Tech – Total War: Rome 2
Words: Violet
Total war is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘a war which is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the accepted rules of war are disregarded’. At TGJ we simply know it as an awesome series of games.
The first Rome: Total War was possibly one of the best games of all time (certainly top five). When it came out in 2004 words such as fantastic, astounding and brilliant were thrown around – with good reason. Conquering the ancient world really did make you feel like a Caesar. You would crush the barbarians underfoot and smile as the map began to turn Roman very quickly. There were a few issues that became apparent over time; one was the fact that you either played as Romans (in a Pokemon style red/blue/green flavor that made absolutely NO difference to the game) or you played as the others. Now, the others were the Jedward of the game: utterly bollocks and you really couldn’t tell them apart as they were all equally crap. According to this game, Germans were the same as Greeks. To all normal (and intelligent) life it is obvious that Germans and Greeks are not the same. One is industrious, punctual, sensible, good with tanks and has a tendency to periodically invade every country it can get its leather-covered hands on… the other is Greece. And this was a theme throughout the rest of the Total War series: either you chose the factions the game wanted you to choose from the start; or you chose them later out after crying many manly tears of frustration at the stupidly useless cannon fodder factions that were the ‘alternatives’.
However, Rome 2 has come to our screens and it has brought some friends. The other factions actually have character and more importantly… different units and buildings!. TGJ must admit this game will destroy your social life. It’s not quite the full on GTA V heroin addiction but it’s at least cocaine. What makes this game brilliant is the ability to see your choices having consequences on the landscape. At first the level of control you can have is overwhelming and we recommend starting on a low difficulty to get the hang of it. But once you do, this game will make you very happy indeed. The fluid recruitment system is linked to the internal politics system. Effectively: the more popular you are, the more troops you can build. The intelligent AI allows for a very easy way to see what your enemies want and how to avoid everyone ganging up on you. The only critique we have is the turn time. TGJ has made meals in between turns and this will drive the more impatient of you bonkers with anger. However, the potential aneurysm will be gently soothed when your turn finally comes round and you get back to playing Caesar.
For more information see totalwar.com
By Edward Hambro Rabben
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
