14 DAY TRIAL // I like Total War: Rome II and I will continue to put time into the experience for quite a while, as long as I do not succumb to my early Football Manager addiction later in November.
But there are some aspects of the title from The Creative Assembly that I don’t particularly like and would like to see changed in the coming months.
First off, the huge faction list that parades on the screen during the end turn suggests that all those listed could be playable, even if they lack some of the depth of the official civilizations, and I expect modders and The Creative Assembly to open them up to the community.
At the same time, the battles could use a little tweaking, with less of an emphasis on speed and more focus on tactics.
At the moment, it’s a little too easy to rout part of the enemy line in Total War: Rome II and the computer seems a little too eager to commit his best forces in fights it cannot win.
I would like to spend more time in the combat phase and dedicate a little more brainpower to finding the weak spot of the enemy and deliver a powerful blow to weaken his line and trigger a retreat.
The game can also use a little more clarity when it comes to diplomatic dealings between the various factions, because even if the reasons for a drop in the level of diplomatic relations are clear, I rarely understand exactly how they got to that point.
The Artificial Intelligence can also benefit from a few upgrades when it comes to its strategic decisions.
The encouraging news is that The Creative Assembly is delivering weekly patches for Total War: Rome II, taking into account feedback from players, and that modders are also unlocking the secrets of the game and could soon launch their own enhancements.