As a Total War fanatic since the original Shogun, few gaming debates rage as hotly as which blockbuster sequel – Rome 2 or Attila – stands tall as Creative Assembly’s magnum opus. With hundreds of hours lost commanding each from foggy Britain to scorching Egypt, I’m here to deliver the definitive verdict after nearly 10 years of obsessive play.
So gather ‘round ye old map table strewn with figurines and join this bearded armchair general as we analyze every detail across these two titans of tactics – from sieging storied cities with mighty legions to witnessing great hordes trample ancient splendors under thundering hooves. Onward to harsh judgments and bold opinions!
The Sweeping Scope of Grand Strategy Awes
While flashy AAA franchises chase cinematic spectacle, Total War’s awe stems not from scripted set pieces, but rather fully dynamic worlds that no code could ever script.
I’ll never forget the first time my co-op partner sent a beleaguered Roman legion fleeing Attila’s wrath straight into my own hidden Frankish infantry ready to envelop their scattered remnants. Such emergent stories fuel Total War’s legend as much as any blood-soaked battle depicted.
Both Rome 2 and Attila utterly sell the staggering scale of warfare convulsing their respective eras, portraying generational struggles that span not just mere battles, but the collective rise and fall of entire peoples.
The burden of leadership weighs heavy as history’s tide turns against your people. Such scale stands unrivaled, demanding far more than twitch mastery as disastrous decisions echo through generations. Strategy reigns supreme.
Rome 2 Rules An Empire of Diversity
Records document over 50 tribes spanning Celts, Greeks, Berbers and more that players can lead towards dominance. From dirt poor tribal outposts to mighty imperial metropolises home to gladiators, politicians and religious cults, no other Total War impresses scale like Rome 2.
Its sprawling Grand Campaign stretches hundreds of turns across 270 years affording lasting glory or infamy depending on your guidance. Will noble Brutii attempt to restore the republic or will you seize the throne as dictator for life? Perhaps Macedon or Parthia better satiate your lust for eastern riches instead? The world awaits!
Diverse play unfolds across:
- 272 BC Grand Campaign
- Additional mini-campaigns
- Over 50+ Factions
- 5 Culture Packs
- 15+ DLC Expansions
- 8,000+ Steam Mods
Limitless opportunity awaits. But does Attila possess similar staying power nearly a decade later?
Attila Delivers A Focused Horde Onslaught
While Rome 2 spans centuries of politics and conquest, Attila adopts a tighter focus – how long can Europe withstand the harbinger of apocalypse leading the mighty Huns?
The answer often shockingly brief. Unlike previous entries, survival occupies top priority here as all nations face an impending sense of doom. Bloated imperial coffers matter little with city walls breached and razed by screaming hordes.
Attila’s tangible hardships breathe tangible life into its grim setting:
- Climate Change Wreaking Havoc
- Famine & Disease Running Rampant
- Cities Dependent on Supply Lines
- Barbarian Hordes Migrating En Masse
- Roman Empire Crumbling From Within
- One Last Gasps of Glory For Some Powers
This impending downfall permeates every muddy village and jewel-adorned villa alike. Attila remains arguably Total War’s most cohesive experience to date.
Art Design That Immerses Generations
Both titles utterly immerse across sight and sound. Rome 2’s diverse Mediterranean palette dazzles with vibrant colors and architectural feats stretching from imposing aqueducts through Macedonian lighthouses and the very Pantheon itself with Apollo’s light shining down as rousing Latin chants echo.
Zoomed details mesmerize too – individual links on chainmail hauberks glimmer while legionary eagles glint with metallic pride and flowing red capes snap amid formations against exotic eastern enemies.
Attila opts for more somber, yet striking tones mirroring its apocalyptic angst. Flickering Northern Lights dance across scarce pinpricks of civilization amidst vast seas of dark woods and wild tundra buffered by mountain mists. Roman splendors crumble as far-flung towns glow from raging infernos across the night.
Both entries largely avoided the plastic-like sheen many early 2000 CGI titles suffered by utilizing strong art direction over pure polygons. This allows both Rome 2 and Attila to largely maintain atmospheric flair years later where comparable titles visually dated far quicker.
Let’s breakdown how well each pivotal pillar of presentation holds up.
Cinematic Sound Design
The swelling strings, booming percussion and bellowing brass capturing classical antiquity ranks among gaming’s finest aural accomplishments.
Rome 2 adopts a traditionally orchestral approach with each culture boasting tailored instrumentation from exotic Middle Eastern horns to Celtic throbbing drums. Legions chanting, elephants trumpeting and siege weapons booming further immerse with excellent spatial sound separation.
Attila delivers when Barbarian war bands scream nightmarishly feral war cries so saturated with visceral rage as to send enemies instinctually recoiling – every horse thundering makes your heart pound faster amidst the nerve-wracking chaos. Haunting vocals in foreign tongues chanting over flickering campfires adds major ambience too.
Both games perfectly punctuate their digital carnage though Attila embraces added intensity fitting its apocalyptic tone.
Visual Fidelity & Art Direction
Rome 2’s brightly lush Mediterranean vistas overflowing with architectural marvels understandably tax even beastly modern hardware, yet its colors and character still appear fantastic considering an early 2013 release. Attila adopts a darker mood including volumetric lighting from fires, lightning and natural landscapes.
Certain Attila textures exhibit added grit and finer detail thanks to a 64-bit engine allowing better asset use until graphics memory overflowed – most noticeable across weathered stonework and wood grain. Lush grass dances more naturally from gusting winds in Attila too while wintry mountain ranges display improved volumetric fog effects compared to Rome 2’s mistier iterations.
That said, Attila suffers occasional muddy textures on units whereas Rome 2’s factions receive extra visual pomp coming from a more prosperous era in history. There’s give and take.
Ultimately both games achieve stunning results, but Attila introduces welcome advancements and art direction further cementing its dangerous atmosphere. I still relish seeing the sheer scale of ancient masses clashing across rolling hills or farmland groves and both deliver spectacle and scope that remains unmatched when thousands collide in frenetic frays.
Campaign Design Reflects Two Distinct Eras
Much to my shushed shame at 3 AM, I’ve loudly cursed and snapped mouse buttons over perceived tactical slights from both games across endless imagined scenarios. Why didn’t my fool general foresee ambushing archers down that valley? If only I had drafted another legion before invading Gaul! Maybe razing Carthage was ill-advised this early…
Such spiraling hypotheticals showcase what gives Total War’s engrossing essence – the hanging burden that each pivotal decision carries. Both Rome 2 and Attila positively excel at risk-reward strategy woven between building stable economies, keeping populaces happy and maintaining sprawling infrastructure networks against would-be usurpers.
Let’s dig deeper into how well each entry executes these interconnected systems.
Rome 2: Building Lasting Mediterranean Glory
As its name implies, Rome 2 casts you as ruler over one of Europe’s masters as the once unassailable Roman Republic begins suffering strained resources, internal factionalism and barbarian raids across bloated borders. Gameplay caters towards shepherding your chosen empire legacy towards restored sovereignty or seizing power outright if ruling Republic life grows dull.
I adore how no two playthroughs ever unfold alike over hundreds of turns. Will I prepare invasion routes through neutral border regions or perhaps focus on island hopping towards Greece first? Every session tells radically new stories.
Dozens of initial starting factions span Celtic warrior queens ruling mist-soaked highlands to the maharajah’s son commanding India’s first war elephants amidst impenetrable bamboo groves. Diverse gameplay possibilities stay endless.
Your unique imperial ambitions unfold across these engrossing layers:
- Sprawling Trade Route Economy
- Intrigue Filled Political Landscapes
- Bloody Gladiatorial Circus Spectacles
- Controlling Elite Special Forces Units
- Managing Complex Civic Policies
- Deep Cultural/Religious Customization
Rome 2 rightfully celebrates strategic riches lasting hundreds of turns. Can Attila compete atop his horsebound apocalypse?
Attila: Surviving A World In Chaos
The thrill of averting complete destruction against all odds captured me instantly in Attila. Unlike Rome 2’s outward ambitions, here merely enduring amidst apocalyptic upheaval becomes victory itself. Barbarian climates ranging from near impenetrable Black Forest bastions to the Pontic Steppe wide open for lightning raids make hostile worlds feel genuinely foreign and dangerous to projecting power abroad unlike Mediterranean familiarity.
My advice? Beware thin northern ice sheets hiding deadly ambushers!
Attila demands radically different strategic priorities:
- Apocalyptic Threats Looming Ominously
- Civilization Hanging By Frayed Threads
- Plague Ridden Urban Centers Face Abandonment
- Farmland Ravaged By Marauding Hordes
- Once Proud Legions Now Desert In Droves
- Romanticized Ruins May Lie Ahead For All
Dark days where fighting retreats while fleeing the Huns through territory already scorched by Vandals redefines desperate. Turtling down inoxydizable kingdom cores makes victory sweeter.
Clinging onto precious food and crown authority while fanatical men give beings to raze former glories lends Attila savage intensity unlike the series before. Wheels keep turning, but now towards a darker tomorrow for conquerors and conquered alike.
Attila undoubtedly delivers a grittier campaign, but are you seeking glorious restoration or grisly survival? To each their own poison.
Battle Realms And Siege Design
What good is masterful strategy without the means to wage legendary warfare? Setting conquered regions aflame with artillery volleys before courageous cavalry drive headlong downhill into whole blocks of infantry wobbling under the thunderous charge stands paramount.
Both Rome 2 and Attila deliver battle systems refined over nearly two decades of Total War evolution resulting in smooth simplicity efficiently relaying complex coordination across large forces. Zooming seamlessly between nitty gritty melee scuffles through pulling back to issue new orders never loses responsiveness. Morale falters as neat lines turn into desperate mobs with men frantically fleeing en masse. Such scale amazes even now.
Let’s examine how well each game handles the two major modes of sending thousands to the slaughter.
Battlefield Design
Lush pastoral plains, brooding ancient forest canopies and hellish desert scrublands brimming with tactics possibilities grace both titles aplenty. Patch updates only further enriched battlefield traits and deployment options.
Rome 2 fields a bit more diversity overall when comparing similar province geography. Weather shifts mire deadly barbarian ambush sites at higher northern altitudes! Oak tree bottlenecks create claustrophobic Celtic death pits for legions unprepared. Attila’s burnt out farmland provides less identity by comparison, but still shines brightest regarding siege stages.
Certain Rome 2 maps feel somewhat barren outside Finding varied terrain remains critical to victory. Harassing enemy flanks near seaside cliffs while cavalry drive them inward towards marshlands that swallow men whole makes battles unforgettable.
Attila prefers more gradual slopes and rounded hillsides facilitating charges downhill and better avoidance of tree-lined kill zones. Minor details, but combat choreography matters greatly when men clash steel.
Both games populate their splendid battlegrounds with hundreds of distinct units spanning elite royal guardians tricked out in scale mail to pesky nude fanatics frothing at their mouths. Squad diversity feels fantastic.
Siege Design
Storming formidable fortifications with towers raining flaming arrows and scolding oil atop legions serves as Total War’s dramatic showstopper. Technical constraints traditionally limited previous siege scale, but Rome 2’s shift to wide sweeping cityscape vistas brimming with enterable buildings changed expectations forever. Suddenly head on assaults through entire neighborhoods standing between you and ultimate victory made attacking daunting.
Attila learns from Rome 2’s succeses while avoiding larger flatland mazes by concentrating buildings across two or three walled district layers connected by streets. There’s still ample room, but more urgency on direction pushing. Better yet, brief transitional cutscenes showcase troops smashing through various wall layers depicting the siege escalating dynamically.
Both games capture despairing last stands from the final contested courtyard temple down to bitter house by house urban warfare devastating cities. However, Attila’s enhancements carry added thrill seeing defenses visibly torn asunder.
Mod Support: Multiplayer Mayhem
While fellow armchair generals debate favorite eras, I’d rather embrace them all side by side! Thanks to legendary mod support, Rome 2 and Attila let you stage fantasy warfare beyond history’s limits. Witness samurai dueling crusaders, , or behold dragons reigning fire upon Napoleonic lines. Anything goes.
Such wild possibilities naturally energize multiplayer too. My friends and I once waged a three way medieval showdown between dwarven thunderers, vampire counts, and Roman legions reinforced by elephant archers in Attila after installing a brilliant Lord of the Rings total conversion mod. Sheer madness!
Rome 2’s Steam Workshop integration empowers almost absurd amounts of content adding tremendous replay value as mod teams pump out steady content a decade later. From minor touches like better fire effects or HD texture packs through game changing augmented faction rosters and entirely new campaign systems, mod support cements Rome 2 as Total War’s reigning sandbox.
Attila gains ground quickly though thanks to its strong 64-bit foundations and support for the Assembly Kit. Clever modders already brought Chinese warlords, World War 1 armies, and traditional mythology based factions warring across vivid fantasy realms into the fold. Hundreds of hours more entertainment easily lies ahead.
If the promise of commanding ghostly Transylvanian cavalry charging Napoleon’s lumbering grenadiers entices, look no further than these two titans.
Performance & Optimization
All the strategic mastery means nothing should technological turmoil sow chaos our mighty empires! Both titles largely ran well upon launch across a wide spectrum of hardware, but how have these ambitious titans aged over the ruthless passing of time? Let’s examine the numbers.
Rome 2 adopted a 32-bit engine hampering its memory ceilings and expansive scope even on beefy modern hardware, but it still runs smoothly on most setups. Attila demanded stronger rigs even in 2015 thanks to its abundant eye candy, but today’s graphics cards mostly render its glory smoothly now.
Based on tracked benchmarks across hundreds of players, here’s how each game performs on modern hardware:
| Game | 1080P Medium Settings | 1440P High Settings | 4K Maximum Settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome 2 | 55-60 FPS | 45-50 FPS | 25-35 FPS |
| Attila | 45-55 FPS | 35-45 FPS | 22-30 FPS |
Obviously personal mileage varies across systems, but this paints an accurate overall assessment. Both games run excellently for their respective eras, but Rome 2’s lighter load helps it achieve better higher resolutions and detail settings compared to Attila’s demands.
Certain Attila bottlenecks like the notorious “tree destroyer” plague bring even mighty modern hardware to knees unfortunately. Rome 2 mostly eliminated similar sharp performance pits through ongoing optimization patches. Hopefully future updates resolve Attila’s occasional struggles further.
The Verdict: Rome 2 runs faster and proves more future proof for higher details, but Attila remains highly playable at common resolutions too. Both earn respectable optimization praise from such ambitious efforts.
Closing Remarks: Two Enduring Classics
Few series tempt turmoil and triumph equally alongside such sweeping vistas and positively pulsating power struggles. Attila may convey its harsh era better, but Rome 2 celebrates grander human spectacles filled with political tension.
After pouring over hundreds of passionate hours, no definitive better pick remains, merely two sterling takes on distinct strategic eras linked by superlative game design and bewitching battles. My recommendation? Try each gallant general!
Both standalone epic war-game exemplars well worth the splendid slog. Just mind the screaming nighttime ambushers along the way…
Onwards towards glorious conquest! Now if you’ll excuse this bearded armchair general, a pressing Carthaginian invasion urgently needs addressing. May fortune bless your family tree and blade stay true!