Total War: ROME II - Greek States Culture Pack is a strategy expansion that introduces three new playable factions to the base game on PC. It expands the Hellenic options with Athens, Epirus, and Sparta, each bringing distinct military rosters, cultural bonuses, and campaign objectives focused on diplomacy, conquest, and internal management.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on managing provinces through turn-based campaign decisions while commanding armies in real-time battles. Players expand territory, develop settlements, and engage in diplomacy or warfare against rival states. The Greek States share cultural traits that reward defense of home or allied lands, boost capital wealth, and speed cultural conversion in controlled regions. Each faction receives tailored bonuses: Athens gains technological and cultural advantages, Epirus improves settlement output from its confederation roots, and Sparta sustains larger slave populations for economic support.
New military traditions provide end-game upgrades. Athenian fleets earn ramming improvements and extra raid income as Children of the Aegaean. Spartan forces gain melee defense and reduced upkeep as Peers of Leonidas. Epirus armies receive charge bonuses and better public order control as Hounds of Molossus. Elite units include Thorax Hoplites and Thureos Hoplites exclusive to Athens, Agrianian Axemen and Aspis Companion Cavalry shared with Macedon for Epirus, and Heroes of Sparta for the Spartan roster. Siege options add the Polybolos Repeating Scorpion and Tortoise Armoured Battering Ram for Greek, Roman, and Carthaginian forces.
Game Modes
Campaign play supports both singleplayer and multiplayer formats, allowing solo progression or cooperative and competitive empire building. Battles occur in custom scenarios or multiplayer matches, where the new units and formations integrate directly into existing army compositions. Faction-specific events and dilemmas appear during campaigns, alongside unique victory conditions that blend military, economic, and cultural goals drawn from historical Greek themes.
Faction Details and New Content
Athens emphasizes naval strength alongside citizen infantry and cavalry, supported by the Acropolis building that adds garrison troops, raises taxes, strengthens siege defense, and enhances agent actions. Epirus fields a balanced force including cavalry, peltasts, phalangites, and war elephants, with the Oracle of Dodona increasing happiness, wealth, and Hellenic cultural spread. Sparta focuses on disciplined hoplite warfare enabled by its slave economy, highlighted by the Monument of Leonidas that cuts recruitment costs and raises morale for land units province-wide and globally. Mercenary Veteran Hoplites serve as a shared option across factions.
Is It Worth Playing?
This content suits players who enjoy detailed faction management and historical Greek warfare within the Total War framework. Steam user reviews rate the pack as Mixed based on 349 reviews. It adds meaningful variety for those seeking new campaign starts without altering the base game's systems. Availability remains through standard digital stores for owners of the core title.
