First Impressions: Rome: Total War

I got this game on a sale (before EGX) as I have wanted to play a game in the series for a long time. I tried loading it up and... It crashed. Supposedly the game couldn't access the right Directx and refused to run so I turned the game off and moved on, resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to play the game. That is, until I went to EGX, played Total War: Warhammer and realised that the games are actually pretty good. With renewed determination I tried to fix this broken game and rebuild it to its former glory (much like Rome itself).

In actuality, the game needed less 'fixing' than I first thought. After going through a couple of websites, I found others with the same problem (except for a couple years before as always I was late to the party). It turned out all I needed to do was go into the Steam Apps folder containing the game, go onto the Preferences file and change Anti-Analysing from High to Off. While it was relatively simple once I had identified the problem, it was still annoying that I had to fix a game made by a AAA company. But that's a rant for another day.

Anyway, onto the game itself. After a lengthy cutscene I jumped into the tutorial campaign and into a battle. I learned the ropes and background information of this quest and as Galius Julius I set out to make an empire. But to make an empire you have to learn, and learn I did. Thankfully the tutorials were voiced (by decidedly not Roman voices). Many tutorials later I learned how to flank and organise my troops, if it is best to siege a town or just attack, what to attack, what to buy and develop, how much everything costs and still more scrolls could be opened. Finally, I got to the end of the tutorial and was told I could carry on with the campaign or start the Imperial Campaign. I thought that I should have a break so tried saving. I could not. I quit thinking it would auto save but alas, my save data had been thrown to the data lions, my gladiators beaten. I guess I have no choice but to play the Imperial Campaign then!

The graphics were good enough for the type of game I was playing and the sound effects were nice and immersive. The UI, once explained, was good although I did get confused with what characters were my archers or which were just ranged characters. Overall, the game was pleasing to play and lay waste to my enemies in the name of the empire! I can't wait to play some more of the game and the series.

Vivat Rome!

Thanks for reading, Satamer

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