Rome: Total War marks the undisputed hieght of the series
The amount of factions is impressive, and the graphics run smoothly on most recent computer models. The campiagn is actually quite large, and it is doubtful if you will even get to see all of it in one full game. The strategy that you must employ is also great. The game's harder difficulty makes it quite possible for your empire to collapse if you're not careful, which makes victory ever the sweeter, but still within reach. The balancing of units is also skillfully done, and many factions are specially equiped to excel at certan areas of combat, choosing one is merely a matter of choosing your playing style.
there are some issues, though. There are quit a few bugs if you don'y get the latest patches, mostly affecting long games. When you start playing, you will also only be able to play as three Roman factions. The rest you must unlock by completing the roman campaign. Some factions are also not playable at all, which is annoying if for example you wanted to play as the macedonians or the scythians. The last big problem is the lack of differentiation in games. Unless you intervene, certain things are going to happen, such as the destruction of the selucid empire or the rapid expansion of Egypt and Brittania. This seems to take away some of the diversity of the game.
Nevertheless, Rome Total War is a masterpiece, and by not playing it you are doing yourself a disservice.
Bottom Line
Graphics: 6/10
Sound: 8/10
Singleplayer: 10/10
Multiplayer: 6/10
Replay Value: 10/10