Expeditions: Rome

Truly fantastic if not the best turn based combat game on the market. If only legion battles were 3D, like Total War. It would be the best game overall for me. Caracter class skills + weapon skills - supreme.
Get it and play it.

SPOLIERS ALERT!!!

This is a fun game and I highly recommend it to people who enjoy more simplified RPGs and not something as grand as a Pathfinder or Divinity title. You more or less play as Julius Caesar in RPG form during the collapse of the Roman Republic and I had a good time with it. The combat is very easy to get the hang off and outside of a few specific encounters, I didn't find the game that difficult. The only real challenge combat-wise was getting lit on fire by archers or torches since it bypasses all your armor. The AI for the most part is pretty skilled and they tend to avoid doing extremely dumb shit, but aren't all-knowing and aren't hard to beat. There isn't much in the way of looting since you end up crafting all your gear once you unlock Tier 3 schematics which I found kind of lame since it is an RPG game. I did like the idea of scrapping unique weapons and then getting their ability to put on other items of yours since it allows you to create a consistent armor scheme. Weapons having their own set of abilities was also a cool touch and allows for some further customization depending on what you wanted to build your character around.

The main issue with this game is that while it starts off really strong, it tapers off as you progress towards the end. By the time you reach Act 3, you pretty much have every piece of gear and ability that you want + pretty much all the enemies are no threat to you whatsoever. The story rapidly devolves and there are certain plot lines that make absolutely no sense (your main rival rescuing you for no reason?), which is a shame since it starts off pretty well. I also found the whole campaign micromanager extremely boring since it was just doing the same thing over and over again with no variation except maybe upgraded strategems.

The main story overall was pretty predictable, but you have a ridiculous amount of choices that you can make that affect the story which creates a wide variety of endings. The idea that you can storm Rome, kill your main political rival and then flee to Egypt, marry Cleopatra, and become the pharaoh is really really cool and I thought that was an awesome way to play the game. The minor characters that accompany you all have interesting side stories and personalities that are different enough from one another that they appeared pretty unique. The world building is also pretty good and I was happy to see that they started the game in the Mithridatic Wars since that's usually something that isn't ever highlighted.

Overall, it's a fun game if you like simpler RPGs. Decent story with a wide array of endings. Solid combat. Mid customization.

Listen to Mike Duncan’s, The History of Rome podcast while playing this game - goes together like wine and cheese. 🤌🏼

Brilliant game. Sad for there will be no follow up

superb classic rpg with good writing and impactful choices

An interesting RPG with great well written characters with character development, turn based combat and a wide spanning campaign with what I found to be a satisfying epilogue based on the majority of your decisions. The entire game is voice acted to a really good standard and really immersed me in the Roman setting, it was also interesting to see their take on an alternate history.

The sheer scale of this compared to what I thought I was getting in to was great, not what I expected. The first 2 campaigns/acts by far shine the brightest, with the 3rd act dropping slightly however pulling it back in with a satisfying conclusion.

What a fantastic game! I cannot suggest it enough to fans of isometric turnbased strategies and Rome. While games like BG3 have opened up the genre to new people, Expeditions: Rome has been offering up a solidly Roman and very entertaining addition for the veteran community that should appeal to new comers as well.

Pretty good game if you like turn based combat. They fixed the main problems I had with the previous game, Expedition: Vikings: there is no longer a time limit and the missions are much more diversified and feel different one from the others.

Historically faithful and satisfyingly complex. Definite thumbs up.

An incredible hidden gem. I can't recommend it enough if you enjoy games like Baldur's Gate, XCOM, or the historical Total War titles. A shame the developers have been all but extinguished thanks to Embracer Group. There is so much potential and talent on display here, I would've loved to see and play whatever game they made next.

Expeditions: Rome stands as a monumental achievement in the realm of tactical role-playing games, offering an experience that is both immersive and profoundly engaging. From the outset, players are drawn into a meticulously crafted world that seamlessly blends historical authenticity with compelling gameplay mechanics.

The game's narrative is a masterclass in storytelling, weaving a tale that is both grand in scope and intimate in its character development. Each decision feels weighty, with choices that resonate throughout the campaign, ensuring that no two playthroughs are ever truly alike. This depth of choice and consequence is a testament to the developers' commitment to delivering a truly dynamic experience.

Combat in Expeditions: Rome is both challenging and rewarding, requiring strategic thinking and careful planning. The variety of classes and abilities available allows for a multitude of tactical approaches, catering to a wide range of playstyles. This flexibility not only enhances replayability but also ensures that each encounter feels fresh and engaging.

The game's attention to detail is evident in its rich environments and authentic portrayal of ancient Rome. The developers have painstakingly recreated the era, from the bustling streets of Rome to the far-flung battlefields of the Republic's campaigns. This dedication to authenticity serves to further immerse players in the game's world, making each moment feel both real and significant.

It is a testament to the game's quality that, even after 130 hours into a single campaign, players find themselves eager to continue exploring and experiencing all that Expeditions: Rome has to offer. The sheer depth and breadth of content ensure that there is always something new to discover, making it a title that is well worth the investment.

Expeditions: Rome is not just a game; it is a journey—a journey that every fan of tactical role-playing games should embark upon. Enjoy

If you are a fan of turn-based isometric combat from games like X-Com, Wildermyth or Battle Brothers, this game is of interest to you.

The story kept me engaged the entire game, and the combat never got boring. While the combat is not the most intricate, it definitely has enough depth to keep you engaged for the entire game. There were several points in the game where I thought it would end but an interesting twist reeled me right back in for another engaging campaign and plotline.

I had a lot of fun playing this game and I would have loved if it lasted even longer!

good game interesting story with a little history, just a shame that the original developers left the studio to make nft games

What a gem. Goated Dev's making another banger.

PLEASE let us have some more games like this. Iron age setting is OP it lends for so much content. Imagine covering Alexander's route through Persia!
Love this game. It has its flaws but still a 10/10.

Very fun. Didn't know i needed a game with dnd mechanics in a roman setting before.

very fun and easy to learn

A long journey of a game that culminates in a thrilling finale. Great story and characters, developers did put some passion in. Fun combat.

Is able to keep the quality of the other Expedition games. It won't be the best but it is still good.

Expeditions Rome gets very repetitive very quickly, with the slight variations in all of its combat sections. Using your Praetorian Guard during the small tactical missions is generally always the same units and same missions in some ways very similair to XCOM 1. The Legion Battles are played kind of like a card game but your decsions in what cards you pick barely matter. I just conquered Asia Minor which was the first main quest line and I honestly have zero desire to continue playing.

I want to like this game, I really do. It is a great turn-based RPG, with an excellent story and tons of great mechanics. But the combat is exhaustingly difficult. Sucks the life out of this game. You are expected to go into an area where you are overwhelmingly outmanned, the enemy has more tools and ranged archers than you, and rely on your mostly low-level buffs and swordsman-only characters to survive. The difficulty is *punishing*, and not in a good way like Dark Souls. Example: One level you have to ensure a roman governor survives. He is An AI so he stupidly goes out and fights anyone, putting himself in danger, and the enemy has an assassin class which can cloak and appear out of nowhere to kill you, and all of their archers have tacks, smoke and poison as a throwable which you cannot get yet because you haven't unlocked the crafting ability yet. It is literally your handicapped small platoon of units versus an army every single time. You have to be the most skilled and patient player to enjoy this, and if one set of things doesn't go right based on AI behavior, you just wasted 15-20 minutes to just replay it again. This is why I describe it as "exhaustingly difficult". And keep in mind, I'm only at the first area where you need to liberate Asia. I can only imagine how much more punishing this gets down the road. It's too much!

As far as crpgs go, its a solid 6/10.
The encounters are fun but very tedious near the end of the game when every enemy has a tactical item (or two or three) and will spam fire/poison/invisible traps/bleed at every opportunity. Enemy strategems are outright stronger than player strategems, enemies have access to skills and abilities that players dont, such as stealth for some reason. Also the only real counter to stealth late game is to just bring 2 or 3 archers and spam ranging shot to try and detect the enemy invisible units, except that the spotting status only applies while they stand in your aoe which they will always path to avoid. Enemy units are purely suicidal and will gladly throw themselves at your weakest member to try and kill them even at the cost of their own lives. Catapults are near worthless since the enemy ai knows where the projectiles will land and will path themselves accordingly to almost never get hit by them.

As with many crpgs, this one does that weird thing where it adds in an extra system that just doesnt quite make sense in the form of legion battles. Legion battles basically are just a series of card draws that slightly change a random number generator on attrition. These battles are an absolute joke and its pretty much impossible to ever actually lose them since you often have well over a thousand extra soldiers over the enemy army. The only real changes these battles have is the amount of loot you get from them and the chance for your generals to die in the battle. As mentioned before, the enemy cards drawn vastly outclass the player cards drawn with many of the enemy armies having insane stat penalties such as -15 cumulative to your army stats when even with maxed generals you'll cap out at +12 across the board. Your best bet during these fights is to just spam one specific type of stat and force the enemy army to scatter and then just sweep the map in an absolute snoozefest of a minigame.

The game also suffers from massive action economy bloat in the fact that you'll routinely be up against 3-4x your number of enemy units on the field, it tries to make up for this by letting you restore your actions by killing enemy militia units, but the tactical item slots throw this all out the window. Tactical items are free action items that often apply status effects, like greek fire jars, or some form of direct damage, like throwing spears. However by the later maps almost every single enemy (pawns included) will be carrying tactical items, meaning the game turns into a "can i take out 3-4 units in 1 turn before they spam torches and fire jars at me". Fire damage is easily the strongest status in the game as not only do you take damage per turn, but you also lose max hp from being burned. The burned debuff triggers once when getting lit on fire, then again on your turn, and the status effect seems to stack in an odd way with itself, as the status is a -12.5% loss of max hp per stack capping at 5 stacks. However at 5 stacks you actually lose around 95% of your max health instead of the correct 62.5%. This means, generally, that on the enemy turn they'll throw a single torch at one of your soldiers and reduce his max hp by about 50% with 0 input or reaction on the players behalf. All for the cost of a SINGLE free action by any enemy unit, which of course there are around 20 per map. You can cure these effects by using one of the support classes but you only get 3 charges of this ability per support unit, and you're heavily limited on the amount of units you can bring, unlike the enemy.

The game is decent but feels like a streamlined and undercooked version of their previous games and really only should appeal to diehard greek/rome fans who want a neat little story where they can roleplay as caesar.

Also the main villain is boring and only really shows up periodically to beat you right as you're supposed to win.

What if you could step into history before it was written by great men? Before the rise of Gaius Julius. What if you befriended him and watched him die? Putting yourself in place to become what he did in actual history. To have Centurions that he himself spoke of in his biography. Would you stand before Cleopatra herself and be swayed by her charms as Caesar did... or will you see through her seduction and go forth of your own accord? This alternate history strategy game took me by surprise as I saw its' depth and challenge. I have become invested in it, in the choices, dilemmas, characters and spectacular attention to historical detail... even the stretches of fiction. Personally, I hold Expeditions: Rome up there with XCOM 2 and the fan favourites of the Total War franchise.

A word of warning, though; Pay attention. This is not a lazy game, a careful commander will be victorious. Least one can do is try this game, I went in with a passion for Latin history and am still stuck in. I came, I saw and I could not believe my eyes.

This game is absolutely different league with its immersion.
Choices matter Very much
Amazing adventure and Ending is only yours 2 write ... Be the Legion Be the Ruler Join Rome and lets see who you really are in eyes of History.

Clap Clap Devs

Ehh... Not so great. VERY unbalanced combat and scenarios. Very railroady with effectively NOTHING left for the player to decide or customize- just go to the next required task or lose your army... etc. etc. This garbage was not worth the little money I paid on sale...

Я Не часто прохожу до конца игры в последнее время.
Эта была первая за довольно долгое время.
Очень рекомендую и ожидаю подобных игр в другие периоды истории.
Куплю обязательно.

I never looked at these games in the past. As steam does what it does, it was on sale so I bought the bundle and started with Rome. It was a really nicely done game with lots of voice actors and deep storytelling and drama. Although linear, it still had some choices that were very important for a wide-variety of end-game outcomes. The battles were fun, but some of them required specific skills or tactics (like fire mostly), where some bosses simply ignored any damage and you had to win by attrition as fire burned them to death eventually. I liked the 3 different landscapes and the deep ties to what Rome and Roman thinking may have been like through the actions of the game. Well done and I'm off to the next Expedition!

who am i

XCOM in Rome!

Very nice storytelling, but the gallic siege took way longer than needed.

Very good game- I enjoyed the layered systems a lot.

By Act 3, the game was on the edge of wearing for some of the repetitiveness, but that act you can skip the most side content easily.

Good gamo.

Very, very good game. It could have been a masterpiece if it had more depth, like real legion battles instead of this card game-like thing(which was not terrible), more world map content and more detailed class&leveling system. I will definitely buy the next game of the Expeditions series.

Some XCom and some RPG complemented with a nice story with multiple endings depending on the course of action you choose, this game worth every penny.

Final Verdict: 84/100

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This is a great CRPG. The story actually flows around you even as you make decisions that you will genuinely never know are key to the story. Also, you can tell the developers like the game and like gaming so they won't punish you for PLAYING a game (unlike some developers....)

The masculine urge to fight for Rome. Do it for her.

Nice stratigical action game. Much like xcom

Combat is much improved from Vikings, but the story is more linear.

wonder how long of a sentence you have to write to satisfy this text box.

A very good tactical game. Its combat system is deep and engaging, with interesting combat enounters.
The story is ok, but nothing really great either, and the strategy layer where you conquer new regions is a bit shallow and doesn't add much to the experience. If you are looking for a deep story driven rpg akin to Baldurs Gate 3 than this might not be the right game, but if you are looking for an interesting and challenging tactical game than this game is definitely worth your time.

a Solid 8/10. While it was fun and I did enjoy the story and gameplay, the combat did get a little stale by the end. Not worthy of a second playthrough in my eyes, but I don't regret purchasing or playing it.

I really wanted to love this game as I am a big fan of turn based strategy games and a massive fan of anything set within ancient Greece and Rome, however I can't recommend this game, unless you also love games set in ancient Greece and Rome, but then I would just recommend Total War Rome 1&2 this game isn't terrible but the story is a little silly and the game play is such a repetitive and boring slog to get through. So I would just give it a miss. Hopefully if the studio makes another game like this they can improve it by cutting down the story a bit and making the game play far more interesting.

So overall.

Graphics: 6/10
Game play: 3/10
Story: 6/10
Replay ability: 2/10

Historical and cultural erasure through appropriation. Early in the game the player needs to recruit centurions and a third of them are subsaharans. Romans, let alone Centurions, were not subsaharans so you can shove your blackwashing where the sun doesn't shine.

Furthermore I don't get the story, it starts with a mother smuggling her daughter out of Rome and then it's unclear if the male character we've created is supposed to be this daughter or somebody else.

Excellent game. I like the turn based combat, there is much more to do here than in vikings. I also love the story, I was extremely invested in it from the start.

Such a cool game, a stand out rpg. Very inventive and fun combat system that is fast paced and deep at the same time. The story and word is amazing with memorable companions and impactful decisions. Great OST and art design. Lots of historical details from the time of the Roman Republic, so this is a good call for those interested in history or those who are interested in doing a little learning. Def worth it for fans of the genre or fans of this time in history. 9.75/10

Really enjoyed it just when it began to feel like a grind the game offered the game would offer a new surprise loved the ending and how choices are chronicled. Finish it two different ways.

10/10.

A pretty solid game and a huge improvement to their last titles. Obviously some dedication and effort are put into the historical accuracy but it doesn't take away from the creativity and fun the game aims to provide to its players. If you like RPG with meaningful choices and strategic decisions, try it!

Biggus Dickkus

The combat gets really tedious and stupid and extremly long. The longer the game, the worst it gets. The "strategic map" gameplay is also dumbed down to the lowest level possible and becomes really borin really fast. Decent story and historical tid-bits did extend the time I could spend with it, but in the end I just got bored, specially since some missions are so badly designed and sometimes broken.