ROME: Total War

Game images by RAWG

ROME: Total War

Feral Interactive

PC, iOS, Android, macOSPremium

Health Score

GOOD

Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

ROME: Total War offers a deep dive into ancient history, combining grand strategy with real-time battles. Players manage an empire, making economic and military decisions while engaging in tactical combat. Its historical depth and lack of predatory monetization are strong points, though parents should be aware of mature themes and online social interactions.

Super Review

Parent verdict

This is a good, premium strategy game best suited for older children and teens who enjoy complex historical simulations. Its high educational value and absence of in-game purchases make it a worthwhile consideration, but the mature content and competitive online play necessitate parental awareness and potential limits on social interaction.

What players actually do

Players manage cities by constructing buildings, training units, and enacting policies, exercising strategic planning and resource allocation.
Players engage in large-scale real-time battles, commanding armies and executing tactical maneuvers, which develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Players conduct diplomacy with other factions, forming alliances or declaring war, which teaches about international relations and negotiation (even if simplified).

Where it shines

The game provides exceptional educational value by immersing players in Roman history, Mediterranean geography, and ancient military tactics, fostering historical understanding and strategic thinking.
Creative freedom is a significant strength, with extensive modding capabilities and a 'movie cam' tool that allows players to create cinematic content and expand the game experience.

Parent watch-outs

Online multiplayer is primarily competitive and includes text chat, which introduces a moderate social risk of encountering strangers and potentially unfiltered communication.
The content includes mild mature themes, such as references to alcohol, blood and gore, and mild sexual themes and language, as indicated by its Teen rating.

Family rules worth setting

Discuss and agree on strict rules regarding online interaction, such as disabling or closely monitoring text chat during multiplayer sessions.
Limit play sessions to encourage breaks and prevent excessive screen time, especially given the game's depth and potential for long campaigns.

Talk about this

Discuss the historical accuracy of the game versus dramatic license, and what real-world lessons can be drawn from the events and strategies depicted.
Talk about appropriate online behavior and the risks of interacting with strangers in competitive multiplayer environments.

Play style

ROME: Total War offers a flexible play rhythm, combining slower turn-based strategic empire management with bursts of intense real-time tactical battles. Players can progress at their own pace without time pressure. While primarily a single-player experience, competitive online multiplayer is available. Younger or less experienced players may find the depth and complexity challenging, potentially needing help understanding mechanics or managing their empire efficiently.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

5/5

Creativity

3/5

Pro-Social

1/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

3/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

0/5

Social Risk

4/5

Content Intensity

3/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

5/5

ROME: Total War earns a top score of 5 for Educational Value by extensively covering Roman history, geography, and ancient military strategies. Players learn about empire management, logistics, and historical factions through direct engagement.

Addictive Monetization

3/5

The game scores a perfect 3, indicating no addictive monetization practices. As a premium, one-time purchase, ROME: Total War has no in-game upsells, loot boxes, or other predatory monetization.

Social Risk

4/5

Social Risk is a 4 primarily due to competitive online multiplayer with text chat, which exposes players to communication with strangers. While voice chat is not a native in-game feature, the presence of text chat still poses a moderate risk.

Content Intensity

3/5

Content Intensity receives a score of 3 due to the ESRB's Teen rating descriptors including Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Themes, and Violence. Dialogue also contains references to sensitive topics, making it less suitable for younger audiences.

Negatives

•Online multiplayer is primarily competitive, offering minimal opportunities for cooperative play.
•Features text chat in online multiplayer, which introduces a moderate social risk of encountering strangers, though there are no explicit indications of unmoderated voice chat.
•Content includes mild mature themes, such as references to alcohol, blood and gore, and mild sexual themes, as noted by its Teen rating.

Positives

•Offers exceptional educational value by teaching about Roman history, geography, and ancient military tactics.
•Provides exceptional creative freedom through extensive modding capabilities and a 'movie cam' tool for cinematic content creation.
•No addictive monetization practices
•the game is a one-time purchase with no in-game upsells or loot boxes.
•Lacks time pressure mechanics, allowing players to progress at their own pace without fear of missing out on content.