Excellent game. At this time the graphics are showing their age a bit, but this becomes very minor as you get into the game.

This an absolute must for any strategy fan.

Not only is the base game real good, the mod support for this game is suberb.

If you want a game that will last you for several weeks buy this game.

Even though it's old (2003 release), Rome Total War still remains one of the best Total War games to have been made. Joining strategic and tactic games into one, this game has two separate interfaces: one turn based, where you control the cities and move the armies, and one real time, where you control your armies facing the enemy in specific battlefields.

This game is still enjoyable to play even 8-9 years after its release. There are some problems in the long run (cities that expand too much are a libability, due to the impossibility to control rebellions) but these can be solved in some of the fan-mods (Europa Barbarorum is VERY GOOD, and actually almost a different game altogether. An excellent game at that).

The expansion (Barbarian Invasions) add to the game, as night battles and light units being able to swim make for a different tactical experience. Also, you have to deal with religion and loyalty of generals in the turn-based map.

In the end, I'd recommend this game to anyone. It still holds up, even a decade after its initial release. It has passed the test of time and can be considered one of the great games of history.

Rome: Total War may be one of the oldest Total War games, but it still stands up today as an excellent strategy game. The graphics have dated better than the original Shogun: Total War, and the campaign and setting are superior to newer titles like Empire.

If you don't have the hardware for Napoleon or Shogun II, you'll still find plenty to love and plenty of hours of fun in Rome.

One of the worst Total War games ever made post Medieval Total War origional game. The AI is the worst I've ever played against and that on vh/vh settings. Even the mods couldn't save this one. I went around the entire map with just two stacks of units I kept supplied. (Playing Caesar) One unit was full of nothing but light cavalry and the other full of melee and a couple of ranged units. Every battle was an easy slaughter for me and even when I faced battles of 3 to 1 odds AGAINST me I still won and would get combat results of I lost 18 or 180 men and the AI lost 3000+ lmao.

This was the game I had been waiting for my whole life and for it to be so simple and easy without any challenge was such a let down. The game got it's high ratings from the GRAPHICS alone, not from the gameplay. There's no way in hell it's worth over 90 in game scores. It's hardly worth a 50 if that.

The modders tried to save it and while some made it SEEM like it was improved very shortly after breaking out from their TOUGH starter stats of opponents it became once again a simple and too easy non challenging game.

I turned off FOG of War just to watch how the AI played and you would laugh at what you saw. Stacks and stacks of units going back n forth up and down the same road over and over turn after turn. Had these units actually gone somewhere and done something the game might have not been so bad. The other bad element of the AI was on the turn it could have taken over a two or city after seiging it for several turns it would break off and then come back and reattach itself at a later time and do that all over again also.

I cannot recommend this game at all to anyone not even 8 year olds. There just is no challenge and no fun in this one at all.

To my taste - simply outstanding! I have played all the line of Total War games starting from Shogun and till the last release of Shogun 2. Rome was a breakthrough comparing to the previously released Medieval 1. Really exciting as a strategy and the battles truely bring you the atmosphere of the time!

I can't remember devoting more time on a strategy game than those included in RTW Gold Edition. It offers you as a player many unrepeatable game plays, you may i.e. opt to dominate the world as a new Julius Caesar, or leader of any other Roman faction, or lead one of the civilised nations or barbaric tribes of that time to glory. This strategy game combines military tactics, city building, economic management, diplomacy and domestic politics. Even as the AI is quite predictable on the battlefield, the multiplayer feature offsets this by allowing you battles against several opponents and/or with several allies.

One of the most excellent and well balanced TOTAL WAR series games.

A must have for strategy fans!

It truly provides the epic and authentic feel of building Roman empire. Compared to toher Total War games, it provides large variety of units but not to the extent where you have to keep a book open to figure out what the hell is the enemy fielding there. It also comes with one of the best and most enjoyable AIs in the series. I'd say from this game on, campaign AI was just getting worse and worse with each release until Shogun 2 came out.

From these series I also suggest the original Shogun: Total War with expansions, Medieval 2, and Shogun 2

A classic in the series and the genre. I remember picking this up way back when, and I loved it, which is why I double-dipped on it here. Attention to detail is definitely prevalent in this game, and I was/am amazed by the creativity put into play here. Do yourself a favor and buy this game, you'll have a lot of fun with it and definitely won't regret picking up this classic. Fans of the genre, series, time period, that means you.

This is the game that got me into the Total War series, despite having played the original Shogun. The total war series are turn based strategy games, with real-time battles. You start the game by choosing between one of the three dominant roman clans - the Julii, the Scipii and the Brutii. Each one have different starting provinces and are supposed to have different roles throghout the game. In pratice, you have to conquer as much provinces and resources as you can until the senate (AI faction which controls the province of rome) turns against you, ordering the other two clans to atack you. Then it begins the dispute to become emperor, where you have to wipe out the other clans and the senate.

Rome has a great replayability value. Everytime a faction is destroyed in the campaign, it becomes a playable faction on your next playthrogh (carthage is my favorite).

The battles are awesome. It always amazes me how a smaller, inferior army can crush a bigger force simply by using the right tactics. Each unit you control in your army is formed by a group of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of soldiers. In battle, you should position and move your units in order to better confront your opponent. The basic strategy is: face your enemy with your infantry and then flank them with your cavalry.

The barbarian invasions expansion adds new factions and challenging campaigns. Some of them are not recommended for amateurs. My favorite one is playing as the western roman empire, trying to prevent its fall to the barbarian hordes.

Rome Total War gold is a great strategy game, with amazing battles and gameplay. Everyone adept to the genre should give it a try.

Absolutely astonishing! With the addition of Barbarian Invasion, players get tons of gameplay, including night battles! Rome isn't a new game, so people looking at newer titles from Total War might see it as a title to skip. Wrong! There is a lot of people playing online and the overall experience of the mighty Roman Empire is absolutely amazing! Massive battles, developing your strategy to conquer the land, it is all in the players hands. A must buy for every strategy gamer! I give this product a perfect 5/5!

This game is one that changed gaming forever. Not only can it brag that it was used for the history channel to show Roman battles but it was also one of the most anticipated and next gen. games to come out. Though hard to compare to the now out Shogun 2 Total War, this games deptha and precision is nothing that can be down played. Once you play this game, it is without a doubt going to be a favorite.

The expansion pack is nice when you think about what happened after the Roman Empire grew larger then it can handle but when compared to the original game, its best left alone.

One of the best total war games out there. Its not as new as all of the other games but it will keep you occupied for a long while. The campaign is great and fun especially since you can play a number of different factions in both the Rome and the barbarian expansion. A must buy if you dont have the money for the Shogun 2 or Empire total war.

First of all this is the only Total War game I have played so far(played in 2011). Overall very impressed with the game and feels its revolutionary for its time and genre.

graphics: is not modern but enough to present it's rts battles/concept well.

sound/atmosphere: good if not great.

gameplay: the awesome rts battles are what stands out the most for me which is basically real time but you can pause and issue command at any point. This concept seems to be the most suited for single player micro games. These battles simulates war very well and have much details that is fun and impresses. My favorite part of the game are the historic battles where you are given a situation(units/position/history) and have to work with whats given to win the battle. This mode focuses on the best part of the game which is rts battles and are more challenging(you usually control losing side) with better AI than campaign. As for the turn based campaign didn't find it as interesting and the building part of the game seems less impressive than civilization series.

Overall I definitely recommend this game to anyone who haven't played any of the total war games. After playing it I definitely plan to pick up some of the newer total war games.

The Total War game that really hooked me to the serie.

While the graphics may have suffered now the gameplay is still in my opinion the best of the series. Moreover the time period is one of my favorite.

The factions are all pretty different with different way to win and objectives. Different units, different buildings all call for different strategies and add to replayability.

Finally the game has some of the best mods around (Europa barbarum especially) and this add almost unlimited possibilities to the already huge original campaign.

One of those games which define the genre - for both good and bad.

The RTS battles are (for the age of the game) well done although persistent CTD bugs remain for certain situations so you'd be well advised to save regularly and not rely upon autosaves. The AI certainly needs all the help it can be given.

Likewise, the campaign seems to promise much but is hampered by a poor AI and one eventually reaches the point where fighting battles becomes somewhat tedious.

However... the mod community did much to help improve the vanilla game and I'd highly recommend heading in that direction once you've got the fundamentals of the game down. Personally, I'm playing with the Roma Surrectum II mod which removes some of the ahistorical units and adds scripted events to help raise the difficulty level.

One other factor to consider is that the Alexander add-on is often recommended for the improvements offered by its .exe. So you may wish to pick that up too.

Just a note on the performance of the game to conclude - the game only runs on one core and cannot take advantage of the performance upgrades of the more recent graphics cards. You may find yourself having more success running a stable game by dialling the graphics options down a tad even with a system which on paper should easily run this game at maximum settings.

Rome Total War is an excellent game. I played Medieval 2 Total War first, and in the past I had trouble going back to games earlier in the series. I had no such trouble with Rome Total War. The game features a ton of factions, great troops, and excellent strategy throughout.

As with all TW games, it features excellent real time battles with a turn based campaign. The battles are dynamic and exciting, and can be fairly difficult as well. The game does suffer from some AI issues (as do the rest of the TW games) but the modding community comes to the rescue. They have many great mods, ranging from AI tweaks to full on conversions of the game. Ultimately the moddability becomes key to the enduring quality of this game. I have played and replayed it many times, and I know for certain that I will replay it again and again in the future. Excellent game!

Rome : Total war is one of the greatest , if not, possibly the greatest Total War game even up to this date. Even as I sit here in 2011, I have been putting more time into Rome : Total War than Empire and Napoleon : Total War.

Go back to times where you control a 3000 man army in order to accomplish your own campaign. Will you conquer the Gauls? Or tame the barbaric Germanic forces to the north?

Remember, whatever you do reflects on your family status with the Senate. Rome : Total War makes you work for power.

This is one of the best rts games i have ever played, and i will recommend this to everyone who is interested in large battles during the epic roman empire era.

You will be going through an non linear campaignmap, which makes you choose how to rule your faction, as 3 roman families clashing with each other while the gauls and carthage try to stop you. This is a game where you have to test your skills as an general and try conquer the others, which is very intense as before every battle you have to decide and adapt at your terrain, for instance shooting from a hill is more effective than shoot from down a hill. Having horses is nice if you need to make fast hit and run agains the trebuchet or the archers.

You have a lot of options of how you want to control your army such as which formation to use, phalanx formation, the famous turtle formation etc.

And when you are done, there is always the big fanbase with all the mods you can dream off.

I highly recommend this game.

On its own, RTW is a very flawed game with a very interesting battle system, but with mods, it alleviates some of the problems I had with the game. The TWC community is one of the best communities you will see for a game and it is full of history nuts like me. Unmodded, this game suffers from a flawed AI system(Any faction near you will automatically attack you, even if they're your ally), terrible diplomacy and the simplicity of the units in RTW/BI(One Late Roman mod added such units such as the Herculiani Seniores(Palatinae Legion)). I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 because RTW was revolutionary for how it improved on MTW's battle system, but the map fucked up the AI big time.

The name of the game says it all, it perfectly depicts what this game is about. When you first start the campaign, everything goes pretty slow and each turn only takes about 2-3 minutes, but once your Empire expands and you own 1/3rd of the map, it starts to take more like 20-30 minutes each turn! You will find it very challenging to be able to defend all of the territories you've conquered, and even more challenging to conquer more. You always have to make sure you have the best units because if you don't, your army of 1500 weak guys will be DESTROYED by a mere 300 strong guys. And you need to make sure you know where all of your generals are, I can't tell you how many times I completely forgot about one and his small army got wiped out and I didn't even remember he was there. It is rather hard to keep up with everything on the game when you've got 5 armies going in all different directions in order to conquer more cities the fastest, while still maintaining your city's armies to keep the enemies from taking it over with ease, and mass producing units and naval units. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands to play games, this game isn't for you, but if you're bored and never have anything to do, this will take up a large sum of your time. This is a good game to develop your tactic skills, as you need a little bit of every type of unit to have an efficient army, such as rangers, cavalry, infantry, etcetera. You can't control Naval combat so maybe that is one of the only parts of the game that is lacking, I would definitely give this a straight 11/10 if they made the Naval battles more interesting where you could actually fire cannons and stuff instead of just clicking a button. I enjoy the fact that governing and negotiating with foreign nations is very realistic and immersive. Just on normal difficulty it's extremely hard to expand your empire, especially if you're taking fire from all sides and you're enemies with everyone(bad bad bad). Keep in mind that you need a strong micromanaging ability to be able to play this game efficiently, and if you don't have that ability, you better have some Advil!

It is joy to make review for this game, after 5 years of enjoying its greatness.

If there is someone that did not played this masterpiece:This is simply the best strategy game ever in history of computer gaming.And this is the fact,wiothout any bias, this is best strategy game ever made.

Even its sequels,like medieval II ,Empire,and Napoleon are just standing half-way to the peak of the mountain on which this masterpiece still stands.

I have retail versions of this game at home,but I purchased one another on gamersgate just as precaution if ever I loose hard copy of this jewel.

One of the colest thing in RTW is that you not only manage your empire and soldiers, but you also manage your faction family.Some characters can gain traits,for example if you got a geneeral that is always atacking and wining he will gain a trait that gives 1 piint in comand when he atacks, but sometimes this hapen randomly for exmple one of your factions family member can become mad.And you can also set the next faction heir after the faction leader dies.

In Barbarian invasion you don't have to woryto much in keping your setlements because depending on yourfaction, if you lose yor last setlemant you win a big army and turn into a horde.Another interesting thing that realy changes is the religion factor, now that the catoliism has apeared you will have to chose in being pagan or cristian, this can make revolts and rebelions so be carefull.

This is a great game, personally I find the combination of turn based mode where you move your armies around Europe and the real time strategy battles where you sometimes control thousands of troops to be an amazing feature.

In Rome Total War you get to conquer the acient world as either one of three Roman families or one of Rome's enemies. In this game all factions starts with about the same number of provinces and all factions have the same victory condition

In Barbarian Invasion you get to either play as the Eastern or Western Roman empire having to hold onto your part of the empire while facing religious turmoil, rebellion and migrating hordes. Alternatively you can play as one of the hordes or germanic tribes trying to bring down the Roman Empires. This game has faction specific victory conditions and the factions vary widely in size.

All in all I would recommend everyone interrested in ancient warfare who wants to test their skill as a general to buy this game.