This game places you in ancient Rome. It's a fine addition to the Paradox collection you definately own, but not their best game. The atmosphere is right, it offers much enjoyment but compared to their other titles like EU3 and HOI3 it's the lesser one. Pick it up if you're curious to ancient Rome or to just complete your collection.

Europa Universalis, but at the age of Rome. Medieval and Rome are the two most popular age for historic game setting, so you ge Europa Universalis Rome. There are not as many nations as EU3, and the map is also smaller. Afterall, you are not going to play every single nations, and not going to unite the whole world, so the you won't miss most of the interesting part in one playthrough. If you love EU3 and are interested in the age of Rome, this game is for you.

This is a decent game, which can be rather addictive. The military aspect is abstract, though it can be fun, the role playing elements (most of the function in the game are carried out by characters and much importance rests upon their careers and relationships) are entertaining enough for the times of peace, and the trade system, where different goods give different modifiers or allow for the recruitment of specific troop types, remind me of card games.

Unfortunately there is not much beyond that. Wars can become repetitive, sometimes annoying, since they depend so much on the dreaded "dice roll", the map is rather small and tends to be dominated by 4-5 powers in a short time, and cultures and countries are generic - apart from some modifiers and the characters' titles. The game would have thrived, had it received the attention given to, say, Europa Universalis 3, but that didn't happen, and doesn't seem likely to happen now.

This game in its' present form is flawed, but still very playable and greatly entertaining. Following the development of an ancient country AND its leading families is an especial treat. Paradox is still releasing patches for this gem, so it is set to keep getting better. Buy it, you will not regret it.

It's an alright game, technically it runs fine, no bugs or crashes, but it's a bit stale and boring. Much more could have been done with the engine and setting and there are some mods which improve upon it but at it's heart it's pretty stale and boring. I'd say buy it if you're a big fan of the era and its on sale, but don't go in expecting too much.

This game presents a nice pack of the original EU Rome and the excellent expansion Vae Victis. While the original game was a grand strategy om the scale of other Europa Universalis games (which includes wars, diplomacy, trade, internal development etc.), it was still lacking a little something, which we tend to associate with the roman era: the plots and itrigues, great men (and sometimes women), whose personal traits shaped destiny of whole countries. And all of that was brought by Vae Victi, where the characters finally had their own agendas and ambitions. Thus for example being a ruler of a republic, where one must put up with a Senate, advisors, powerful legates etc. can become a real "egg dance" and as a ruler, you may start wondering, whether a nice simple tyranny is really that bad...

Didnt like having to micro manage the leaders so much but loved the feel of the game. Had a good atmosphere where barbarians are a real threat to your empire.

Lots of fun. Interesting take on increasing stability. I like how you cannot build units without the correct resource meaning trade, even within your nation, is very important. The biggest problem seems to be that many of the smaller nations are very hard to play. The many of the smaller nations are isolated from the civilized nations by barbarian land, you can colonize barbarian lands if you get enough civilization, civilization can be increased by being next to a nation with higher civilization. So, you too colonize the barbarian lands you need to march through the barbarian land, hope they don't all rise up and kill your army, conquer land next to a more civilized nation(such as Rome), hope the the civilized nation does not kill you, wait for their civilization to trickle into your land, and then start colonizing your way back to your home land. This is a lot better with the expansion, but you still have to worry about a giant barbarian hoard wiping out your entire nation. This game is very fun but save a lot and be prepared for frustration if your not playing a major power.

This game has problems. It isn't quite as intricate as Europa Universails 3, gameplay for most factions beside Rome feels rather static and it's dynastic system isn't as challenging as the soap opera fest of Crusader+Deus Vult. But the latter shows us how Paradox have never stopped keeping the idea of individual persons and their relations to each other as tools for influencing a people's or a nation's fate alive since Crusader Kings - and, lo and behold, Crusader Kings 2 is in the works!

Since Paradox have patched EU - Rome up to the release of EU - Rome Gold, it is still a solid and well-working Paradox strategy title. It does also get modded a fair bit, so as usual you get more than you pay for. Pick it up for the sake of your collection.

This is a must-buy for fans of Paradox Interactive's grand strategy titles. It has the intricacy of Victoria II (though obviously a different economic system, as is appropriate for the historical period), the frantic combat of Hearts of Iron 2, the careful diplomacy of Europa Universalis 3, and an infinitely more robust character system than Crusader Kings. The characters, their relationships and rivalries, plots and politics, truly feel alive. The multitude of individual actors with their ambitions and proclivities ensure an exciting and unique game every time one is started. The "loyalty" variable, while simple in nature, adds a dimension to the game that is incomparable to that from any other Paradox title: a true civil war. A successful veteran commander, loyal to the Senate for years, may suddenly turn his troops' spears toward Rome if, for example, a political enemy or a member of an opposition party takes the consulship. He will inspire the loyalty of some other generals and nobles, who will raise their own legions and add them to the rebels' numbers. Other commanders will spring up in defense of the Senate, and the resulting civil war is unlike any uprising or rebellion seen in EU, Vicky, etc. And all of this merely describes the experience gained by playing as the Romans. This game is truly engrossing and brilliant, and comes with the highest of recommendations from a loyal Paradoxian.

The game allows you to not only unite the ancient world under the banner of Rome, but if you so desire to lead a "barbarian" tribe to become the new Rome, or to crush Rome under your boots as Carthage. It has some family dynasty building as in Crusader Kings but your primary focus is on your country. An enjoyable and yet challenging game.

If you like strategy, realism, and the complexity in a real time empire building game, then this is definitely where you will find it. It's similar to eu3, but it also delivers an interesting element of internal politics. Give this game a try if you're looking for something different and fresh that comes with great values.

Very enjoyable game.

You can find mechanics very similar to eu2 and 3; in addition to that, rendering of the main characters is very annoying.

I found it very difficult to set appropiately the speed of the game.

An excellent game thanks in part due to the Vae Victis expansion. Don't expect as many options as EUIII due to less addons. Still patched up this game offers some good gameplay and an interesting compromize between the character-focus of Crusader Kings and the Strategic focus of EUIII. For the uninitiated it has a somewhat steep learning curve but in no way as daunting as EUIII. A great and solid game that will please any grand strategy fan be it as a main game or an in betweener.

Should be played by all gamers with an interest in the ancient world wanting a game with a historical approach. Not at all as complicated that it looks, the game provides an insight of the hard decisions ancient leaders had to deal with to lead their nation to prosperity.

EU:R is an attempt to bring the mechanics of EU into the ancient world, and the results are mixed. While a number of new features are interesting (the senate/monarchy/tribe government mechanics, the goods trading system etc.), EU:R's addition of Crusader Kings's character system proved quite daunting when combined with the intricacies of the EU model. It's just a bit too easy to lose track of what your characters are doing after a while. Be sure to check out the excellent mods like Epigoni or Magna Terra for expanded possibilities.

Nice addition to Paradox's lineup. Wish Paradox would support the game more though with one more patch to fix an irritable issue cascading alliances causing huge wars. The graphics are like EU3 and Victoria 2, but there's not as much to do in the game as EU3 and I've found playing as Rome is quite easy even on maximum difficulty. Look for some nice mods to add to this game to make it more enjoyable. Still happy I purchased the game.

if you enjoy europa universalis style grand strategy and love the ancient world thats the game.i especially love how you develop or demolish characters thru the game,it adds a bit rpg flavour to the game

This game is built on a combination of the EU and Crusader Kings engines, and it came out amazingly. The result is a fresh and fun take on a classic game with a new setting and new mechanics.

This game is a bit of a hybrid between EU3 and Crusader Kings, set in Roman times. The game takes the newer EU3 engine and gives it that ancient touch - repainting the maps and reskinning the sprites to give them an authentic Roman feel. Not surprisingly (after all, they do share the same name!), many of the elements of EU3 are present. In addition, however, is a complex political/heir system for players to manage, which more closely resembles the CK series.

In the end, the premise is a good one - marching your legions around the Mediterranean has never felt better. However, a few things prevent this game from truly living up to its namesake. The first of these is the scale: the map spans little beyond Rome's historical borders at her peak, so don't expect word conquest or exploration opportunities. Secondly, the amount of attention spent on making the Roman faction interesting has worked to the disadvantage of the other vying factions - it is unlikely that players will keep going at this game with different countries as they do in Paradox's other grand strategy games.

Still, any fan of EU3 will find something to like about this game.

Good game, but there is not a lot to do. There are only few countries to play and basically at it current state Republics are too much of a micromanagement and Monarchies/tribes mostly just twiddling tumbs

Solid Game, although demands a serious role play approach. Feels a bit unpolished and can be frustrating a times. The depth is certainly impressive - however the lack of polishment simply makes it look like a quickly made cross between CK and EU3.

Only for huge CK and Rome fans.

An interesting game. I'm not going to lie, I haven't spent much time with it. But it's a mix between Crusader Kings, and Europa Universalis 3. I don't like the interface, it dosn't flow well for me.

However, minus the interface, the game is very enjoyable (though playing as Barbarians is a pain, so I've given up on trying to play them)and I demand Paradox release a new expantion pack........NOW!

If your into Ancient Rome, this is a good game, if not, I may suggetss EU3 before this (untill EU:R get's more fleshed out).

My short, but honest reveiw.

EUR is simply lackluster – there really isn’t any other way to phrase it. The game lacks the depth and strategic options of other EU titles and after a few plays will become predictable and boring. The attempt to provide a more streamlined interface and give more abstraction to the general game play (and seemingly less micromanagement as was characteristics of earlier EU games) has backfired. As I played the game I was always left with a nagging felling -- “is that all it has as to offer?” In the end, the game play just isn’t satisfying and in particular I found the military and diplomacy systems wanting. I would not recommend to any war gamer except those diehards of this classical Roman period (and even then I cant promise more than an average gaming experience). I’m sad to say that this is just one of those games where its potential is just never quite realized.

An interesting mix of other Paradox games. A little bit of Europa Universalis 3 feel to it, although not to the depth or polish of that title, but with the addition of interactions between characters in game, a la Crusader Kings - again, not to the depth of that game though. I would say it would not have been worth the full list price, but now that it's half list price, it could be worth it for those looking for a fix until CK2 comes out, or for those who love Paradox but crave some Roman era action/politics; this does include the expansion, which is good as it fixes a lot of issues with the original, although it still isn't perfect. One can hope that a new expansion for this one is next after HOI3: FtM, since this game feels like it has a lot of potential to be great but isn't quite there yet.

EUR Rome is currently suffering from some unbalanced fixes along the same lines as what happened to EUR 3 with Divine Wind.

You'll experience on several occasions to find yourself at war with every nation east of the Italian peninsula. Which can be both a game killer as well as an exploitable factor.

EUR 3 DW got a patch that fixed this, but EUR Rome is still waiting for it. Patiently, in my case.

I'd still urge you to buy this game though. It's especially grand when you use the Epigoni mod!

It has the right mix of EUR 3 grand strategy and Crusader Kings personality. All in all a great game that I'm still playing - despite the cascading alliance bug :)

This is a game which is still not really all that good. It is in a world, dull. It lacks the richness of earlier Paradox games like Victoria or Crusader Kings, and frankly it is only worth playing as one or too nations once or twice. Rome Total War is a vastly superior game based on the same topic, I am not reffering to the fancy battles as quite frankly I rarely fight battles in Total War games. I am reffering to the general "grand strategy" gameplay, which I found far more enjoyable in the Total War game. This game will probably recieve an expansion some day which would (hopefully) make it worth playing. My advice would be to wait for that expansion to come out before you purchase this game.

I was disappointed with this game, after playing europa universalis 3, it just couldn't compete.

I think it would be a little more enjoyable if i was fluent in Latin, and could recall -without any great effort- the Latin names of the characters in the game. Since I can't, the added dimension of interpersonal drama was completely lost on me, and I found myself clicking my way through all the dialogue, waiting for something interesting to happen. After waiting for four hours, I completely gave up hope that anything interesting would ever happen to me while I sat there and watched my screen refresh 60 times a second.

Vae Victis dramatically improves the interface while adding even more depth to the faction management and backstabbing politics that make EUR such a joy, and squashes more than a few bugs while its at it.

The backdoor politics modeled in this game to such amazing depths are the true selling point for this game.

While this game does not have the same massive replay value that Paradox titles like Europa Universalis 3 do, it is a very well crafted grand strategy game and one of my favorite games dealing with this part of history. Most games about ancient Rome only let you play as Rome or a few other well known factions, but this game lets you play as any of the many factions around Europe that existed over this time period. Its very fun to begin as a minor Greek power and expand into a mighty empire that can even take on Rome.

A very good game which provides a great place for EU fans to enjoy a game in the ancient era. The game is well thought out and with the Vae Victus patch very stable.

The game is best enjoyed playing out the Punic conflict between Rome and Carthage. All other civilizations have passed their prime (Gauls, Greeks, Egyptians, etc) but can be fun to play for an alternative.

The game is missing the adictive quality of CK and EU, most directly as the dynastic part of the game is not complete and needs to be rounded out in a future release. Given that, you will get many dozens of hours of fun by purchasing this game.

As a long-time fan of Paradox's games, I may be a bit biased when reviewing this one. Especially considering my deep appreciation for games based in ancient Rome, as well.

Unlike most Paradox games, however, I waited until well after release to purchase this one. Early reports stated that the game was buggy, somewhat incomplete, and suffering from a deeply-flawed enemy AI. If you were like me and you put off purchasing this game, you will be pleased (as I am) to hear that any negative reviews aimed at earlier versions of this game are now quite outdated. Indeed, it plays like a charm.

The addition of the Vae Victus expansion (included in the Gold package purchase here at Gamersgate) and its patches have tightened up the AI and streamlined much of the game-making it an almost entirely different game (and a truly different experience) from its earlier incarnations.

What we have now is a deep, grand-strategy level hybrid game that mixes elements from Paradox's venerable EU franchise with many of the 'character-building' aspects of its brilliant Crusader Kings game.

Please note, however, if you have not played Paradox games before, that this is not a 'Rome:Total War' clone. The tactical-level interaction in this game is extremely limited. Combat is handled almost entirely by the computer and you will not get a chance to flex your muscle as an 'armchair general' on the field of battle.

What you do get, however, is a very detailed, deep, and (somewhat) historically accurate strategic engine with diplomacy, nation-building, tech-development, and character growth.

Combining both Rome and Vae Victis this package offers you the very best in any company's take in the era by offering you the chance to play as any faction that existed back then and write your own story...

From the intricate Senate scandals and schemes of the city of Rome, up to the rich and militaristic city of Carthage, to the very shores of the middle east and the Seleucid Empire: play as any state you can think of as you battle it out accross Europe in your struggle for domination and renown.

Graphics: Serviceable... it's a Paradox game, after all, don't expect a Crysis here...

Sounds: Bleh... Paradox has truly had some better scores here and there, but this one is OK.

Gameplay: Complex, but great nonetheless, it will surely take some time for you to get used to it, but if you've played EU III and/or CK it will be no challenge to you.

4/5

I think I like the idea of the EU games more than the games themselves. I've tried to play several, and I read the manuals, do the tutorials, and check guides on line, but they never seem to click with me on some fundamental level. I love the scale and what the game is, but playing it never seems to scratch that itch for me. Still a must-have for history buffs. This is somewhat like GTA for history nerds.

Although I am a big fan of EU3 and CK, I must say this game doesn't really work for me. If you don't happen to play one of the civilized big antions, there is frustratingly little to do.

I still think it has potential, and maybe after another expansion it will be as good as it should be.

This is a good game for anyone interested in Roman and Ancient history. It offers a deep level of game play for someone who likes to use there brain and play out ideas in a realistic way. Hours of gameplay for any history lovers though maybe not the best bet for someone looking for something easy or light to play as it does take some learning, hope this has been helpful, happy gaming :-D

EURVV is the definitive game of grand strategy in the Roman era. I was hesitant to buy this because it seemed the unit abstractions were too coarse, e.g. light infantry, heavy infantry, cavalry, but I gave it a go and found that technology and national achievements do an adequate job differentiating between same type units of various nationalities. Overall the game is excellent, and fully deserves 5 stars.

The gui is simple and effective, and I absolutely LOVE the 3-D engine's capability to rotate. I love having 'up' be the direction towards which I am expanding, e.g. Greece. I only wish HOI3 could do the same. :(

Character management is an important part of the game, and that aspect of growing a complex Republic like Rome can be joy for attention-to-detail types.

The game itself is very stable, which is nothing to be taken for granted these days. My only complaint is that there are no more expansions fleshing out unit types and historical events. However, there are several good mods available for registered users through the EUR forums.

If you are unsure, read the manual and play the demo.

This is really an enjoyable game. You get a mesh of the expansionism in EU3, coupled with the dynastic aspects of Crusader kings. You won't get the same control as in the latter, but still enough to make it intriguing & enough to make you attached to the specific characters you choose to groom :)

EU: Rome is one of the more accessible Paradox strategy titles. It streamlines many elements of the strategy games and combined with the smaller map, makes playing the game not quite as overwhelming as other titles.

It also features a character dynasty/management system like Crusader Kings, however it is not nearly as in-depth in that regard as Crusader Kings.

Overall if you like the Roman period, Rome is a good stepping-stone for first-timers to the Europa series to get introduced in an easier manner before making a transition to one of other Paradox strategy games.

Vae Victus expansion adds to Rome and is recommended. If another expansion to Rome were to be made to help flesh it out, it may become an even more solid title.

I have never played any grand strategy games like this one. I head it was the most accessible so I gave it a shot. At first it is a bit intimidating but once you start playing it everything clicks into place. The only downside for me was that tutorial is not much help but they have a really nice guide in their forums at paradox. That helped a lot and I am really enjoying the game.

I love this game, I think its my favourite Paradox game, nice soundtrack, map not too big, only issues are barbarians are a bit useless to play as and barbarian hordes appear, but the second one makes it fun even if frustrating.

Absolutely terrific game with graphics and playability scoring top points for this genre. Paradox really did a fantastic job on this one.

Despite the marvelous mechanics of the game it is almost only possible to play as one of the major nations such as Rome, Carthage or Egypt, which of course is saddening, as playing the minor nations should be equally fun. There are a few bugs, but most of these have been rounded up by patches and the overall game has been improved. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone interested in the time period or Paradox titles in general as it offers a versatile game-play for all. :)

Sincerely-

Curonne

A very good strategic game! The big timeline and the nice graphics makes this game very good.

You also learn a lot from this game about the Roman era. The bad things with the game is:

1. The price, I know it's also a expansion included but a bit to expensive.

2. System requirements, takes a lot of space.

3. Rome, Carthage and some more medium countries are the only good playable countries, to play as a little barbaric country is boring and waste of time.

If you are fan of Paradox games like me, then you should support them and buy this game!

You won't be disappointed.

EU Rome Gold has lot of things to make of it a terrific game... its impressive character system, the class simulation in cities, Senate and Republican policies... but something is lacking.

Maybe it's a too limited map (why not more provinces?). Or maybe that 'EUIII approach' just doesn't fit to what it's required for this era.

However, a very good option for grand-strategy lovers.

This game is a great addition to the Europa Universalis series, with a focus on ancient Rome. It has an interesting system involving politics to a much larger degree than Europa Universalis 3 and it was overall a fun game to play for a while. If you enjoy this period of history, you should definitely buy this game.

Regarding the price, this game is a must-have.

If you think Rome: Total War is too easy and simplified, and that most "underground" wargames are way too harsh to handle, then it is for you.

The military aspect is of course omnipresent, but the actual interesting point of this game is its political system.

You'll have to manage everything in your country with a very realistic point of view, as you'll have to cope with jealousy, hatred, families, lobbies and everything so that the danger does not emerge from the heart of your own country.

Graphics and the map are also very pleasant, and it's good to note that - with the latest patch of the expansion - the game will work perfectly and you will encounter very few problems such as inopportune crashings (which may be rather common on some other games of the same publisher, unfortunately).

So buy it, unless you just swear by overcomplexity and all that stuff, because this game is globally easy to master.

The first game from Paradox Interactive to have a satisfactory model for civil wars, EU:Rome is a valuable addition to any PI collection. Fun to play both casually and in multi-player, it is fairly simple to play, without most of the slogging bells and whistles of EU3. Unfortunately, attention to detail is somewhat lacking in this PI offering, but it is perhaps one of their most accessible titles to date. If you're bored of playing EU2/3, I strongly recommend you give EU:R a shot.

This is a priceless package. Built on Eu3 engine, Senate and politics, nepotism, ancient colonization and barbarian hordes are put into the game. Though playing countries other than Rome is a bit boring, the historical truth was Rome was much ahead of any of its contemporaries in many regards, and this is expected. Senate, the internal politics, friends, relatives, common interest alliances and whatnot are a separate game in themselves. Rebelling governors (if their loyalty drops too low), civil wars, rampaging barbarian hordes are well done. It is also possible to turn rome into a democracy, or a dictatorship, and create imperial rome. In general atmosphere, it really gives out the ancient Rome feel, and its very important. Its possible to play other countries too, and their cultures, government systems (tribal, aristocratic monarchies despotic monarchies etc) are very well done and work great. this game is a must have in your arsenal, and visit from time to time forever if you feel roman enough.

Coming from Paradox, this is definitively a good game. When compared to EU3, you probably will feel that the map is too small, that there are few countries to play with and that the powerful countries are made to suceed, so you'll need skill and possibly luck to defeat them with smaller countries. The main characteristic that distinguishes Rome Gold (that includes the expansion Vae Victis - a nice addition that makes the game much more enjoyable) from EU3 is the character system - if you like to play with characters friendships, rivalries, ambitions and families, you will find that in Rome. I give 4 stars as I think the game needs a more extended map (and/or one with more provinces) and because it doesn't fulfill the potential is has.

This is a very good game, somewhat a mix of Europa Universalis with Crusader Kings, because there are actually different characters, with their own interests and allegiances (factions). It involves a lot more of internal politics than any other Paradox game, and it's a challenge preventing your empire from collapsing from within.

Recommended for any fan of the Paradox games and this timeperiod.

Graphics 8/10, Interface 10/10, Music 10/10, Depth 8/10, Addictiveness 10/10, Value 10/10. Despite these high ratings there are some drawbacks. The game seems to use a lot of RAM, I mean a lot! Slowdowns and freezes can occur, especially if you don't reload the game periodically. I would recommend 3GB RAM for this game. I have 2GB and it is barely enough. Strategy fans will love/hate this game depending on their available RAM.

This is a great game, especially for the price. Although on a smaller scale then Europa Universalis 3 the game is still epic. It combines all the best bits from UE:3 (although does leave out some bits that could improve it) and adds whole new layers of stratergy and complexity. The character aspect of the game has got to be one of the greatest aspects. Characters form alegiences and rivalries, dependent on a large amount of different factors. A weak unpopular ruler will quickly the support of the nobels and could face a major civil war unless you manage your characters effectively. The mightest empire can be easily destroyed if a war coinsided with a rebellion, or a vast barbarian hord descends from the uncivilised north. Depending on which Generals and Governours remain loyal you could be facing some of the most intesne game play of your life. Also if you play a republic... beware the populist faction.

If you like other paradox titles, you'll love this

(appolagise or poor spelling)