It's difficult to ever really buck at the thought of any type of game-style or genre tapping into the Roman way of life. After all, all roads allegedly lead there anyway. But when it comes to strategy games and games tied to the idea of era-specific set-pieces and history, well, that's when the going 'full Roman' is the absolute right thing to do.

And in this case, it's all in the name, innit? Here's a reading from unfurled parchment to the senate regarding our Expeditions: Rome review:

Expeditions: Rome hops between genres as easily as it hops between continents. Its action takes in both sides of the Mediterranean, from Greece to Egypt to Gaul, while its mechanics switch from grand strategy to tactical combat to character-driven role-playing. As a whole it does exceptionally well to tell a story that encompasses both the large-scale politics of war and the deeply personal matters of family.

Wisely, it doesn't overreach. The strategic map –- where you're marching your legion around, sieging towns and securing resource nodes like mines and mills -– is light and doesn't demand you get bogged down in the details. And the areas that more resemble a BioWare RPG – where you're talking your way through dialogue-driven quests or catching up with party members back at camp, to gauge their thoughts on the current campaign or maybe even their romantic interest in you – act more as a sideshow than the main event, a quick change of pace to break things up.

The main focus is the tactical combat, the thing you'll spend 75-80% of your time doing, and what almost all of the various crafting, gear and skill systems build towards. And the good news is that it's very good indeed.

Click here for our Expeditions: Rome review.