Total War: Rome II - Empire Divided

Total War: Rome II – Empire Divided for PC is the fourth large expansion pack to Total War: Rome II, an installment of the popular strategy games. The base game was released in 2013. It was developed by the creators of the whole series, Creative Assembly. The expansion requires the base version of the game to work.

Mechanics

Total War: Rome II – Empire Divided for PC once again takes the players to the age of Roman Empire, this time to the years just before the division of the weakened empire. The story campaign starts in the year 270 and it challenges the player with the task of saving the empire that is pestered by barbarians and managed by incompetent rulers.

The expansion pack introduces ten new factions from five different cultural circles. Half of them are previously unavailable heroic factions (Rome, Gallic Rome, Palmyra, Sassanids and Gothi) that feature more advanced winning conditions and unique leaders like Aurelian and King Sigeric, who cannot be killed in battle. Some factions feature unique units, like light cavalry Equites Dalmatarum and armored camels.

The fourth expansion pack also introduces a few other novelties. The players can personalize their generals in specific disciplines, making them better for example in recruitment, management etc. Factions’ technological trees were changed. Many technologies are no longer focused on discoveries, but on actions that are meant to overcome the crisis in the Empire. Thanks to that the technologies tell the story of a specific ruler. The DLC also introduces new buildings, including Christian ones, and previously unavailable administrative structures.

In addition to new possibilities, the expansion pack introduces new challenges for the players, including new events and missions (general and for specific factions). Provinces are consumed by crimes that greatly reduce the food level in the country. The only way to overcome that is by sending army to specific territories. Plagues can spread to other regions and increase public disorder. There are also cults, including the Christianity, that provide access to special free buildings but at the same time cause public disorder. In addition to that, it is much easier to accept a cult than to get rid of it – using force might lead to rebellion.

Technical aspects

Although a few years have passed since the debut of the base version of the game, Empire Divided doesn’t modify the graphics of the game. The title has the same system requirements as the original Total War: Rome II. The expansion pack supports the Power & Politics DLC that greatly modifies the politics mechanics of the game.

Last updated on November 23, 2017