Rome: Total War–Barbarian Invasion

Barbarian Invasion is the rather obvious expansion to last year’s strategy hit Rome: Total War. Where the original had you break out of Italy to build an empire, Barbarian Invasion has you rip it to pieces or, if you prefer, try to hold it against the rampaging hordes. Most of the game has the same formula that made Rome such a huge success, but there are a few additions that make it well worth the extra denarii.
Naturally, the barbarians are the stars of the show. Many of them start as “hordes,” which are huge armies with no cities or upkeep cost. While a horde, these factions can choose to sack a city instead of capturing it, grabbing everything of worth before moving on. As you settle into newly captured towns, your massive armies start to fade away. Until then, you and your nomadic horsemen of doom can steamroll through much of Europe.
Victory, however, depends on building a new empire on the ruins of the old, so eventually you have to get out of killing mode and become more civilized. Barbarian Invasion introduces the rise of Christianity as Rome’s national religion by forcing you to tend to the spiritual needs of both ruler and subject. Conversion of citizens from one faith to another happens at a shocking rate. Tear down a temple and put a pagan zealot in charge of Constantinople and you can have the people worshipping trees and rocks within a few years. Your generals can convert too, but more slowly.
The non-horde factions, particularly the Romans, require a skilled hand. Rebel towns are now rival Roman factions and can take away disloyal generals. There never seems to be enough money to go around, and there is not a lot you can do when a few thousand Goths show up outside Constantinople.
The battles have always been the big draw of the Total War games, and they’ve been improved here too. Night battles look great, as the torch light casts a spooky glow on the horizon. The tactical AI is better, though still prone to sending its general into the middle of a forest of spearmen. There are the usual faintly ridiculous units, like armies of Sarmatian Virgins dressed like Brunhilde in a sundress, but the Total War games are more sword-and-sandal movies than PBS.
Barbarian Invasion is not a major step forward in the series, but there is certainly enough new here to recommend it to even casual fans. If you are still getting your posterior kicked by Carthage, you might want to hold off until you master the original campaign. But if you are up for some good old-fashioned pillaging, this is the best game in town.

This article originally appeared in Computer Games Magazine #182