Rome: Total War

Rome: Total War
Developer(s)Creative Assembly
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Michael M. Simpson
Designer(s)
  • Robert T. Smith
  • Mike Brunton
  • Michael de Plater
  • Jamie Ferguson
  • Chris Gambold
Composer(s)Jeff van Dyck
SeriesTotal War
Platform(s)
Release
September 22, 2004
  • Windows
    • NA: September 22, 2004
    • AU: September 24, 2004
    • EU: October 1, 2004
  • Mac OS X
    • WW: February 5, 2010
  • iOS
    • WW: November 10, 2016
  • Android
    • WW: December 19, 2018
  • Linux, macOS
    • WW: April 29, 2021
Genre(s)Real-time tactics, turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Rome: Total War is a strategy video game developed by The Creative Assembly and originally published by Activision; its publishing rights have since passed to Sega. The game was released for Microsoft Windows in 2004. The Mac OS X version was released on February 5, 2010, by Feral Interactive, who also released the iPad version on November 10, 2016, the iPhone version on August 23, 2018, and the Android version on December 19, 2018. The game is the third title in The Creative Assembly's Total War series, following Shogun: Total War, and Medieval: Total War.

The game's main campaign takes place from 270 BC to 14 AD, showcasing the rise and final centuries of the Republican period and the early decades of the imperial period of Ancient Rome. Gameplay is split between real-time tactical battles and a turn-based strategic campaign. Within the campaign, players manage the economy, government, diplomacy, and military of their faction and attempt to accomplish a series of objectives on a map that encompasses most of Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. On the battlefield, the player controls groups of soldiers and uses them to engage in combat with enemy forces.

Upon its release, Rome: Total War received widespread acclaim from critics. In the years since, the game has frequently been referred to by critics as one of the greatest games of all time. Two official expansion packs, Barbarian Invasion and Alexander, were released for the game. A sequel, Total War: Rome II, was released on September 3, 2013. A remastered version of the game, developed by Feral Interactive, was released on April 29, 2021.