
I had a fun time commanding my men around a battlefield I just wish the other parts of the game were as fun. But enough about how pretty all this murder is. The sound effects of battle also go a long way to making the game feel right during these scenes. Close up shots are particularly well detailed as soldiers block incoming attacks and strike down enemy soldiers with high precision. Whether you’re watching from up high as swarms of soldiers clash with one another or getting up close to watch, it all looks terrific. The reason it’s a shame is because the action in Rome 2 is great to watch. Rome 2 remedies this with a tactical map of the action that pauses the game, but it’s still a shame the action is hard to follow at times. This is especially true during some of the bigger battles and the close-up fights in cities. Rome 2’s camera is another problem as it doesn’t always make the fights easy to see. Even with some settings turned down I faced a lot of slowdowns and odd hiccups during the bigger battles.

This is both a blessing and a curse: battles feel vibrant and visceral thanks to each soldier living and dying based on their position in the battalion, but it can also mean some chugging. With all of the settings turned up the game is an absolute system hog and will give even the highest end PCs a run for their money. One of the first things you’ll notice about Total War: Rome 2 is its beauty, assuming you have a powerful PC.
