'Total War: Rome 2' Release Date Announced

Sega, publisher of the “Total War” and “Company of Heroes” series of RTS games, has announced a Sept. 3, 2013, release date for “Total War: Rome 2.” This is the sequel to “Rome: Total War,” a strategy game set in ancient Rome that was released in 2004.

Pre-orders for "Total War: Rome 2" are currently being accepted, with the price set at $59.95. Players who pre-order "Total War: Rome 2" will also receive for free the Greek States Culture Pack, which includes a new playable culture as well as three new playable factions: Athens, Epirus and Sparta. “Total War: Rome 2's" official site describes these factions as “diplomatic,” “shrewd” and “formidable,” respectively.

A “Collector’s Edition” of "Total War: Rome 2" is also being offered. “Total War: Rome 2 Collector’s Edition” includes a numbered copy of the game, a Tabula set (which is described as a “forerunner to backgammon”), a campaign map that depicts all 57 provinces in the “Total War: Rome 2” campaign and more. “Total War: Rome 2 Collector’s Edition” costs $154.99, plus $25 for shipping and handling. Dayum.

The original game, “Rome: Total War,” was critically acclaimed. It earned scores of 9.4, 4.5 stars and 4.5 stars from IGN, Games Radar and GameSpy, respectively.

Does this announcement get your juices flowing? Do you plan on obsessively watching “Gladiator” until “Total War: Rome 2’s” release? What part of the game are you looking forward to most? Sound off in the comments below.