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Product information

Computer Platform

PC

ASIN

B0002MPT6Q

Release date

September 22, 2004

Customer Reviews

3.7 260 ratings

3.7 out of 5 stars

Best Sellers Rank

#31,183 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
#839 in PC-compatible Games

Product Dimensions

7.52 x 5.51 x 1.5 inches; 0.01 ounces

Type of item

Video Game

Rated

Teen

Item model number

32599

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

Yes

Item Weight

0.01 ounces

Manufacturer

Activision

Date First Available

August 9, 2004

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here

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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Rule the Roman Empire. Rule the World.

The much anticipated Rome: Total War is a multi-award winner: best strategy game of E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2003, held in Los Angeles); Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2003 awarded by GameSpy and IGN; runner up for PC game of show as chosen by IGN; and 4th best game of the show (all formats) as chosen by Gamespy.

Create, rule, conquer and manipulate the Roman Republic and Empire to become the "Imperator" of Rome in this award-winning game from the highly-acclaimed Total War series. Fight as, or against ancient history's most legendary generals including Julius Caesar, Hannibal and the rebel Spartacus.

From the Punic Wars against Carthage to the death of Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, control mighty armies of up to 10,000 fully polygonal, highly detailed, motion-captured warriors clashing in panoramic real-time battles.

At your disposal are over a hundred different troop types including legionaries, hoplites, barbarian hordes, war elephants, gladiators and scythe chariots to colossal war machines such as siege towers, battering rams and catapults hurling flaming missiles. The stage is set for carnage on more than 10,000 unique battlefields based on the topography of Europe and North Africa.

Conflict is not the only way to gain favor with the senate and people of Rome, however, as politics, diplomacy the gladiatorial games will play key roles in your quest to be declared Imperator.

Dominate and reign over one of the most powerful empires in history.

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Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5

260 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers like the quality, ease of use, value, and graphics of the video game. They mention that it's a great game to play, addictive, and worth buying. However, some customers have reported issues with performance and concepts. They say that the game does not work and is unrealistic.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

17 customers mention14 positive3 negative

Customers like the quality of the video game. They say it's a great game to play, fascinating, addictive, and the best strategy game ever. They also appreciate the gigantic game play and music. Customers also say the online feature allows for even more game play. Overall, they say it’s incredibly well thought out and worth buying.

"Great game. No support.This is a great game to play. The problem is that one day it will stop working...." Read more

"...rate the other games one star have been worked out and this is quite fun to play.WARNING. This game can eat away at your life...." Read more

"This game is purely amazing...." Read more

"...It is amazingly fun and well paced, but the developers have also taken a lot of time and interest to add in a lot of interesting and accurate..." Read more

8 customers mention8 positive0 negative

Customers find the controls easy to learn and intuitive. They also say the graphics are excellent, the interface is simple, and the sound is great. They say the game is very easy to play and has an agreeable level of difficulty. They mention that the game engine is intuitive.

"...The game is very easy to play and the controls are intuitive. There are several difficulty settings which are noticeable...." Read more

"...As my review title suggests, this ROME: Total War game engine is so intuitve that the HISTORY CHANNEL is using its engine in its "Decisive Battles"..." Read more

"...I think it is awesome the detail involved. I mean you can just fly your camera all over the place and see all the detail you want...." Read more

"...this is a great game - excellent mix of strategy and tactics, easy to use interface, agreeable level of difficulty...." Read more

6 customers mention6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the value of the video game software. They say it's a classic game worth buying and worth playing. Some customers also mention that it'd be a great product if it wasn't for the bugs and poor service.

"...are like me and waited until now,take it from Showtime....it's well worth the price." Read more

"...Bought from Amazon because it was the best price at the time. Just getting into the game but it is very complex...." Read more

"...Definitely a game worth buying," Read more

"Great bang for the buck. I know its an old game, but its a classic and worth playing. Money well spent!!!" Read more

4 customers mention4 positive0 negative

Customers find the graphics in the video game awesome, realistic, and breathtaking. They also say the orientaion and motion, and screen image detail are selectable.

"...The graphics are top notch and the game ran smoothly with total forces of close to 2000 soldiers on the battlefield at high detail on my modest AMD..." Read more

"...size of the armies, camera orientaion and motion, and screen image detail are also selectable...." Read more

"...all you need to do is look at the screenshots to know that the graphics are awesome.I'll take a moment to discuss what I didn't like...." Read more

"...The graphics are excellent, the interface is simple and the sound is great...." Read more

3 customers mention3 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the physical video game software well paced and smooth. They also say the developers are top notch and the game ran smoothly.

"...The graphics are top notch and the game ran smoothly with total forces of close to 2000 soldiers on the battlefield at high detail on my modest AMD..." Read more

"...It is amazingly fun and well paced, but the developers have also taken a lot of time and interest to add in a lot of interesting and accurate..." Read more

"This has exceeded all my expectations and was delevired very promptly.. I have not put it down since getting it" Read more

5 customers mention0 positive5 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the performance of the video game software. They say it does not work, it stops working, and it will not play past the beginning of the first tutorial battle. Some customers also report that the game does not start after they click run.

"...The game stopped working whenever my son began a "manual" battle.We reloaded the operating system (yes, the operating system!)..." Read more

"...24 vs 16 Sound Card, 1429 vs 1200 CD, etc, it will NOT play past the beginning of the 1st tutorial battle...." Read more

"Does not work with Windows 10. Do not buy if you only have windows 10, but the customer service is amazing." Read more

"I was able to install onto my Windows 7 computer, but it will not start after I click run." Read more

4 customers mention0 positive4 negative

Customers find the concepts in the video game weak, disappointing, and unreal. They also report bugs, half-finished, and unrealistic gameplay. Customers also mention the game has several huge flaws and no city building.

"...It has some bugs like they all do, some are pretty terrible as they all are. But, hey, the parts that work make this an interesting strategy game...." Read more

"...If, however, you would like a buggy, half-finished, and unrealistic game made by developers who have almost no communication with the customers and..." Read more

"Crap Crap and more Crap. Poor game play, weak concepts, no fun at all. This game may be realistic, but realistic isn't always fun...." Read more

"...Very dissapointing, and a waste of my money." Read more

3 customers mention0 positive3 negative

Customers are disappointed with the bugs in the video game software. They mention that some of the bugs ruin the game.

"...It has some bugs like they all do, some are pretty terrible as they all are. But, hey, the parts that work make this an interesting strategy game...." Read more

"...The drawbacks? Like Shogun, the game suffers from terrible bugs, some even ruining the game...." Read more

"Potentially Great, but bugged and poor service..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

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Sir Christian

TRY THE DEMO-PRE-ORDER THE GAME

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2004

Verified Purchase

Go to Gamespot and download the free demo of this game and you will certainly be convinced to pre-order it with Free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon. If you are not convinced watch Decisive Battles on the History Channel on friday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern, which uses the actual game engine to depict historical battles. It is realistic and breathtaking. The show also creates a respect for this genre of gaming which I previously believed to be stale and never really gave a chance. However, when you see the courage of 300 Spartans who hold off an army of 11,000 Persians in a narrow pass and the strategies (and sheer courage) a smaller but well trained force can use to defend and overcome its enemy it is truly inspiring.

I haven't played a real time strategy battle game since Myst years back, since I generally prefer First Person Shooter Multiplayer games. I have spent more time replaying the same single Demo battle on Rome Total War than Doom 3, which I spent 55 dollars on.! If that doesn't say something then how about a few details:

The game is very easy to play and the controls are intuitive. There are several difficulty settings which are noticeable. You can pause a battle any time to catch your breath, zoom around the battle field, issue new orders and then let the battle continue. You can watch the entire battlefield or with a click on a unit card zoom in on any unit to get a ground's eye view of the action. There is nothing like the thrill of watching your infantry fight a numerically superior force, on the brink of breaking when you send in your herd of armored war elephants and watch the opposing soldier's bodies go flying as they are trampled! The graphics are top notch and the game ran smoothly with total forces of close to 2000 soldiers on the battlefield at high detail on my modest AMD XP 2100, 768MB RAM PC 2100, ATI Radeon 9600 Pro 128 MB Alienware PC. I could write more but I would rather return to playing again, but I thought there should be at least one review posted by someone who has actually played the game!

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Razr Maxx

So innovative that it's used on the HISTORY CHANNEL

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2004

Verified Purchase

ROME: Total War, the third game in the series Total War by Activision, is set during ancient times when the Roman Empire War Machine was struggling to gain control over all of the known world. In this game you will find eleven factions fighting to control the world, including three Roman factions (Julii, Bruth, Scipii), three barbaric tribes (Gaul, Germania, Britannia), and five Greek or West Asian factions (Egypt, Seleucids (ancient Iraqis), Carthage, Parthia (Caspian Sea nomads), and the Greek Cities themselves).

Unlike the previous Total War games, the strategic map is a fully 3D representation of the game world. When you build cites, they'll appear on map as they grow. You will move your armies around on this map and the 3D battlefields will mirror whatever terrain you're on in the strategic map. So wherever you fight on the strategic map, that's where the game engine will create its battlemap from. A first in strategy/RTS gaming!

As my review title suggests, this ROME: Total War game engine is so intuitve that the HISTORY CHANNEL is using its engine in its "Decisive Battles" series. Each week the HISTORY CHANNEL uses this game engine to show the viewer a famous battle from these ancient times. This is the first time I think a television network has used a computer game engine as the central part of one of its shows.

The game is sure to redefine 3D strategy game in this genre.

27 people found this helpful

Helpful

klaatu

a guilty pleasure

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2008

Verified Purchase

Ok, I'm admitting it, I have played this game off and on for about 2 years now. It has some bugs like they all do, some are pretty terrible as they all are. But, hey, the parts that work make this an interesting strategy game. Some of the speaches given before the battles are hilarious, and many are informative - not a bad idea to give them a listen.

Each Roman family (there are 3 families, you get to try one per campaign) has it's own turf to conquer to start with, and so also different enemies. Here is my main complaint about the game... some battles cannot be won even with seeming overwhelming odds, I suppose that sort of thing did happen, but not like you'll see it happen here with the Parthia, Iberia, and Carthage.

Battles, initiative, and strategy, are only a part of this game. The building and maintenance of cities, roads, and ports are hugely important. The types of troops and transport you can create, as well as your ability to trade to support your towns and legions, is a bit tightly constrtained, but works well in the bigger play of the game. Advice is available from talking heads in the game screen if you want, and the frequency or detail of advice is selectable... this advice is also available during battles.

You also can create and use diplomats to negotiate with friend and foe alike for trade, creating alliances, asking for help, demanding supplication.

After a point you can also create spies and sabateurs for intelligence gathering and monkey wrenching friend and foe alike - just don't get caught! Also remember they can and will do the same to you!

The size of the armies, camera orientaion and motion, and screen image detail are also selectable. Just remember you can only select and order what you can see on the screen unless you use the auto pilot function.

The fleets and sea battles are a bit lackluster, but possibly not as bad as it really was, and you can somewhat reasonably transport invading armies, blockade, defend ports and sea trade routes.

So there is a lot going on in this game and the diversity of tasks and decision making can seem daunting - but that is what I find a huge plus.

After playing all families many times, with all the bugs, I am still a player of this game, and have used it to help teach my kid about ancient kingdoms, peoples, weapons, mobility, strategy and tactics.

And there is nothing like, after conquering the known world, that triumphant walk through the senate, their palms of victory waving to the fanfare, you are now the ruler of it all !

2 people found this helpful

Helpful