In the latest episode of its often irritatingly jaunty behind the scenes web-show Rally Point, The Creative Assembly announced a brand new campaign pack for Total War: Attila. It’s titled The Last Roman, and it’s based on the campaigns of Byzantine general Belisarius.
Set 150 years after the start of Attila’s grand campaign, The Last Roman takes place in a world where the once-mighty Western Roman Empire has finally fallen. Emperor Justinian of the surviving Eastern Romans sends out his greatest general, Belisarius, to reclaim those lost lands.
First stop is North Africa, where former Roman holdings are currently occupied by the Vandal Kingdom. Historically, Belisarius pushes forward to capture the Vandal capital of Carthage, once home to Rome’s bitter enemies, the great Carthaginian Empire. Which would have made his Roman ancestors smirk in satisfaction, I’m sure. In fact, he eventually took not only North Africa, but Italy too. You might not be quite that good.
A new, more focused campaign map covers only Italy, Spain, France and North Africa, but it’s apparently almost as big as Attila’s entire world map. Belisarius’ forces are classed as a military expedition rather than a settled faction, and play like a horde from the core game. They can reclaim Roman territories from their enemies, expanding the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire. Or you can decide to instead settle in a great city, and declare your own independence. A bit of ahistorical flavour for the alternate history fans, there. In fact, you can actually attempt to reform certain faded powers like the Western Roman Empire through diplomacy.
Belisarius will periodically get various missions and objectives from the Emperor, the Empress and his own wife, and you’ll also have to deal with several historical natural disasters, like a volcanic eruption in distant Indonesia that spews ashes across the skies and ruins crops. It sounds like the big man himself is the one to play, but if you fancy a change you can also take control of the Ostrogoths, Vandals, Franks and the Visigoths.
Sounds like a neat addition. The Last Roman is now up for pre-order on Steam for £8.99, where it’s set for a June 25 release. Players can expect more free DLC at around the same time, according to content team lead Jack Lusted, along with a big, free patch containing performance improvements and bug fixes.
