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Rome: Total War Review
By Mike Sowerby

Recommended Game Specs: PIII or Athlon 1 GHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 2 GB HDD Space, 64 MB Video Card.
Publisher: Activision
Info: www.totalwar.com
Is it Released? Yes!
The cheapest on-line price for this product

System Requirements

An Imperial Introduction
A blood curdling cry resonates across the battle field arrows whistle through the air, leaving trails of smoke behind them and hitting with deadly precision. Cavalry charges mercilessly through your fellow soldiers slaughtering them as they turn and run. This is the Roman war machine in all its efficient but brutal glory. The Romans may have brought the world numerous things during their times; aqueducts, coliseums and unfeasibly straight roads, but one thing you certainly wouldnt have wanted to experience is being on the wrong side of the Roman army. Happily though, Roman military tactics have provided the perfect excuse for an RTS of immense scale, allowing you to command (or oppose) the expanding empire from the comfort of your own hom, and without the unnerving fear of getting an arrow stuck in your butt.

Gameplay
In order to aid your advancement through Europe and North Africa, Rome: Total War (RTW) is split into two main components. A Campaign Map, and full 3D Battle action that allows you to take personal command of your conquering army. This arrangement will be instantly familiar to any of you who have played the previous Total War games in the series. These basic components have been updated and refined.

The Campaign Map:
The campaign map is where you command and take control of your advancing armies. You begin the campaign as one of three Roman factions; The Julli, Scipii or Brutii. Each has control of certain areas of Italy and swears allegiance (for now) to the Senate and Peoples Republic of Rome (SPQR). The objective is to conquer as much of the world as you can, and eventually take Rome, and thus becoming emperor in the process. In my Campaign as the Brutii, I began with the two southern towns of Croton and Tarentem, and after an initial foray into siege warfare, Lilybaeum. This provides your initial basis from which you will command your forces. To my east, I had the might of the Macedonians and Greek cities. To my south, the Carthaginians. Campaign operations are done on a turn taking basis, each turn equalling one year of a campaign. Initially, this seems to take a very short amount of time per turn as you have few settlements to manage or forces to maintain, but as you march your way to victory, each turn becomes more complex and can take up to half an hour or more. Cities can be individually managed, allowing you to construct buildings, train armies, and satisfy your populace.