Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Ancient Battle vs ROME

Ancient Battle 4.6★ · Free + IAP · ⚠ stale 55
Winner ROME
ROME 4.8★ · $9.99 · ⚠ stale 70

Ancient Battle offers fast-paced, simple gameplay for free, but is plagued by an overwhelming number of forced ads and technical issues, while ROME provides a deep, classic strategy experience for a one-time purchase, though it struggles with mobile controls and stability.

Full reviews: Ancient Battle · ROME

Ancient Battle is a free-to-play real-time strategy game with simple mechanics, but recent updates have introduced excessive ads and bugs. ROME, a paid mobile port of a classic PC strategy game, offers deep gameplay but suffers from difficult mobile controls and frequent crashes.

Head to head

Features & Gameplay edge: ROMER2R11R23R33
Ancient Battle Ancient Battle is praised for its super fun, fast-paced matches and simple, effective upgrades, with some users enjoying the real-time strategy and combat R2R11R23. However, many users report the game feels like 'fake multiplayer' as it works in airplane mode and gets boring due to lack of challenge R33. There are also requests for more max energy and new factions .
ROME ROME is lauded as a masterpiece and one of the greatest strategy games, offering a deep campaign, large-scale battles, and empire management R83. Users appreciate that it's the 'real game' from their PC days . However, some find the campaign too tedious due to micro-management , and there are requests for features like sea battles, mod support, and updated graphics R77.
Ease of Use & Controls edge: Ancient BattleR3R6R27R30
Ancient Battle Ancient Battle is described as 'super fun and easy to play' . However, some users report issues with account saving, name changes, and connecting to Facebook R3R6. There are also complaints about energy limitations, which restrict playtime R27R30.
ROME ROME struggles significantly with mobile controls and UI. Users describe controls as 'hard and not ez' R62, 'complicated to start a war' R64, and 'unplayable and deeply frustrating' . Specific issues include difficulty navigating the main menu , inability to click and give directions , problems with unit placement and movement R81, and general difficulty coordinating large battles on a phone screen R70R75.
Reliability & Performance tieR1R2R6R7
Ancient Battle Ancient Battle has numerous reliability issues, including in-app purchase failures where money is charged but gems aren't received R1. The game is prone to freezing during ads, requiring restarts R7R11. Users also report glitches like the game restarting at higher levels R6, inability to receive or open reward chests , and the app making phones hot R23. Some users experienced language changes to Japanese or Chinese, losing progress R2.
ROME ROME is plagued by frequent crashes, with users reporting the game crashing during campaigns , during startup , or after specific actions like demolishing shrines . Recent updates have introduced new bugs, making the game unplayable for some, with issues like units not moving, broken saves, and unresponsive touch screens R81. The game also heats up devices and drains battery .
Price & Value edge: ROMER4R7R8R9
Ancient Battle Ancient Battle is free-to-play with in-app purchases, but users are overwhelmingly frustrated by the 'crushing volume' of forced ads that appear before, after, and even during battles and upgrades R4R7R8R9. Many express willingness to pay to remove ads, but no such option exists R11R15R18R28. Some also feel the game is 'pay to win' .
ROME ROME is a paid app at $9.99. Many users consider it 'well worth the money' and 'the best thing I ever bought' R71R77. It's seen as a good value for bringing the classic PC game to mobile . However, for those who experience the game being unplayable due to bugs or poor controls, the $9.99 price tag is a 'relatively expensive disappointment' and they request refunds R70.
Support & Updates tieR3R4R7R10
Ancient Battle Users perceive Ancient Battle as 'abandoned' by developers R7. There are complaints about lost purchases and progress after updates or reinstalls, with no clear way to recover them . The game also lacks a help or contact us area . Recent updates have introduced more ads and language changes, which are poorly received R3R4R10.
ROME ROME's developers have released updates, but these have often introduced new bugs and made the game unplayable for some users R81. While a developer responded to one user, it was only for specific issues . Users frequently request fixes for crashes, unit movement issues, and general stability, indicating a need for more effective support and bug resolution .
Pick Ancient Battle if

You want a free, fast-paced, simple real-time strategy game and are willing to tolerate an extreme amount of forced ads and potential bugs R2R11.

Pick ROME if

You are a fan of the classic PC game Rome: Total War, want a deep strategy experience on mobile, and are prepared to pay $9.99 and contend with challenging mobile controls and occasional crashes R71R77R83.

Evidence note: Ancient Battle's reviews are heavily skewed by complaints about excessive ads, which is common for free-to-play games. ROME's reviews, while generally positive about the core game, highlight significant issues with mobile adaptation and stability, especially after recent updates.

Frequently asked

Does Ancient Battle have too many ads?
Yes, Ancient Battle is widely criticized for having an 'insane amount' and 'crushing volume' of forced ads that appear before, after, and even during every battle and upgrade, making the game 'unplayable' for many users R4R7R10R15.
Is ROME worth the $9.99 price?
Many users find ROME 'well worth the money' at $9.99, praising it as a 'masterpiece' that brings the classic PC strategy game to mobile R71R77R83. However, others consider it an 'expensive disappointment' if they encounter game-breaking bugs, crashes, or find the mobile controls unplayable R70.
Are there issues with controls in ROME?
Yes, many users report significant issues with ROME's mobile controls, describing them as 'hard and not ez' R62, 'complicated' R64, and 'unplayable' . Specific complaints include difficulty with unit movement, selection, placement, and coordinating large battles on a small screen R64R75R81.
Does Ancient Battle have an option to remove ads?
No, despite numerous users expressing a desire to pay to remove ads, Ancient Battle does not offer an option to do so, leading to frustration and many uninstallations R11R15R18R28.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Ancient Battle 5/5 · US This game was Super Fun , it changed from English to a Different Language: I was wondering What do I use as my Username and Password now that the game changed from English to another language ? All my Progress is on the one called this one , how do I log into it? > 兵多多
  2. [R11] Ancient Battle 4/5 · US Adds: I love this game. Fast paced matches are great upgrades are simple but effective. The problem is the adds. I don’t mind watching the adds, I know it’s a great income stream. My problem is for some reason a lot of the adds freeze up on my and I have to exit the game loosing all the bonuses I’d get from watching the add. I would give you money to stop the adds if that was an option. Pleas
  3. [R23] Ancient Battle 4/5 · US Great game, too many adds: Love this game. Awesome real time strategy and fun combat with a growing army and abilities. But every time I click to upgrade a unit or either before or after a round of combat, it’s an add… really should consider reducing the frequency as it gets tiring fast. Also after a couple battles my phone gets very hot, and it’s a new phone… Had to uninstall.
  4. [R33] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Fake Multiplayer: Good concept but be aware you are NOT playing against real players, game still works on airplane mode. Not worth spending any money whatsoever. Because of this the game is pretty easy and gets boring
  5. [R3] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Games good: But it will not let me use Facebook to save my account it also won’t let me change my guys name I keep going into the setting but after clicking done and leaving then when you reenter the settings menu it goes back to just what name you had before!?!!?? But I played this game allot on my android but now that I got Apple seems this version on the game is so very clogged with forced adds
  6. [R6] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Love the game but: I love the game but it seems when I get up to the higher levels the game wants to restart me at the beginning does the game need an update? Is there something on my end that I can do so that it doesn’t do that? My game also won’t let me connect to my FB I have deleted it and redownloaded it and it just put me back at the beginning so idk I love the game it’s a great game I just
  7. [R27] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US One of the Funnest Games I’ve ever played or found!!: One of the best games i ever played or found on the app store honestly and i play alot of games on my phone this would have gotten 5 stars but I’ll explain why im going giving 3 stars 1st it takes to long to refill your energy and u only get 20-25 energy and each time u play the game it takes 5 energy i think that’s unfair for me finding this
  8. [R30] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Too many ads: Now before I begin, I understand the purpose for ads. I truly enjoy this game and would give it more stars if it weren’t for a couple things. First, the game doesn’t seem to develop or progress and I see myself getting bored eventually but im still having fun with it. Secondly, energy takes too long to refresh. Or you can get watching ads or spend a huge amount of gems to replenish…
  9. [R1] Ancient Battle 1/5 · US Not good: Every time I tried to make a purchase it didn't give me the gems but charged me money! 😡
  10. [R7] Ancient Battle 1/5 · US Too many ads, and game freezes: Used to be fun once upon a time. But now you’re forced to watch ads, and often times the ads freeze requiring you to close the game and reopen then you have to watch another ad which 50/50 freezes again. It’s like the devs set the game up and then abandoned it to whatever happens
  11. [R4] Ancient Battle 1/5 · US So many ads: Haven’t installed this game in years and reinstalled it to find out there’s 10 minute ads in it now
  12. [R8] Ancient Battle 5/5 · US Do not get this game: Have to put 5 stars for obvious reasons but if you want a game that’s fair then this game is not for you. They pop up ads in the MIDDLE of matches that make it impossible to play and they do not level it. In 5 seconds of the match starting someone will have 27K power without ever defeating an opponent and its near impossible to claim a victory when you first start playing. An
  13. [R9] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Too many Ads: Love the game, but there are too many ads. If I could eliminate them I’d give it 5 stars.
  14. [R10] Ancient Battle 1/5 · US Ads, ads, ads: I've had the game for a few years now. I used to enjoy it but stopped playing for a while. Just tried to restart playing, and the number of ads they now use is absurd. Beyond the ads to claim items, they now play an ad before and after every battle. They've made it impossible to enjoy. Won't be back.
  15. [R15] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US STOP WITH THE ADS: Like others have said this game is amazing but I have tow watch an ad at the BEGINNING AND END IF EACH BATTLE and it’s not watch ad to get some this, the ad just plays. I would have paid to get rid of the ads but there’s no option for it. Great game ruined by greed.
  16. [R70] ROME 1/5 · US Original awesome, this one not so much: This game is not manageable in a fun way: on a mobile sized screen, nor within the spans of attention that I as a mobile player can invest in a round of play. The original game was amazing, this was a relatively expensive disappointment.
  17. [R71] ROME 5/5 · US Best game hands down: Hesitated before but 100% the best thing I ever bought. Well worth the money
  18. [R77] ROME 5/5 · US Naval battles could be a great thing in this great game: This is a great game, and if you’re thinking of buying it, it’s worth the price, and there’s a reason why it’s still alive after 20 years. Now, for the reason that I wrote this review: naval battles. Actual naval battles where you can control the ships would make this game even greater. Because naval ships are a very important part of this
  19. [R83] ROME 5/5 · US Best game ever: ★★★★★ Rome: Total War is honestly one of the greatest strategy games ever made. The scale of the battles feels incredible, especially when thousands of soldiers clash at once while siege weapons fire across the battlefield. Building your empire, managing cities, and commanding armies makes every campaign feel unique and addictive. What really makes the game special is the atmosph
  20. [R62] ROME 5/5 · US It’s okay but needs a improvement: It’s fun I like it but it would be cool if there was better controls the game is very fun tho but controls are hard and not ez but cool!
  21. [R64] ROME 2/5 · US Please read: It’s so hard to get the controls down and it is so complicated to start a war. Also when u do start a war u can barely walk. Have to tap were u want to go and as e z as that sounds its not cause the way the u look around is so weird u have to like pinch ur fingers in a weird way. Any ways i DONT recommend this game.
  22. [R75] ROME 3/5 · US Good: Super awesome, just large battles are difficult to coordinate on a phone haha
  23. [R81] ROME 3/5 · US The new update…: Idk why but the newest update has ruined the unit placing for me, it has bugged it and flips my soldiers for no reason
  24. [R18] Ancient Battle 3/5 · US Great but: Great game idea. Wayyy too heavily over monetized. Every single thing you do has an ad play. Ad before battle. Ad after battle. Ad after ad. The ads dont even go away when you pay money! Its very fun i would pay for no ads
  25. [R28] Ancient Battle 1/5 · US Way too many ads and no way to remove them.: This game has been a whole lot of fun for me. However, the ads are becoming a problem. There’s no way to remove them that I’ve been able to find and there is more time spent on ads viewed than is spent in the game itself. I think it’s about time to move on.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store