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Do you think Ancient Rome is underrepresented in games as a main setting?

Is it?

  • Yes, definitely.

    Votes: 139 29.3%

  • Don't know, but I'd like more games in Ancient Rome

    Votes: 109 22.9%

  • Don't know and don't particularly want that kind of game.

    Votes: 30 6.3%

  • No, there are a lot of them out there.

    Votes: 197 41.5%
  • Total voters
    475
SofNascimento

SofNascimento

cursed
Member
Oct 28, 2017
21,526
São Paulo - Brazil
Ancient Rome makes for an amazing setting for games, especially for action adventures, RPGs and strategy games. Yet only the last one seems to have a significant amount of games. Total War: Rome II is such an example, and is the most sold Total War game to date with over 4 mi copies sold, which shows the setting can be very appealing. I could also mention the recent released Imperator: Rome or other small titles. But when we search for other genres there isn't that many, especially AAA games.

Assassin's Creed would be a perfect franchise in which Imperial Rome could be recreated in all its glory, but Ubisoft doesn't seem to agree and we'll likely never have that game. (Brotherhood features a totally different city, it would be like comparing Watchdog 3's London with Syndicate's). Ryse is the only one I can think of this gen, and although I quite liked it, it fell very short of quality games like God of War. RPGs often use Rome as a template for some faction or the other, but the main setting is always medieval. The Age of Decadence is one example of the opposite, but I must admit I have not played it yet.

If we start to think smaller and older games we will find more examples. I enjoyed Domina a lot. And Shadow of Rome is widely regarded to be a great game. I wonder if Rome just lack the magical and mythological appeal of other ancient setting (mainly Vikings and Greece). But the potential is definitely there.

What do you guys think?
 
Theswweet

Theswweet

RPG Site
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
6,464
California
Not exactly ancient Rome, but Gladius had a bit of that aesthetic and I loved it for it. Shame we never got that sequel...
 
Parthenios

Parthenios

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
13,634
There are bunches of underutilized settings. I was hoping during E3 that we'd see an Assassin's Creed or something set in Sumeria or Mesopotamia or Aztecs.
 
Agent 47

Agent 47

Banned
Jun 24, 2018
1,840
Well it gets a lot more representation than the majority of ancient cities and cultures so that'd be a no.
 
Okabe

Okabe

Is Sometimes A Good Bean
Member
Aug 24, 2018
20,068
Come on Capcom where is the next one ???

51H2J80TC7L.jpg
 
Patitoloco

Patitoloco

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
23,714
I mean, it might be unrepresented in AAA games, but I can think of 1000 strategy games on PC set in Ancient Rome.
 
Hu3

Hu3

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,599
No. Roma is overdone, we need to explore other settings in games. We need to leave Roma alone for a bit. We need to go ancient Asia, Vikings, ancient India, Mesopotamia. So many settings to explore and exploit. Roma is getting tired as a theme.
 
Remo Williams

Remo Williams

Self-requested ban
Banned
Jan 13, 2018
4,769
Yes, and I was thinking of Ryse just half an hour ago. I would be overjoyed if MS somehow brought it back for the Scarlett launch. Keep the Roman setting, of course.
 
shinobi602

shinobi602

Verified
Oct 24, 2017
8,496
Maybe, it's definitely a rich setting I'd love to see more of, but there are others that are far more underrepresented. How about some games in ancient Arabia/Middle East that aren't about war for a change?

Arabia went through a beautiful intellectual golden age that never gets talked about.
 
Vulcano's Assistant

Vulcano's Assistant

Member
Oct 29, 2017
13,605
Is up there along ancient China as being the most important thing in the world for centuries, yet we mostly only get these few famous periods of it.
 

closer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,179
I do think it's unexplored as a setting tho, like i cant really think of an execution of the setting that doesnt involve someone getting speared or the military in some capacity.
 
OP
OP
SofNascimento

SofNascimento

cursed
Member
Oct 28, 2017
21,526
São Paulo - Brazil
NoblesseOblige said:
Okay, but there's countless other cultures/civilization that don't even get that. So no, Rome isn't underrepresented. It gets more airtime than the vast majority.
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That's true enough. If the comparison is with all other societies in history, Rome is definitely not underrepresented. But my references were the importance and legacy of the Romans to western civilizations. Look how many great films with Rome as a setting there are. There are no game equivalents
 
SxP

SxP

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,887
I'd definitely like some non-RTS games set in Ancient Rome. Assassin's Creed would have been perfect, but I think that will happen sometime in the future. They probably think Ancient Greece is too similar to release it so close together. Unless Ubisoft axes the franchise in a couple of years, but I don't see that happening.
 
Qwark

Qwark

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,068
Yeah, it seems like it's mostly RTS games that feature it. I'd love a cool RPG set in Ancient Rome. Lots of other ancient cultures should be explored too.
 
mjc

mjc

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
5,901
If we're talking strategy PC games, not really. But if we're talking general action/RPG/adventure games? Yeah I'd say so.
 
Velka

Velka

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
172
Not just Rome, but other settings of the ancient world that are not an Assassin's Creed or an RTS yeah.
 

callamp

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,489
I think historical periods are under-represented in general. That's why I have always loved the Assassin Creed games. Unfortunately I've never been in to strategy games.

The Roman Republic / Empire is my favourite historical period so I'd naturally love to see more games in that setting. But I'd also love to see more games in a tonne of different periods.
 
grand

grand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,200
Most gamers probably couldn't tell the difference between Ancient Rome and... less ancient Rome.

Give Assassin's Creed enough time and they'll get back there though
 

Deleted member 31817

Nov 7, 2017
30,876
Overall? Sure. In comparison to other culture around the same time period? Not at all.
 

SkyOdin

Member
Apr 21, 2018
2,680
I would say that there are a ton of historical settings that are way more under-represented than Ancient Rome. I can at least think of multiple games set in Rome of the top of my head. I can't say the same about India or the Middle East.
 
karnage10

karnage10

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,546
Portugal
Your example rome 2 is a bit ...troubling to say the least.

Personaly speaking rome has a lot of interesting themes that could be explored in games. From the rivalry between rome and carthage, to the division of the roman empire,etc. It also encompasses enough cultures that can make for a really diverse game.
 
DaciaJC

DaciaJC

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
6,685
In recent years, yeah. Over the totality of video game history, no, I think ancient Rome has had a fair amount of representation. Doesn't mean I wouldn't want to see more games use it as a setting, though, it's one of my favorites.
 
Nooblet

Nooblet

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,676
Shadow of Rome was a great game from what I remember.

I'd like some games set in ancient Rome but have it protested accurately. You look at the Roman cities in Rude, AC origins and they look impeccably clean and grand. Just like the Greek cities. I guess you can go for Grand but I'd like a game to have Rome or a Roman city look like the Rome in the TV series from 2000s. Dirty even by Renaissance standards, conjugated, unruly, and decidedly primitive looking.
 
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Trisc

Trisc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,493
There's tons of games set in Ancient Rome. You know what well-documented historical settings are under-utilized? Mesopotamia. The Hittite Empire.
 
OP
OP
SofNascimento

SofNascimento

cursed
Member
Oct 28, 2017
21,526
São Paulo - Brazil
Triscuitable said:
There's tons of games set in Ancient Rome. You know what well-documented historical settings are under-utilized? Mesopotamia. The Hittite Empire.
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I've talked about this discussion settings for Assassin's Creed: basically any place and time in human history can make for an awesome game. Indeed, I agree with callamp when he says historical games as a whole are missing in gaming. They could be such a cool window to the past, but besides strategy games, there are very few that actually focus on history rather than mythology.
 
Trisc

Trisc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,493
SofNascimento said:
I've talked about this discussion settings for Assassin's Creed: basically any place and time in human history can make for an awesome game. Indeed, I agree with callamp when he says historical games as a whole are missing in gaming. They could be such a cool window to the past, but besides strategy games, there are very few that actually focus on history rather than mythology.
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The idea of an Assassin's Creed game set so far in the past to make an Ancient Near-East setting possible gets me unreasonably excited. I'm such a Hammuraboo. But yes, beyond strategy games, historical settings, particularly ancient historical settings, are severely under-utilized. It's free real estate, baby.
 
Jasper

Jasper

Member
Mar 21, 2018
740
Netherlands
I would have loved AC to go to Ancient Rome, but I would love it even more if the series went to China, India and maybe even visit the Incas.
 
Lucreto

Lucreto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,675
It was rumoured the next Assassin's Creed was in ancient Rome. Since the Egypt and Greek rumours were correct. But it looks like it was fake. We get Vikings instead.
 
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