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A very recommendable "grand-strategy in the Classical Era" game.
UPDATED (2.0):
After its new pacth (2.0) I have to increase my score, and encourage my recommendation, for Imperator: Rome.
Besides a complete UI change, which is an improvement both aesthetically as in usability, and information availabilty, I think it's sure to say IR has found its voice among the Paradox portfolio.
Several game features, like the economy and the military, are now satisfactory integrated in the developtment of your population and your cities. Forget more or less arbitrary "mana": you've got to build a thriving civilization to get the resources you'll need to project your power in the world.
You can't ignore the demands of a cultural and religious diverse country or you'll find a sub-par economy, and eventually rebellions and secession wars. The great men (and women) in your country may help to improve your government... and their ambition could get you into a civil war.
Replayability, one of Paradox's games strenghts, is achieved finally after this udpate thanks to the revamped "inventions" feature, that will allow you to follow alternative ways to make your country thrive.
I just hope future updates would allow us to see the development of Imperator Rome potential. Anyways, it's now a very good grand-strategy game wich I highly recommend.
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UPDATED:
After two patches the game is way better now than in its original release. The main improvements have taken place in population management (it's more related to game evolution, feeling more organic) and "mana", which has been replaced into interactions among game features.
Naval warfare has now some interest, and your military specialization depends more on what you're doing with your armies (combat historial, drilling...) rather than spending mana now and then.
It's the "less good" grand strategy game among Paradox's, and it still lacks personality (it features look mere trasnposition from EU4, Stellaris and CK2 yet), but... it's a good game itself, and the studio seems committed to improve it dramatically. You may give it a chance.
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Paradox has a name in strategy that Imperator: Rome is not up to.
I:R looks more an Europa Universalis 4 mod rather than a brand new game. The gameplay is just dull: all relevant features are better in other Paradox games. You have to deal with characters but they're far from the complexity of Crusader Kings 2. Your have some empire building to do but diplomacy or internal politics are well below from EU4.
Every Paradox game has its own core: character and dinastic relationships in CK2, regional and world projection in EU4, industrial warfare in Hearts of Iron 4, exploration and empire-building in Stellaris... Imperator: Rome is just not there. We'll see if the game is changed in further developments, as Paradox is used to do.
