We Love It's Guide to…
Lead a Roman family through a turn-based campaign, managing an empire and commanding real-time battles across Rome and its invasion-era expansion.
Released 28 Aug 2007
Lead a Roman Family
Command Massed Armies
Siege Rival Cities
Control and conquer the greatest empire ever known to man.
Developed by CREATIVE ASSEMBLY · Published by SEGA









In Rome: Total War, lead one of three Roman families on a campaign to gain control of the Roman Empire. The Collection also includes Barbarian Invasion, which shifts the setting to Rome’s decline, as barbarian attacks and rival factions threaten the empire.
On the campaign map, expand your territory by moving armies and managing your empire’s economic, civil, religious, and military affairs. Your decisions shape the growth and defense of your holdings as you contend with rival factions.
When armies meet, take command in real-time battles featuring thousands of soldiers, with opportunities to fight in sieges as well as open battle. Barbarian Invasion lets you experience the struggle from the side of Rome or factions attacking it.
Players often praise the campaign’s strategic depth, the scale of its real-time battles, and the appeal of returning to the game over many years. Nostalgia is a recurring part of that enjoyment, alongside mentions of varied factions and a memorable soundtrack. Some reviewers also note that the game’s age shows in its controls, AI, and technical performance.
| Platforms | Windows |
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| Age ratings |
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| Players | 1–8 |
| Play modes |
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| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | The store page and reviews indicate both single-player and multiplayer. Multiplayer is described as online battle-focused, including direct battles against other players and battles against AI with another player. Reviews specifically mention online matches, a lobby, server-enforced battle rules, and large 4v4 battles. No provided text confirms campaign co-op, local split-screen, or LAN. |
| Multiplayer & mods | The game is tagged moddable, and reviews say mods are supported, though without direct Steam support and sometimes difficult to install. The provided text does not confirm any specific multiplayer-only mod features or how mods integrate with multiplayer beyond general support. |
| Controller required | No |
| DRM / EULA |
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| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 92/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
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