Which is better, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome"?

On Steam reviews Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher (89.6% positive) than Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (72.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.

Should I play Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" first?

If you want chronology, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) came out before Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome"

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) is 12 years older than Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (2021). Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.6% positive) than Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (72.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.6% positive across 12,170 reviews.

Choose Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome"

Choose Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" if it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" launched in 2021.

Both Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" — Steam metadata comparison
	Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition	Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome"
Released	2009	2021
Genres	Strategy	Strategy
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Playable	Deck Playable
Price	24.99 USD	9.99 USD
Steam reviews	89.6% positive (12,170 reviews)	72.7% positive (110 reviews)
Multiplayer	Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op	Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op
Developers	CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)	Dinamic Software, Imperivm World

Side by side

Both are Strategy games on Steam.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) is 12 years older than Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (2021).
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.6% positive) than Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" (72.7% positive).
Imperivm RTC - HD Edition "Great Battles of Rome" is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
Both support cooperative play.
Both are Deck Playable.