App Army Assemble: Rome: Total War - A real RTS on your iPad?
Real tiny strategy
Rome: Total War has come to iPad, and with it the first real RTS on mobile. Perhaps that's a little harsh, but you won't find any nasty freemium mechanics here. It's just your wits against your opponent's - just like the old days.
And it's pretty darn good if our review is to be believed. We gave it a Gold Award and described it as: "Impressive on every level, strategy and tactics, scale and presentation, despite the odd rough edge from porting".
But we also gave a select few members of our hardened bunch of mobile gaming experts in the App Army for their thoughts.
Check them out below!
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Clint Yarwood
Wow, this game looks amazing! The controls take a bit of getting used to but work well. It really does seem to be a straight port of the PC game.
Aaron Carey
I have mixed feelings about this. The developers have done a really great job porting a fantastic PC game without any concessions, and for the most part it runs reasonably well on my iPad Mini 2.
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The only thing to be aware of is that it's a full PC game, and isn't perfectly optimised for mobile. As a result, it can be a bit clunky at times but if you're prepared to dig in and get used to the quirks there is a rich and deep strategy game here - and I recommend it.
Ethan Harold
This is basically just the PC version but with reworked controls which can be clumsy at times. It remains a very good game though, and one that's definitely worth buying.
Crystal Loker
The graphics and voice acting are okay, and it runs well enough on my iPad Air 2 despite the occasional stutter. The controls are solid, though it's slightly cumbersome deploying troops as you have to spend ages scrolling to the exact location you want to drop them.
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Laura Egri
It's a good port but it needs a little more optimization. It's basically just the PC version but without the multiplayer - and that's a shame.
Due to the smaller screen, you also lose that sense of epicness when you unleash a mass of units against your opponent.
The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this. We also host regular community-driven events with them in mind like tournaments, giveaways, and multiplayer evenings. To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!