Playing Total War: Rome II and Monument Valley

Sep 19, 2014 16:29 GMT  ·  By

Andrei Dumitrescu: Every time I think that I am finally bored of Total War: Rome II and that I am done with the strategy title from The Creative Assembly, the development team at the studio does something new which brings me back to the Ancient World, ready to take charge of a faction and try to control it all.

This week, they have launched the Emperor Edition of the title, which is designed to give long-term fans access to all the free content and the updates that have been launched so far, while also tweaking how politics and major building chains are working.

The studio also offers an entirely new Imperator Augustus campaign, which focuses on the struggle for power that took place after the assassination of Julius Caesar, with three Roman factions and seven outside nations ready to fight for more power.

I started a campaign with Lepidus first, who tends to be overlooked by those who root for either Octavian or Marc Anthony, and after completing that, I decided to try and make Dacia a superpower focused on the Danube.

Apart from Total War: Rome II, I also plan to spend some time with my very solid alliance in Game of Thrones Ascent, trying to secure some cool rewards by launching as many actions as possible at our enemies.

Andrei Dobra is at the moment in London, enjoying a wide variety of video games on which he will deliver reports on the main site, while also meeting developers and eSports players.

Radu Haulica plays Monument Valley 

This weekend I'm off to see whether some nearby mountains are still in their usual spot or not, preparing for winter to come and bring the White Walkers with it. This means that I won't be able to play anything that's plugged in unless I can carry it in my pocket, which pretty much offers me the perfect opportunity to finish Monument Valley and kill some pesky bears in Triple Town.

Monument Valley is more of an interactive experience than a proper game, but that's okay, since I like its visual style immensely, and I'm a sucker for good looks. In addition to this, the game has some smart plays on perspective, and I always admired M. C. Escher's ability to think beyond natural limitations. So, provided I don't get eaten by marauding hordes of wild goats or by The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young itself, I'll be playing with geometry and minimalist artwork, and giggling.