Expeditions: Rome

Lore & Background

The game is set in the final years of the Roman Republic, featuring real historical figures such as Cicero, Julius Caesar, and Cato, though the game takes historical liberties with these individuals. The player character's existence and actions dramatically alter the path of Roman history. After the death of their father at the hands of unknown political opponents, the player's character flees Rome and becomes a soldier in the armies of Lucullus during the Third Mithridatic War. Lucullus, a family friend, gives the player control of one legion, which they command in campaigns across Asia-Minor, Africa, and Gaul while seeking to identify their father's murderers.

Each campaign region is a different act. The player scouts sectors for resources, story decisions, or military strongpoints. The game features two battle systems: legionary battles, where the player assigns a Centurion and prepares the army using cards that affect success, and story missions with turn-based tactical combat controlling a small squad. Players also manage their legion's camp to improve outcomes in legionary combat. Story battles sometimes have objectives beyond defeating all enemies, such as stealing an Olympic trophy.

Development began in earnest after THQ Nordic acquired the Expeditions IP in November 2018. Logic Artists, who had previously worked on Divinity: Fallen Heroes, aimed to diversify enemy classes to improve user experience. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns did not significantly affect development, as the team was already split between Copenhagen and Istanbul and transitioned easily to remote work. The developers felt the historical period had to feel accurate, but that once the player character entered the scene, 'all bets were off.'

Reader's Guide

Expeditions: Rome received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising its strong gameplay and plot elements while criticizing the legionary battles as weaker than the tactical combat and noting the length of battles. Review aggregator Metacritic rated it 'generally favorable.' Rock Paper Shotgun's Nate Crowley praised the historical detail and accurate Latin pronunciations, noting that after a mediocre first half hour the game 'lets rip.' RPGamer's Alex Fuller called it an 'easy recommendation' and praised the flexible difficulty settings. IGN's Leana Hafer called it 'one of the better tactical RPGs of the last several years' but wished the legionary combat were more engrossing. PC Gamer's Robert Zak wrote that battles took too long but appreciated the historical detail. Crowley criticized the lack of player character customization and slow map traversal.

Shortly after release, the founders of Logic Artists announced a new studio dedicated to NFT gaming and were winding down the studio. Publisher THQ Nordic responded that at least one DLC pack would come and that Logic Artists would continue technical support, stating that Expeditions: Rome 'does not include any kind of NFT and has no links to the blockchain.'

Did You Know?

• Expeditions: Rome is the third game in the Expeditions series, following Expeditions: Conquistador and Expeditions: Viking.
• The game features real historical figures like Cicero, Julius Caesar, and Cato, but takes historical liberties with them.
• One story mission requires the player to quickly steal an Olympic trophy.
• THQ Nordic acquired the Expeditions series intellectual property in November 2018.