There is something special about the original Rome total war. Strategic and tactical layers meshed well together, and especially when playing as rome, it just felt really good to play. Rome gets many powerful units, but is beset by enemies and betrayal on all sides-- exciting, fun, and immensely satisfying.
Empire failed to match that level of enjoyment for me.
I didn't bother with the later iterations either- they just don't have the same allure despite technical improvements.
A return to rome promises to be great, but i do hope they manage to maintain the subtle qualities of the original, or it will promise to be a hollow remake.