Playing Total War: Rome Remastered is like seeing an old friend. Your life has progressed fine without them, and you don't feel their absence. But whenever you do hang out you pick up right where you left off, like you'd never been apart, and are transported to simpler times and happy memories. In this case, a time of great tactical jank, cheesy defence strats, and a banging soundtrack to get you in the mood.
A time when Rome was four distinct entities, and when you had to physically send a person to talk to another empire. It took only a moment with Rome: Total War's newly minted remaster before it all came flooding back. The Total War series has evolved a lot in the 17 years since Rome released, and decisively for the better.
Total War: Rome Remastered has none of these improvements and as such may shock modern sensibilities. But the first Rome is also one of the series' most enduring entries, and the reasons for that haven't changed. The original Rome was the first Total War to go fully 3D, and at the time it was one of the first accessible grand strategy games to be set during this perpetually popular period.
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