ROME: Total War, the strategy classic that set the gold standard for large-scale warfare games on PC back in 2004, is now out on Android. The game maintains all of the scale, sweeping scope, and mechanics of its PC version in a mobile package that’s been reformatted to be more user-friendly than ever before. Creative Assembly’s third title in the beloved Total War series sees you ruling Rome with an iron fist across nearly 300 years of some of its most turbulent history. The widely lauded game is now available for $9.99 with no in-app purchases or other mobile tomfoolery.
Background: If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s likely that nothing needs be said about this game or the series it’s from. ROME: Total War is one of the genre’s pillar entries, and is widely considered one of the greatest games of its era. For those not in the know, you’ll be engaging in real-time strategy battles on a massive scale within the confines of a turn-based campaign. To clarify that, you’ll decide what moves to make, where to take your army, and where to attack in a turn-based interface where other entities, such as enemy factions, are making those same decisions. When a clash happens, you’re placed in the battlefield, where you’ll command phalanxes and battalions. While you don’t control a single main soldier in an action-game fashion as seen in the likes of Command and Conquer: Rivals, you are able to exert control over what happens on the battlefield in other ways. Outside of battles, you’ll be expected to balance the happiness of the populace with the development of the state, building up a living, breathing empire. The game runs from 270 BC to 14 AD, and starts off with the player controlling one of three families within Rome. You’ll need to bring families to power and begin making big moves in order to unlock other factions to play, and each provides their own perspectives and advantages.
Impact: There was already one Total War title floating around in the Play Store, technically, pushed out by Sega. Total War Battles: KINGDOM presents a somewhat simplified experience that has some of the finest graphics seen on mobile devices for its time, and is built from the ground up for phones. This port isthe first time a full-fat Total War title has made it over to mobile platforms, amid what seems to be a small renaissance of sorts of real-time strategy titles. Right now is a wonderful time for a game like this to hit the market, and given its rave reviews and pedigree on other platforms, good sales are practically inevitable. The kicker is that this is a premium game with an upfront price tag, but once you’ve paid that price of entry, you’ve got the full package at your disposal. This model has been shown to be viable in the past, but a shining example built around a game with this much clout is bound to draw some notice in the Android gaming world. Hopefully, that means that we will see games take this approach more often, eschewing in-app payments and the possibility of pay-to-win or other issues that could come with them.
ROME: Total War - Google Play - $9.99
