Where previous expansions have told the story of massive conflicts between different peoples, this one just tells the story of one single campaign during a much larger war. The Alexander focus seems too narrow, in my opinion, as it really only tells the final chapter of the conflict between the Greeks and Persians. This approach means there's not a lot of room for strategic maneuvering but it also helps you build up a massive army of seasoned veterans who are capable of beating larger armies. Since the invasion progresses along a single line of attack, you won't need to worry too much about building up the areas you've already conquered. The extra cash you get for this definitely helps to boost Alexander's horrible economy. The danger of rebels is severe enough to make it worth considering putting cities to the sword when you take them. Just as the real Alexander had to secure freshly conquered areas before moving on, so too will you have to determine what type of empire to leave in your wake. It's not infrequent to have to take out one or two armies before assaulting the city itself. As Alexander's forces move east they'll encounter smaller garrisons supplemented by numerous enemy armies moving in between the cities. The campaign game is still dominated by city sieges but there seems to be much more fighting in the fields this time around. (Since Alexander's conquests lasted only 13 years, the game dispenses with the year-by-year system and just progresses turn-by-turn.) You will however have to worry about achieving your goals within the 100-turn time limit. Though you'll have to hold a few specific territories, capturing thirty territories is basically the same as capturing the whole map so you really won't have to worry too much about getting the right territories. To win the campaign game, you'll have to capture thirty territories.
Once he manages to secure things in Greece, he'll be free to move against the Persians in the east. The game starts after Philip's death and just as Alexander is poised to move against the Thebans. Continuing the trend started in Barbarian Invasion, Alexander will have to contend with plenty of unsettled rebel armies as well. Far to the east you'll discover the Indians and a variety of barbarians but they're really marginal powers that don't factor too heavily into the overall scheme of things. The two heavy hitters are Alexander's Macedonians and Darius's Persians. Given the limited nature of the campaign, there are only four new civilizations here. Where previous expansions have allowed players to take charge of one of a number of empires during a crucial moment of conflict, this expansion is strictly limited to Alexander's campaign against the Persians. While Alexander's fierce advance was every bit as impressive as those of the Mongols, Vikings and Germanic barbarians, it's less the story of an inevitable clash between two warring people as it is the story of the ambitions and achievements of Alexander himself. It doesn't have the word "Invasion" anywhere in the title.
Still, for only fifteen bucks, it's hard to go wrong.Īt first, we weren't even sure this was a Total War expansion. We've just spent the entire weekend playing through the new expansion and, while it's always good to get more Total War action, we were left wishing this latest offering had been a little more filled out. When we heard that the gang at Creative Assembly were working on a second expansion for the game, focusing on the career of Alexander the Great, we were understandably excited.
Neither has the massive Barbarian Invasion expansion pack. Reformats aside, Rome: Total War hasn't left our hard drives since the day it was released.