Following on from the original base game, which charged players with assuming control of one of three Roman Empire factions, the largely historically accurate Barbarian Invasion takes place later in time – with the Western Roman Empire in disarray. In the real-time tactics and turn-based strategy hybrid, players can either assume the role of a Barbarian commander intent on bringing down the last vestibules of the empire, or a Roman General hell-bent on ensuring the civilization continues to not only survive but thrive.
The grandiose and drama of the Roman Empire has long been used as a source of inspiration for video game developers. While Rome: Total War is considered the definitive Roman-based title, several other notable entries have been released over the years, including the 1992 Amiga title Caesar, and the criminally underrated PS2 action-adventure title, Rygar: The Legendary Adventure, which was released by Tecmo in 2002.
Similarly, the period has also inspired a number of iGaming titles, such as Caligula at VegasCasino. As the operator explains on their blog, the bitcoin-based slot title ignores the likes of Julius Caesar and Nero for a lesser known Roman ruler. Caligula himself features as the wild symbol, with other sprites including a centurion and ancient Roman coins.
Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion was originally developed by Creative Assembly for the PC as the first extension of the base title, and received favorable reviews upon its release. Feral’s mobile port of the main entry similarly received a positive critical reception, with fans and reviewers praising the successful adaptation of the game’s point-and-click gameplay onto the iPad touch screen.
In addition to the empire-building mechanics associated with the series, Barbarian Invasion also includes more depth to its campaign, with the introduction of several religions in Christianity, Paganism and Zoroastrianism – as well as the debut of the popular horde mode. The game takes place between 363 AD and 476 AD, with players having several campaign goals to achieve during that time.
Featuring several historical battles such as the Battle of Badon Hill, Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion may well be once of the most in-depth strategy titles released on smart devices to date, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Feral is ultimately able to port over second Rome: Total War expansion Alexander in the future, as well as the base game’s 2013 sequel.
Due to the graphical and technical sophistication of the title, Barbarian Invasion will require an iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 or iPad Pro or newer to run, along with 4GB of free space. Initial impressions appear to be positive, and the title could well end up becoming one of the better iOS titles of 2017