Total War: Rome 2 Should Be On Your Must-Play List

There are some big games coming out during the next month, there’s no doubt about it, but there’s one that I feel doesn’t get enough attention: Total War: Rome 2. Arriving on September 3rd, it’s the ninth release in the Total War series, and a very significant one. Below are some reasons why you shouldn’t wait to check it out.

A successor to Rome: Total War

In 2004 PC was fortunate enough to see the exclusive release of Rome: Total War, a game that would quickly earn overwhelming praise. Its ability to deliver compelling macro and micro level strategy experiences was commended by many outlets, earning it a spot on several top 10 PC games of all-time lists

It’s been almost a decade since the game’s release, and since then technology and video games have evolved substantially. While Total War: Rome 2 will follow in the footsteps of its older brother, it’ll be a much more feature-rich game. When you consider just how fantastic Rome: Total War was, the thought of something made by the same studio that’s even bigger and better is nothing short of exciting.

Historical significance

Learning about human history isn’t only something you can do by renting a book from the library or reading Wikipedia pages. In Total War: Rome 2 you live, breathe, and hopefully thrive in an era that was one of the most eventful in history. While the The Roman Republic is the showpiece of the game’s factions, historically significant players such as Carthage, Egypt, and Macedon will be playable, while over 100 others will be part of the experience.

If you’ve watched The History Channel chances are you’ve seen Rome: Total War used to simulate battles, and for good reason. The designers of these games consider history a passion, and that presents itself within the games realistic experience. Whether it be you choosing how to better your empire from the world map, deciding whether to combat or befriend a neighboring faction, and making critical decisions during battle, you’ll feel like you’re not only participating in history but reshaping it.

Epic in every sense of the word

Hundreds of games promise huge battles, but Total War is a series that specializes in it. Since 2000 The Creative Assembly has delivered 100% of the time on its promise of large-scale battles with thousands of units. Total War: Rome 2 will continue that heritage.

When playing the game at E3 2013 I was given just a small taste of what to expect. I commanded forces in a critical battle by sea and land. Zoomed out it was like watching a historical battle unfold in real-time. Zoomed in I could see each individual unit putting everything on the line. Granted the ability to move units, place them in formations, and attack in a variety of ways left me feeling like Alexander the Great. Shame I lost the battle.

Total War: Rome 2 Screenshots

Get some brain exercise

They say that video games are a great way to stimulate the brain, but some games do it more than others. Total War: Rome 2 is like playing a colossal game of chess. Units have their own strengths and weaknesses, and some units have special abilities such as firing flaming arrows. Beyond having to take these values into consideration, there’s the actual implementation to consider. A group of cavalry isn’t much use standing on top of a hill watching as if it’s movie night, you’ll want to run them around and flank the enemy’s swordsmen. Meanwhile, you don’t want to inflict friendly fire, so halt those archers once your units are about to engage.

Coming out of a battle victorious as the commander is something you have to experience to really understand. It’s one thing to beat someone in a fighting game, but it’s another when you’re in-charge of the livelihood of thousands of faithful soldiers and an empire that worships you.

It’s worth noting that if you don’t want to be overwhelmed by the game’s depth of strategy you can just crank down the adjustable difficulty.

Dozens of hours of entertainment

The Total War series is known for giving a lot of value for your money. Total War: Rome 2 will have a full campaign mode that will take you longer to complete than just about any AAA title you’ve played this year. Beyond that, there are scenarios to try out and even multiplayer to show off just how great of a strategist you really are. It’ll be difficult to go back to 12 hour stories for $59.99 after playing Total War: Rome 2.