14 DAY TRIAL // 
A pilum might not take down an enemy, but it will eliminate the shield. My veles then follows up with an assassin’s move to take down the opponent, getting another action. This allows him to whittle the shield of another, with my triarii using his long staff to then remove half of the health. One sagittarius uses a half-bow ability to eliminate an enemy spearman and then, with his bonus action, lights another on fire. I still have three characters I can use and, even if I know I will be unable to kill all enemies this turn, I can make sure they have minimal health and deal almost no damage before I destroy them when I can next act.
Expeditions: Rome was created by Logic Artists and is published by THQ Nordic. The title is available on the PC only at the moment, where I played it on Steam. It uses many of the same ideas as the two previous entries in the series, with a new setting and attractive narrative. Players will be taken to Antiquity, able to create and control a character that will serve an important role in the late Republic period.
There’s plenty of story to experience and a lot of writing to back it up. The threat of Mithridates and internal strife provide the background for the player character’s fast rise among the ranks, which involves command of a legion and the ability to make major political decisions. Players will also visit the city of Rome and other exotic locales as their character’s story unfolds.
The death of one notable historical character early on will give players a clear picture of what Expeditions is aiming for. The writing is good, even if the stories Rome tells aren’t groundbreaking. Students of history might be annoyed at the liberties the developers take with the setting, but I think they work well, especially when they add a little humor.
Gameplay is centered on the player’s party and his legion. Companions will be the core of the player group, able to execute impressive feats in battle while also doing small quests on their own. Praetorians are also recruited to boost the party, with missions that require their presence. I like the cast of companions and the way that both they and the praetorians evolve in terms of abilities. In tactical, turn-driven battles, a variety of factors are important, from positioning to ability use to equipment to special abilities.
It pays to use a varied group, with shielded characters upfront, tanking damage, while veles move around the flanks and deal stealth attacks. Triarii offer support, although they can also deliver plenty of damage, while archers can be capable killers but also solid crowd control. Facing off against a bigger mob of untrained militia requires a very different approach than dealing with one or two highly armored leaders that have a smaller group of forces in support.
Conversations and battles would have been enough to make Expeditions: Rome enjoyable. But players also get control of a legion. It will be used to capture locations on the strategic map while also engaging in big battles against enemy armies. The system is not as complex as the one for party-based, tactical battles but it’s fun to discover new strategies and make sure your legionaries are ready for all situations.
The mix between party and legion action is what makes Expeditions: Rome fun in the long term. Some tactical engagements might be a little boring. Sometimes the legion cannot act as you want it to. But between the two and the narrative moments, the game manages to be engaging.
Expeditions: Rome manages to conjure the time period it is set in while highlighting the details the player needs to overcome combat challenges. The vision of Rome the game delivers is not quite a historical one, but it will be instantly familiar to most players, which is what matters most. During the often-complex tactical combat scenarios, all information is easily available, and players have visual cues linked to their actions. The acting is a bit hit (the guy playing Caesar is a delight) or miss but never grating. The soundtrack underlines tense moments well but I replaced it with the soundtrack of the classic Rome HBO series.
The Good
- Tactical combat
- Legion mechanics
- Narrative twists
The Bad
- Needs more combat variety
- Some difficulty spikes
- Repetitive music
Conclusion
I spend 40 hours with the game and plan on going back to try other ideas and other tactical setups. I would have liked to see a little more innovation in the tactical combat and, maybe, more mechanics for the legion side of the game. Expeditions: Rome needs a few hours to get going but once that’s done it has a lot of fun and cool historical moments for its fans.
Review code provided by the publisher.
