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Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion Expansion Pack (PC CD)
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4/5 |
Good fun
(October 28, 2006) |
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This expansion pack was worth the money in my opinion.
It is not a new game - those expecting one will be disappointed; it is a twist on the original Rome: Total War game engine, with a couple of new concepts added in.
As you probably already know, the game takes place towards the end of the empire, rather then at the beginning - you can play either the empire, which is trying to hold on to what territory it has, or one of the many tribes (Goths, Vandals, Huns, etc.), which is trying to make a new homeland in Roman territory.
Whilst there are relatively few new Roman units, the ones there are simulate the Roman military of the time quite well, I think, and there are also a selection of new units for the various barbarian tribes.
New concepts such as the ability for tribes to 'upsticks' and simply leave one region for another (usually one of the Roman provinces) is a nice addition which simulates the population movements of the time well - but they only add a gloss to the current game engine; they do not create a new game. Those looking for an entirely new and different total war experience will be disappointed; as I have already said, this add-on merely adds a refreshing new take to the Rome: Total War game engine.
All-in-all, this is a decent expansion pack - it does get a little stale after a while (hence no 5 stars), but it is still good value for money. Graphics, sounds, gameplay is all roughly the same as the original Rome: Total War - but as I thought RTW was a bloody good game, this isn't much of a problem for me. |
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5/5 |
All conquering expansion pack
(October 08, 2006) |
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Set some centuries after the origional Rome, Barbarian Invasion focus' on the fall of Rome. The Roman empire is split into two: Eastern and Western Rome. Both empires are threatened by roaming nomadic tribes and small but upcoming barbarian civilisations. And if you think that's hard enough, the sheer size of the two empires proves a problem with regular rebellions and uprisings. Where playing as either East or West Rome offers a nail biting challenge, the addition and new gameplay styles of the nomadic tribes brings a particulary bloody adventure to the game. The game now sets victory loactions for each civilisation and introduces a totally new unit tech tree. Some other minor aspects of the game have also been polished and a few new features added also. Barbarian Invasion is an addition that breathes new life into the Rome franchise and an exciting new style of gameplay |
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4/5 |
A good game, but I found it boring.
(October 03, 2006) |
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This is certainly not a bad game, i mean how could it be? Rome:Total War was great, however on a personal note i didnt find it fun to play.
The problem was I expected the senario (for the Roman factions) to be very similar to the original game, however this is far from the case. By this period the empire, especially the western empire, has fallen into a state of near anarchy. The economy in the west (which admitidly was always weaker than the east) is extremely poor, while the cost of maintaining the army is crippling. The early empire was based on expansion and funded with plunder, however the latter empire has turned to the defensive. So be warned if it was conquest you enjoyed in the original senario, early on you will struggle to conquer much in this senario.
The army was another point i was a little dissapointed with, not on a technical level, just a personal one. Gone are the legions introduced by the Marius reforms and in their place are a poor excuse for Roman troops. As far as i can make out their all armoured with chain mail and not segmented plate armour (i forget the Latin). Correct me if i am wrong, and I may be, but i seem to remember reading that the segmented armour was cheaper to make and more effective, why then did the changes occur? if anyone knows i'd be glad to know. I was also a little dissapointed to find out that you can never revive these older more professional units, i understand that this wouldnt be historically accurate, but neither is the revival of the western Roman Empire.
If like me, you enjoyed commanding the mighty legions of Rome at its zenith you probably wont enjoy this senario. Its my own fault mind you, and as a man with a history degree i really should have realised that i wouldnt like this senario. However still a good game for most people. |
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5/5 |
Rome: Total War
(September 03, 2006) |
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If you're new to this style of grand strategy, then initially it will overpower you with all the game functions. However, persevere and what initially appears to be a simple conquer-the-world-with-big-battles game, soon turns out to be a quality srategy management event. It requires a lot of thought and long term planning, for example; building sewers in a town has an effect on the type and quality of troops that can be recruited. If you're an old hand at this sort of thing, then this is not just a progression along the long road to strategy gaming perfection. All in all, R:TW will appeal to virgins and veterans alike, whether playing a set piece battle (watching your elephants trample the enemy underfoot is particularly satisfying!) or the campaign game. Highly recommended. |
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3/5 |
Something is wrong
(May 18, 2006) |
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I bought this game recently and overall i find enjoyable, and the adding of religous wars and extra troops is great. However there are numerous flaws, for example the less number of factions is annoying and at heart it is virtually the same game. I was however with the improved graphics but i couldnt understand what else there was, in the game.
Overall a good expansion, but could be mach better.
I hope Medievil 2 is much better |
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