Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition if you want the Online Co-op, LAN PvP, and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 31,620 Steam reviews back the pick.
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition vs Shieldwall
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Shieldwall 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: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) is 10 years older than Shieldwall (2023). Shieldwall scores higher on Steam reviews (87% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% 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 Shieldwall
Choose Shieldwall if you want an Action, Indie, and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 70% cheaper on the Steam Store. 3,282 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Shieldwall sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (85.3% vs 87% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition |  Shieldwall | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 59.99 USD | 17.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.3% positive (31,620 reviews) | 87% positive (3,282 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive | Nezon Production |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) is 10 years older than Shieldwall (2023).
- Shieldwall scores higher on Steam reviews (87% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% positive).
- Shieldwall is currently ~70% cheaper on Steam than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (17.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition has co-op; Shieldwall does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition vs Shieldwall — FAQ
- Which is better, Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition or Shieldwall?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition sits at 85.3% positive (31,620 reviews), Shieldwall at 87% (3,282). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition or Shieldwall first?
- If you want chronology, Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) came out before Shieldwall (2023). 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.
- Are Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Shieldwall similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.