Do not overlook this game, if you haven't played it--I highly suggest giving it a try.
When I first bought this game, I was really unsure of what to expect. Previous Total War Expansions were satisfying, but did not introduce anything to new to the game. Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion on the other hand, is a solid title, and introduces new gameplay elements that got me hooked from the start.
The new campaign map takes form of the Roman World just like Rome Total War, expect this time, the Romans are divided between the Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire, each commanding huge amounts of gameplay.
Now what is stunning about this game is just the pure diversity you will see in each faction, both in the campaign map and in the battles. If you start as one faction, then beat it, then play as another, I would honestly say you are in for a completely new experience.
The Roman Empire factions are extremely fun to play as. You are already really powerful, but you have to keep your power in check. Many of your provinces are threatend by unrest and revolt, so you have to find a way to keep that under control. It adds a nice mix to the game.
There are also the Barbarian Factions, weak in number and in the amount of land they own, they must stay hidden and make quick, decisive attacks when the oppurtunity arrises. They do have their own advantages, such as, not having to worry about revolts or finances from the onstart, but you will find military build up to be the main issue.
Then Barbarian Invasion introduces something completely new, the Horde Factions. These factions do not have set homelands from the start. They own no territory and instead travel in huge armies numbering thousands. The goal of them is to either sack towns with quick attacks or find a new homeland. Being a Horde factions requires a lot of strategy--because you don't want to settle to early; if you do, you lose your horde units. The only way to get them back is by becoming a horde again, abandoning the town, and finding a new landscape.
This feature in the game is really entertaining. Because of these Horde factions, you will find battles numbering the thousands very easily. These battles are amazingly fun. At first, it may seem like too much to manage, but you will quickly find yourself enjoying these large battles.
Something neat about this game is its story driven content. Certain events happen in the game that really affect the gameplay. It keeps the game from going dry and is really fun!
The only problem I have with the game is the religion feature that it introduced. Religion is a major factor in whether or not the people in a town like your faction. You are either pagan, christian, or orthodox. And then you build churches in regions to try and influence the people to convent, this leads to a fixed percent rate of conversion which can really feel like you have no control over. This problem is already being fixed, especially in the release of Empire Total War, but it is nothing more than a slight annoyance in this game. Really, it isn't that big of a deal, but it does stop me from giving the game a perfect 10.
In the year 2009 there will be many, many great games. But if you haven't played this game, take a step back and enjoy it. It is truely a wonderful game, and I think that it's awesomeness has been significantly overlooked.
9.5/10 easily.