his territories.

The cities are owned by factions. These represent historical states. A total of 117 factions were included in the basic version of the game, others followed in various expansions.

In each round, the player has various actions at his disposal, which primarily cover military, but also foreign, domestic and economic areas. The player can raise or move troops, erect buildings or enter into diplomatic contact with other factions. In provinces fully controlled by the player, the player can also issue edicts that give the province a bonus, such as particularly high tax income.

One factor in managing one's empire is the mood of the population. If this remains negative over a longer period of time, there is a risk of an uprising in which the city declares itself independent. Factors that have a positive or negative influence on the mood of the population are, for example, the strength of the local garrison, the presence of certain buildings or the threat posed by enemy troops.

The core aspect of the game is the leadership of the troops. Unlike in earlier parts, troops are no longer raised and controlled individually, but are assigned directly to an army. Armies can only be deployed in a limited number. So it is more necessary than in earlier parts to deploy one's armies in suitable places. Each troop unit has a contingent of movement points available for movement , which is replenished at the beginning of each round. An army can move as far as its movement points allow per turn. In addition to the troops carried (pure cavalry armies have a greater range than those with siege equipment), the selected position has an influence on the movement points. Armies can organize themselves in several positions, which also have an impact on the army's combat capabilities.

If an army of the player on the campaign map encounters an enemy army, he can choose whether there is a battle or whether he withdraws. If he decides for the battle, he can choose whether the computer should calculate the battle result on the basis of the troops and the terrain, or whether the player fights the battle himself. If the latter is the case, the game switches to real-time mode.

Real time game

The real-time game takes place on a three-dimensional terrain map. At least two warring armies face each other on this. Each army field up to twenty units, with supports up to 40. Their aim is to rub off the opposing associations or to force them to flee.

A battle is divided into three phases. At the beginning the armies position themselves. Once an army has dug itself in, it can fortify its position. Then the combat phase begins, in which most of the fighting takes place. The battlefields are usually very spacious, so that the parties have a variety of tactics open to them. The player can give his units attack, movement and formation instructions. These influence both the combat strength and the morale of the units. The morale of the soldiers indicates their will to fight. Troops with low morale tend to flee the battlefield. Factors that have a negative influence on morale include long-range fire, numerical inferiority or an endangered position on the battlefield.

The various peoples have numerous units at their disposal, which are largely based on historical models. The developers put the number of different units at around 500, which is five times the size of its predecessor Rome .

Factions

Total War: Rome II includes a total of 117 factions. Eight of them were playable when released. Additional races were unlocked through several free and paid expansions.

The factions differ in terms of troop and building selection. They are divided into different cultures, such as Celts , Iberians or Hellenes .

The Roman Republic is the most powerful faction in Italy. It has well-organized and diverse armies. Their strength is the legionnaires , who are among the strongest hand-to-hand combatants. The faction is divided into three influential and powerful families, the Julier , the Cornelier and the Junier . These families influence politics through the Senate.

Carthage , located in what is now Tunisia, is a city-state of Phoenician origin and, at the beginning of a game, the central adversary of Rome. Carthage has a strong fleet and a large income. Due to its democratic structures, the parliamentary group has great domestic political stability and a diverse selection of troops.

The Kingdom of Macedonia is a Hellenic faction located in northern modern Greece. It goes back to Alexander the Great and Philip of Macedon . Macedonia has numerous phalanx soldiers and a powerful cavalry.

The Iceni are a combative tribe from Britain . Their warriors, strong hand-to-hand fighters, wear war paint. Their iron processing is particularly well developed.

The Arverni are a Celtic tribe in Gaul. They are among the most technologically and culturally advanced barbaric tribes in Europe. They give their druids an important role in warfare.

The Germanic Suebi are a culture in the north of Germania. Their warriors are not armored and use javelins because they hardly have any swords themselves.

The Parthians , based in the Near and Middle East, resort to mounted archers and heavy cavalry, known as cataphracts , in battle . The horses are protected by iron and bronze scale armor. The rather weaker infantry consists of Persian and Iranian mountain people, spear and skirmish units, as well as some mercenary units. Due to its proximity to the Silk Road, Parthia has large sources of income.

The Egyptians have a strong fleet, rich trading ports and modern academies. Their diverse army is similar to that of the Macedonians.

Overview of the political groups
fraction	Culture	playable	fraction	Culture	playable	fraction	Culture	playable
Roman Republic	Roman		Arverner	Celtic		Parthia	east
Carthage	punic		Iceni	Celtic		Aria	east
Egypt	Hellenic		Boier	Celtic		Persia	east
Macedonia	Hellenic		Liguria	Celtic		Drangiana	east
Seleucid Empire	Hellenic		Insubr	Celtic		Arachosia	east
Pontus	Hellenic		Councilor	Celtic		Armenia	east
Sparta	Hellenic		Noriker	Celtic		Cappadocia	east
Epirus	Hellenic		Dumnonians	Celtic		Colchis	east
Athens	Hellenic		Triballer	Celtic		Kartlier	east
Knossos	Hellenic		Veneter	Celtic		Chorasmier	east
Cyrenaica	Hellenic		Galatians	Celtic		media	east
Pergamon	Hellenic		Haeduer	Celtic		Atropatene	east
Massilia	Hellenic		Helvetier	Celtic		Sagartien	east
Syracuse	Hellenic		Nervous	Celtic		Parthava	east
Trebizond	Hellenic		Picts	Celtic		Ardahan	east
Sardis	Hellenic		Namneten	Celtic		Dahae	east
Rhodes	Hellenic		Atrebaten	Celtic		Aestii	Germanic
Kimmerer	Hellenic		Carnutes	Celtic		Budini	Germanic
Aksum	African		Sequaner	Celtic		Anarten	Germanic
Getuler	African		Treverer	Celtic		Cimbri	Germanic
Massasylians	African		Volcae	Celtic		Cherusci	Germanic
Guarantors	African		Vivisci	Celtic		Lugier	Germanic
Libyans	African		Eravisker	Celtic		Marcomanni	Germanic
Meroe	African		Caledonians	Celtic		Suebi	Germanic
Nabataeans	African		Brigands	Celtic		Rugier	Germanic
Nasamonen	African		Eblani	Celtic		Friezes	Germanic
Kush	African		Demetae	Celtic		Goths	Germanic
Odryses	Balkan		Lusitanians	Iberian		Gerrha	Arabic
Geten	Balkan		Turdetani	Iberian		Himyar	Arabic
Ardians	Balkan		Gallaeker	Iberian		Muscat	Arabic
Tylis	Balkan		Cessetanians	Iberian		Saba	Arabic
Apulians	Balkan		Arevaker	Iberian		Qidri	Arabic
Bastards	Balkan		Cantabrians	Iberian		Main	Arabic
Breuci	Balkan		Edetanians	Iberian		Etruscan	Etruscan
Daorsi	Balkan		Massagers	nomadic		Celtici	Celtic
Scordisker	Balkan		Thyssageten	nomadic		Siraks	nomadic
Biephi	Balkan		Roxolans	nomadic		Scythians	nomadic
Dalmater	Balkan

Sales versions

The first download expansion, the culture pack of the Greek states with three additional factions, was promised as a free bonus for pre-ordering the game. In addition, a numbered collector's edition limited to 22,000 copies was offered with several accompanying materials in the embossed steel book. Sega announced as extras in the sales box:

• Tabula game, a backgammon- like board game
• Tessera cubes, three replicas of Roman bone cubes
• Total War Cards: Punic Wars , a card game
• Linen campaign card
• Roman onager as a wooden miniature

Extensions

As with Shogun 2 , Creative Assembly announced various expansion packs ( DLCs ) that would expand the game with additional factions. Some of these appeared free of charge, the others were offered for purchase on Steam. There are three main types of extensions. Some unlock further factions for the game, others introduce new units and third implement new campaigns.

The first packages granted access to new factions. The Greek States expansion was released when Rome II was released and was given free to pre-orderers . It unlocks the three Greek peoples Epirus , Athens and Sparta . The second expansion Nomad Tribes appeared a few weeks after the publication of Rome II and gives access to the nomadic peoples of the Scythians , Roxolans and Massagetes . Three more DLCs were made available free of charge as part of updates. They each unlocked a faction for the player. In this way, Pontos , a Hellenic-Persian kingdom on the Black Sea, was unlocked as the first nation . This was followed by the Seleucid Empire , a Hellenic great power in the Middle East and Bactria , a Hellenic-Iranian nation in today's Pakistan and Afghanistan. On May 29, 2014, the Pirates and Looters expansion was released, which gives access to the Illyrian Ardianas , Thracian Tylis and Odrysen . At the end of November 2014, the Black Sea Colonies expansion appeared, which made the Greek kingdoms of Pergamon, Colchis and the Empire of the Kimmerians playable. In March 2018, the Desert Kingdoms culture package was published, which includes the four factions of Kush , Saba , Nabataeans and Massasylians and makes them playable.

The War Animals expansion was available for download on February 17, 2014. It is an expansion of seven new units: Molossians , Beehive Onagers, Scorpion Pot Ballista, Snake Pot Ballista, Camel Cataphracts, Celtic War Dogs, and Mercenary Syrian Armored Elephants. In August of the same year, the Daughters of Mars package was released , adding some female units.

Five campaigns have appeared so far. The first was published on December 17, 2013 under the title Caesar in Gaul . It deals with the Gallic War , which was incorporated in the form of a new campaign. The campaign includes new races as well as a redesigned map that exclusively depicts Gaul. In addition, some Gallic races were made playable for the main campaign and equipped with new buildings, units and missions. Hannibal ante Portas was published on March 27, 2014 . It is set shortly before the outbreak of the Second Punic War and therefore focuses on the conflict between Rome and Carthage. The new campaign map is based in the western Mediterranean region. Seasons are a playful innovation. The battle of Cannae and the battle of Zama were added as historical battles . At the end of August 2014, an expansion called the Emperor Edition was announced. In addition to numerous improvements to the gameplay and technology, this includes a new campaign that dates back to the time of the second Roman civil war . Another campaign appeared in December 2014 under the title Wrath of Sparta . It is set in the area of ​​modern Greece and Asia Minor at the time of the second Peloponnesian War . A third campaign called Empire Divided was launched in November 2017 . It deals with the time of the imperial crisis of the 3rd century .

The DLC Blood and Gore was released at the end of 2013 . This package, which was released in a similar form for Shogun 2 , added blood splatters and mutilations to the game. Blood and Gore is the only extension that has been classified as not suitable for young people under the PEGI directive.

reception

reviews publication Rating 4players 70% Edge 7/10 Game Informer 8/10 GameStar 84% IGN 8.8 / 10 PC Games 85% The Guardian 2/5 Meta-ratings GameRankings 76.67% Metacritic 76%

The website Metacritic which evaluates English reviews, awarded a Metascore of 76% based on 71 reviews, the "generally positive" as ( Generally favorable ) were described. However, the user reviews on the same platform were much more negative.

The English-language computer game magazine PC Gamer gave it a rating of 85%. While this review praised various changes compared to previous games in the Total War series, such as the larger and more dramatic battles and a clearer city-building interface, deficiencies in artificial intelligence and the slow game pace were among the points of criticism.

The German magazine GameStar also criticized the AI ​​and lowered its rating originally given in the online version from 89% to 84% in the October 2013 print edition of the magazine. While the graphics, music and scope of the game as well as its campaign (the latter with the exception of the political system, which was described as "irrelevant, artificial") were rated very positively, GameStar's comments on the AI ​​were largely negative.

Web links

• Total War: Rome II at MobyGames (English)
• Total War: Rome II in theInternet Movie Database(English)
• Official website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ gamestar.de
2. ↑ gamersglobal.de
3. ↑ gamezone.de
4. ^ Christian Schneider: Total War: Rome 2 - 117 factions, 500 units, 183 map regions. In: GameStar . International Data Group , March 31, 2013, accessed April 7, 2015 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b} Phil Savage: Total War: Rome 2 release date set for September, pre-order pack and collector's edition detailed. (No longer available online.) PC Gamer on May 9, 2013, archived from the original on March 14, 2015 ; accessed on November 1, 2014 (English). 
6. ↑ gamestar.de
7. ↑ Alec Meer: The Nomad Sorry: Rome II's Temporarily Free DLC. Rock, Paper, Shotgun, October 22, 2013, accessed January 11, 2014 . 
8. ↑ Andre Linken: Total War: Rome 2 - DLC "Pirates and Looters" published. GameStar, June 1, 2014, accessed November 1, 2014 . 
9. ↑ Michael Bonke: Total War: Rome 2 - Black Sea Colonies DLC plus free faction released. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , November 21, 2014, accessed April 3, 2015 . 
10. ↑ Total War: Rome 2 - Desert Kingdoms DLC brings desert kingdoms into the game PC Games from February 20, 2018; Accessed June 9, 2018.
11. ↑ Ben Barrett: Rome II Daughters Of Mars DLC Adds Warrior Women. Rock, Paper, Shotgun, August 15, 2014, accessed November 1, 2014 . 
12. ↑ Tobias Münster: Total War: Rome 2 - First campaign DLC "Caesar in Gaul" on the march. GameStar, December 3, 2013, accessed November 1, 2014 . 
13. ↑ gamestar.de
14. ↑ Dennis Reisdorf: Emperor Edition announced with numerous improvements. PC Games, August 30, 2014, accessed November 1, 2014 . 
15. ↑ Tobias Ritter: Total War: Rome 2 - DLC expansion "Wrath of Sparta" announced. In: GameStar . International Data Group , December 5, 2014, accessed February 27, 2015 . 
16. ↑ Total War: Rome 2 - Empire Divided: Expansion released; Users complain about technical problems , 4players from November 30, 2017; Accessed June 9, 2018.
17. ↑ Benjamin Jakobs: 'Blood & Gore'-DLC makes Total War: Rome 2 bloody and brutal. eurogamer.net, November 1, 2013, accessed November 1, 2014 . 
18. ↑ Wesley Yin-Poole: Why Total War: Rome 2 blood and gore is DLC. eurogamer.net, November 1, 2013, accessed on January 11, 2014 (English). 
19. ^ Jörg Luibl: Test "Total War: Rome II". 4players.de, September 13, 2013, accessed on February 26, 2014 . 
20. ^ Test "Total War: Rome II". (No longer available online.) September 3, 2013, archived from the original on February 20, 2014 ; Retrieved September 4, 2013 . 
21. ↑ Steve Butts: Test "Total War: Rome II". In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , September 6, 2013, accessed September 7, 2013 . 
22. ^ Paul Dean: Test "Total War: Rome II". Eurogamer.net, September 2, 2013, accessed September 7, 2013 . 
23. ↑ Adam Biessener: Test "Total War: Rome II". Game Informer, September 4, 2013, accessed September 7, 2013 . 
24. ^ ^{A b c} Martin Deppe, Michael Graf: Total War: Rome 2 . In: GameStar . No. 11 , 2013, p. 19 .
25. ↑ ^{a b} Tom Senior: Test "Total War: Rome II. (No longer available online.) PC Gamer, September 2, 2013, archived from the original on February 9, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2013 (English). 
26. ↑ Rich Stanton: Test "Total War: Rome II". The Guardian, September 6, 2013, accessed September 7, 2013 . 
27. ^ Meta evaluation "Total War: Rome II". In: GameRankings . CBS Corporation , accessed September 12, 2013 . 
28. ↑ ^{a b} Meta evaluation "Total War: Rome II". In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed December 17, 2013 . 
29. ↑ Editorial . In: GameStar . No. 11 , 2013, p. 5 .