Rome: Total War Near-Final Impressions

Contrary to popular belief, you have to get out of London and into the English countryside to find ancient Rome. That's because Creative Assembly, the developer of Rome: Total War, is located in the pastoral English town of Horsham, south London. We had the opportunity to visit Creative Assembly's offices in early September to get a final look as Rome: Total War was wrapping up development before it went gold.

Horsham's Weald House doesn't look like it houses a busy software development studio, and the only clue is the large number of cars parked outside this picturesque English building. Creative Assembly occupies both floors of the Weald House, which is just big enough to fit all the programmers, artists, testers, and designers required to make Rome: Total War. As you enter, your eyes are drawn to a trophy case with a pair of Samurai swords and the awards that Creative Assembly has won over the years, including a prestigious interactive BAFTA, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards. When we got there earlier this month, Rome was almost complete, save for a few finishing touches, so the atmosphere around the office was generally relaxed.

We had a chance to see why everyone was upbeat when we sat down in a conference room and got to see a near-final version of the game. According to folks at Creative Assembly, they originally aimed to finish the game last year, but Activision was so pleased with Rome's potential that they were given another year to work on it. As a result, they were able to really focus on improving both the depth of the gameplay as well as the graphical look of the game.

Most of the attention toward Rome: Total War is focused on the game's 3D battle system, but the turn-based campaign looks like it will provide plenty of deep, strategic gameplay for fans of slower-paced strategy games. Even the developers discovered tactics that they had not anticipated. For example, you can wage biological warfare against your enemies by using the plague. If a city comes down with the plague, it's possible to have one of your spies enter the city and contract the disease. You can then have your spy try to infiltrate an enemy city and spread the plague there. As a result, the enemy may have to destroy the city's port in order to stop the plague from spreading, and the city's garrison will lose some of its strength due to the disease. The only way to deflect such an attack is to intercept the spy with an assassin. Meanwhile, you can try to prevent the plague from taking hold of your cities by building up your public works; a city with a strong sanitation system is less vulnerable to the plague than others.

As good as the turn-based campaign looks, the major draw of Rome: Total War is the incredible 3D battles. We had a chance to check out some of the historical battles that we hadn't seen before, such as Gergovia, which was one of Julius Caesar's battles during the Gallic Wars. In the Rome: Total War version of the battle, your Roman legions are about to launch a major attack on a fortified town when you realize you're badly outflanked. Unable to issue a withdrawal order, your only option is to attempt to knock down the town's gates and get your forces inside the walls before they're annihilated. Needless to say, it's a daunting task, and your forces will be spread thin attempting to repulse the enemy while protecting the battering ram needed to bash the gate. Thankfully, you can adjust the difficulty level of the battle, and on the easier levels you're given a bit more leeway in terms of the strength and morale of your troops.

If you've had a chance to play the demo, you know that battles in Rome: Total War are spectacular to watch. We saw some intense battles, with thousands of 3D units hacking away at each other. We also paid particular attention to the game's physics system. For example, when cavalry slam into infantry, different reactions can occur. Sometimes an infantryman will fly backward, while in other instances, a cluster of infantrymen will collapse like bowling pins. And when cavalry attempt to storm head-on into a wall of spears, it sometimes leads to a horse balking at certain death, which, in turn causes the rider to be catapulted off his mount, or you may see a horse vault over the spearmen's heads.

With Rome: Total War due next week, what can we expect from Creative Assembly next? The studio has two projects underway. Most people aren't aware that work on Rome: Total War began after Shogun: Total War and continued while Medieval: Total War was in production. Currently, Creative Assembly is pushing ahead with an evolutionary project that will build on current technology, as well as a revolutionary project that will use new technology. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed up on the second level of Weald House, where some of that work is going on. While we weren't privy to those projects just yet, you can guarantee that we'll fill you in on the latest details when they're revealed. Until then, it's a safe bet that you'll have your hands full with Rome: Total War. For now, watch our exclusive video interview with Creative Assembly's developers.