Imperator: Rome
" Expansive grand strategy simulation with deep political and military systems but limited developer support "
Imperator: Rome Review
Imperator: Rome is a grand strategy game set in the ancient world, offering players control over various ancient nations with deep management of provinces, armies, and populations. Players appreciate the detailed map, diverse mechanics, and the freedom to shape their empire’s destiny. The game combines elements from other Paradox titles like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, and Victoria, creating a unique but sometimes confusing hybrid experience. Despite its rocky launch and initial bugs, patches and mods like Invictus have significantly improved gameplay and stability.
However, many players express disappointment over the game's abandonment by Paradox, limited updates, and certain design flaws such as repetitive nation gameplay and problematic growth mechanics. The interface and tutorial are seen as lacking, requiring external resources to fully understand the game. Nonetheless, fans of Roman history and map-painting strategy games find it engaging and recommend it, especially on sale with mods.
Highlights
Players praise Imperator: Rome's expansive and detailed map, allowing control of hundreds of tribes and nations. The tech tree is highly customizable, offering diverse strategic paths and a satisfying progression system. The military tradition and provincial levy systems add depth and rhythm to warfare. The game’s blend of multiple Paradox gameplay mechanics offers a broad strategic experience unique to the Roman era. Fans of Roman history and grand strategy enjoy the immersive political, cultural, and military management aspects. The modding community, particularly the Invictus mod, is highly valued for enhancing and expanding the game’s content and fixing core issues.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include the game's early buggy state and frequent crashes, which hurt the experience. Players feel the game was abandoned too soon, leaving many mechanics underdeveloped and unbalanced. Growth mechanics are seen as punishing rather than rewarding, with expansion leading to logistical and loyalty problems, unlike AI opponents who face fewer restrictions. The interface and tutorial are criticized for poor clarity and accessibility, forcing reliance on external guides. Combat can be frustrating due to AI tactics and warscore requirements. Many also note the lack of tactical battles and limited campaign duration, reducing replayability after initial playthroughs.
Pros
- • Detailed and expansive map with hundreds of playable tribes and nations.
- • Highly customizable tech tree with diverse strategic paths.
- • Unique military tradition system adds depth to army upgrades.
- • Provincial levy system creates engaging warfare rhythm.
- • Blend of mechanics from multiple Paradox games offers broad gameplay.
- • Strong modding community enhances and expands the game.
- • Immersive political, cultural, and economic management.
Cons
- • Game was abandoned early with limited developer support.
- • Growth mechanics penalize player expansion unfairly compared to AI.
- • Initial release plagued by bugs and frequent crashes.
- • Interface and tutorial lack clarity and accessibility.
- • Combat AI exploits frustrating siege tactics.
- • Repetitive nation gameplay reduces replayability.
- • Campaign duration is too short for some players.
Rating Criteria
Dominate the classical Mediterranean in Imperator: Rome, a grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive. Navigate the dangerous waters of politics and diplomacy as you build up your provinces and conquer foreign lands. Now available with special content and the digital artbook.
