Rome: Total War, or as it’s known now, Total War: Rome, is the game that got me into PC gaming. It’s a story I’ll never forget. I used to watch a great show called Time Commanders. Being the nerdy git that I was, locked up in my room and afraid of sunlight, I always thought I would do so much better thanks to the military history I’d read about. I also had a lot of confidence in my late 20’s.
Once I saw Rome: Total War, I knew I had to play it. I bought it, but my PC couldn’t run it. That was when I bought my first ever component. My life since then has been a slow move into my becoming a large amorphous blob fueled by scotch, Fish & Chips and the lack of human companionship. The announcement that Total War: Remastered is coming out makes me realise I may never feel the touch of another human, at least not one that’s awake.
So, Total War: Rome. It’s getting remade. Actually, it’s been remade and soon to be released by Feral Interactive (Bioshock 2 remastered, assisted A Total War Saga: Troy DLC). Not only that, it’s got new features that we all get to play through. On that note, here are the features:
- Improved Visuals: Total War: ROME REMASTERED ushers the classic strategy title into the modern gaming era with full 4K visuals, native support for ultra-high-definition resolution and overhauled environment, battlefield, and character models.
- New Gameplay Content: Wage war across new fronts with 16 previously unplayable factions to play on top of the original 22, and send the new Merchant agents on missions to establish lucrative trade networks across the map, buy out rival Merchants, and assert your empire’s economic power.
- Modernised Features: Players can exercise more control than ever with new features such as a tactical map during battles, plus heat maps and icon overlays in campaign mode. Existing mechanics have also been improved, including an overhauled diplomacy system, wider camera zoom levels throughout the game, and camera rotation on the campaign map.
- Improved Help Systems: A swathe of improved support has been added, including a redesigned tutorial, a new in-game Wiki, expansive advice and tooltips, and improved accessibility for colour blind players.
- Cross-platform Multiplayer: Players can enjoy cross-platform PVP multiplayer between Windows, macOS and Linux, a first for the Total War franchise.
- Complete Original Content: Total War: ROME REMASTERED includes the Barbarian Invasion and Alexander expansions in glorious new detail, and players will also gain access to the original Rome: Total War Collection (only playable on Windows).
Rob Bartholomew, Chief Product Officer at Creative Assembly, had this to say:
What better excuse than the 20th year of Total War to revisit a grand master? The original release of Rome marks a special time for us as our first major break-out title; it’s amazing to get the opportunity to Remaster it with our friends at Feral.
David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive, also had this to say:
Working to remaster a classic such as Rome, has been an exhilarating challenge: a bit like recutting the crown jewels. We are delighted with the result and hope that fans of this fantastic franchise will be too.
Chris Wray, me, has this to say: I’m looking forward to this. Do the screenshots make it look as great as newer Total War titles? No, not at all. Honestly, I can still play Rome: Total War even now. Native support for resolutions bigger than a stone tablet will be much appreciated, though, which’s enough for me. Rome: Total War is still in my top three Total War games, and playing it again, but hopefully better, is something I’ll never say no to.
Total War: Rome Remastered is scheduled for release on the 29th of April.
