Amazon Customer Review -- Total War Rome 2


I enjoy reading other consumers reviews, but this will be my first foray into the world of review writing. In the face of so many negative reviews I thought it right to share my experience with the game both the good and the bad.


 PROS 
1. In all past games it was essentially impossible to force another faction to become a client state. I've had their last city besieged and offered money peace and another territory for client state status and had it thrown in my face.

This game still not likely but when you take their last city you have the option of forcing them to become a client state. This became exceptionally beneficial when I started a war with the Seleucid and had the whole eastern half of the map declare war on me. Instead of wiping them out I forced them to become a client, and all their client state made peace. This adds a whole new dynamic to diplomacy that doesn't exist in any other game. If I'd just wiped them out all their angry allies would have crushed me.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE AMAZON REVIEW


2. Auto replenish units in friendly territory and attrition regions such as swamps make maneuver key, and the different stances. Using ambush you can actually be the underdog holding the mountain passes against the massive invasion, instead of just getting trounced with mountains in the background of the battle map not really doing anything for you.

3. Army traditions and the ability to reinstate destroyed legions. Every other game the armies have been secondary to their general. As long as he survived I could always train a new army in a few turns. This has been turned on it's head now the General is secondary and the army is what you work to preserve.

4. A lot of people knock it but I love that armies can move over water in transport mode.

5. Graphics, the map is beautiful.

6. Battles, don't worry this will show up in cons too. Unit positioning and terrain usage is key. Being able to hide my Calvary behind a hill and lure the enemy into an ambush warms my heart. The close up view is great as the individual combat is incredible and sharp.

7. In the diplomacy menu being able to see why a faction feels the way it does.

CONS

1. Pathfinding is rough, units can travel across water but if you click on a destination across the sea instead of sailing there in one turn they will try to walk around the black sea. You have to get them in the water first then send them to the final destination.

2. Long AI turns -- nuff said.

3. Battles I know I put these in the pros but there are some definite cons. In previous games battle lines have been something that you've been able to maintain and the integrity of those lines was a huge indicator of how likely you were to survive the battle. Now formations look great right up until first contact and then all bets are off and it becomes a huge glob of men. You can zoom in and see some great one on one fights but the epic open view of the battles are just not there. (I haven't played as the romans yet so maybe the famed legions will be able to keep unit cohesion.)

4. Battles 2.0 When opposing units come together each side rushes in and the first 3-4 ranks of each side mix which is probably pretty accurate, but since everyone uniforms are generally the same color no real way to tell who is who in the melee. So if you either just let things developed and enjoy watching the individual soldiers fight or you look at the flags to see who starts flashing first. I feel like giving my men bandanas to tie to their arms so they don't kill each other.