Total War: Rome II
So it took almost 2 years but I think I finally like this game. It's amazing to me because Rome Total War probably up there in most played game. The hours I have put into the game, and the nights spent trying to take over the known world are so many.
The memory of playing the demo for the first time sticks in my brain in the original game. Taking my force and attacking from the tress in a surprise maneuver just had me my teenager mind lost in a sea of tactics and battles. From that point it was nights spent avoiding homework going "just one more turn" as my armies marches across the classical world. There was something to a game that balanced a great real time war scenario with a simple yet fun turn based system that had you stuck once you started.
Years went by, and more Total War games came out, but slowly they just stopped being the Total War games I loved. Looking at them I loved certain parts but the dark era of gunpowder never sat right. To sum it up, the artillery in that world felt like a rock being thrown that massive cannon and that is what the whole game was. Something grand that ended up being kinda small in the end. Shogun 2 then came out, and gave everyone a wonderful Total War game again, it took the elements being introduced in earlier games, refined them and put some new spins on them however it still didn't capture my imagination like Rome or even Medieval Total War 2 ever did.
The news broke Rome 2 was going to be made, my friends and I rejoiced. Finally the game that had us start with Total War was coming back and soon hours and days will be lost. We sat watching the computer download the game when it was released, we clicked open and jumped into a battle. "wow" everyone said as the graphics blew us away. The battles seemed so real, the men felt like a real force. What will the campaign be like...
It took me a year to get past the tutorial. I would always get to the end of it, and out of boredom just quit as clearly this was not my Rome anymore. Everything had become a complex jumble of pieces that in an attempt to add depth lost any playability. Oh I would keep trying, and usually would jump into a custom battle, just to watch the glory that was the graphics and engine. It still amazes me how pretty it can look. However even after updates that fixed what felt like an hour long wait for AI turns, and other issues the game never captured us back in.
Finally I said to myself this past week, "I am going to learn to play this game". Booting up some YouTube videos that gave a good tips and tricks overview. I jumped back on prepared to be disappointed again. Slowly though I kept playing, taking over city after city and just building an empire.
I wasn't hooked yet, I would jump on play but then jump off. It wasn't until I was attempting to make a run at a new city that the game hooked me. My army which was small in numbers was trying to make for an easy settlement when a enemy army, double in sized came out of no where and took my men to battle. There I was 1500 troops at my command, and not even the best ones against an army of 2500. Taking the men to a hill, hoping the terrain can better our chances, I saw an opportunity to move some troops to some forest on both sides of the approaching mass. Hiding some men and calvary there I hoped that maybe this surprise attack will help if anything bring their casualty count up. Soon their front line was smashing into mine, and my men held the ground, knowing that they had to so the plan would work. Soon the enemies men on the right flank heard a horn, and saw small force come out of the trees, in full gallop right into the rear of the force. The left flank soon followed with its own charge. The enemy started to waver, the small force they were attacking had surrounded them. Then the missile troops I had been focusing in the middle soon were able to break the enemy their. The enemies army was broken into two forces which quickly were surrounded and killed. I had gained victory, losing only 500 men and the enemy limping back with 300.
After this and my jumping for joy, did I take the settlement and knew I had found my old Rome in this game. At that point I just kept playing, moving forces back into position, getting my settlements into massive cities and slowly taking the world. Sure Rome 2 isn't the same as my Rome, and it still has a massive cumbersome problem, but the fact that I can feel such glee as my forces is able to pull an amazing stunt like that has me ready for more!
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