Buggy, poorly thought out and unsatisying. The combat feels like a moshpit, with the clever maneuvering of previous Total War titles reduced to a mad dash into the meatgrinder. This would be acceptable if units had reasonable morale levels, but unfortunately the majority of troops break and flee at the first sign of trouble. Missile weapons are also highly inconsistent in their level of damage, with most Roman troops walking through a hail of stones, arrows and javelins with no ill effect. This makes the tactical choice of infantry, ranged and cavalry options meaningless, because infantry is ALWAYS the best option.

These issues, combined with the honestly annoying garrison mechanics (enemy cities with no defenders always manage to pull an army out of nowhere, making it impossible to gain any real strategic advantage) mean that playing Total War: Rome II feels more like a chore than a game.

As someone who started playing the Total War series nearly 10 years ago, I am disappointed that this is the direction CA are taking their games. A series which once stood for tactical depth is quickly becoming an unappealing slog. They might be able to turn this around, but don't hold your breath.

Buggy, poorly thought out and unsatisying. The combat feels like a moshpit, with the clever maneuvering of previous Total War titles reduced to a mad dash into the meatgrinder. This would be acceptable if units had reasonable morale levels, but unfortunately the majority of troops break and flee at the first sign of trouble. Missile weapons are also highly inconsistent in their level of damage, with most Roman troops walking through a hail of stones, arrows and javelins with no ill effect. This makes the tactical choice of infantry, ranged and cavalry options meaningless, because infantry is ALWAYS the best option. These issues, combined with the honestly annoying garrison mechanics (enemy cities with no defenders always manage to pull an army out of nowhere, making it impossible to gain any real strategic advantage) mean that playing Total War: Rome II feels more like a chore than a game. As someone who started playing the Total War series nearly 10 years ago, I am disappointed that this is the direction CA are taking their games. A series which once stood for tactical depth is quickly becoming an unappealing slog. They might be able to turn this around, but don't hold your breath.