As has been said many times, Total War: Rome II is much improved from its infamously rocky launch. Perhaps this explains why developers Creative Assembly chose to add more campaign DLC to Rome II rather than Attila or Shogun II - it is a cunning way to draw people back to their flagship series’s most maligned recent entry. I had not played Rome II since launch and never really felt like I got my money’s worth out of it, so I was excited to return, not only to try the Empire Divided DLC, but to see just how far the game has come in other respects.

Total War has given us some of the best strategy games on PC.

A false start

If you aren’t sure whether to splurge on DLC for a four-year old game, the good news is that some of its systemic changes are available through the free ‘Power and Politics’ patch. Political parties now control provinces within your empire, and their loyalty to your rule can change - disappoint them enough and they’ll secede, taking these provinces with them. This adds a weighty sense of consequence to Rome II’s political system.