Rise of Nations (PC) > Reviews > From Cavemen to Cruise Missiles in 8 Easy Steps

Author's product rating:   

Playability & Enjoyment	Excellent - very playable game
Graphics	Excellent
Sound	Good - relevant music & effects
Difficulty & Complexity	Average - suitable for most

Advantages:	Compelling gameplay, excellent visual and sound effects
Disadvantages:	May not be for everyone

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

A couple of weeks ago I was looking to buy a new game to tide me over on the long, wet days that are apparently predicted for this year's British summer. I visited a few shops, but I eventually stumbled across a copy of Rise of Nations in GAME. Being a fan of both the Age of Empires and Civilization series of games, and not having played a decent real time strategy game in some time, I decided to pick it up.

=GAME REQUIREMENTS=

500Mhz processor or higher
128MB RAM or higher
16MB Video card with 3D acceleration (complete list of compatible cards at www.riseofnations.com)
800MB Hard Disk space
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
56k modem or better for internet play

=PACKAGING=

Rise of Nations is packaged in a DVD case, complete with 37-page user manual, fold-out sheet with information on races and technology, and a small technical support sheet from Microsoft. The product key is also located on a sticker inside the DVD case.

=GAME BACKGROUND=

Basically, Rise of Nations is a mix between Civilization and games such as the Warcraft or Command and Conquer series. You take your tribe from the Ancient Age to the Modern Age, using science, diplomacy and military might to become the leading nation of the world.

=GRAPHICS=

The graphics in this game are clear and extremely impressive. The game is played on an fixed isometric 3D viewpoint, and all of the units and buildings in the game are rendered to a high standard. There are three levels of zoom that the player can use, but this does not go as far as the "on the ground level" zoom present in the Warcraft games. The fact that it is a fixed viewpoint however, means that although the graphics are good they are not on the level of some of the newer RTS games on the market.

=SOUND=

The sound in the game is splendid, and I didn't pick up any distortion at all while playing. From horse hooves to the stealth bombers, everything sounds exactly as it should, and all the weapons seem to have the correct amount of power behind them thanks to the combination of excellent sound and graphics

=GAMEPLAY=

As I said in the game description, the whole goal of the game is to become the leading nation of the world, through either diplomatic, scientific, or military means. You choose from one of twelve nations, each of which has it's own unique units and abilities present during the game.

For example, the British can recieve extra income from the Taxation advance, their ships are created faster and they have a greater Commerce Limit, meaning they can gather resources at a faster rate than some other nations. They also have unique units such as the Lancaster Bomber, King's Longbowmen and Black Watch available to them. The Japanese however, can produce more food at their farms, create ships cheaper, and build Aircraft Carriers faster than any other race (The Americans are not present in the base game, but are in the Thrones and Patriots expansion pack). Their units include the Gun Samurai, Ashigaru Spearmen and Bushi.

Your empire consists of cities, which are founded by Citizens (your workers). Think of cities as the construction yards from the original C&C games and you'll get the picture. Most buildings such as temples, markets and granaries have to be built around the cities. Some can be built further out though,such as forts, mines, woodcutter camps and merchant huts. The number of cities you have and how spaced out they are determines how big your territory is. You can't build outside of your territory so this is important to remember. Technologies are researched in two different ways,either via the Library (where all the main research and progress through the ages is done) or via the other structures (these are performance or unit upgrades). As you go through the ages, more resources become available. In the beginning you only need to collect food, lumber and wealth, which in the Classical Age, turns to food, lumber, metal, wealth and knowledge (Metal coming from mines and Knowledge from Universities, which need to be filled with Scholars). Oil appears in the Industrial Age onwards and is needed to make units such as tanks and planes, as well as the Nuclear weapons you can develop in the Modern and Information Ages.

Wonders of the World can also be constructed, and can give bonuses to your nation, they are also a way to win the game. There are 3 main ways to win the game, either by Conquest (seizing the enemy's capital), Territory (holding a pre-specified portion of the map area) and Wonder Victory (by accumulating a certain amount of Wonder points by building Wonders).

As well as the basic game I've discussed here (which is how skirmish and multiplayer are played), there is also a Conquer the World campaign mode. Here they give you a Risk-style map of various countries, and your goal is to capture them all. by achieving various goals. When you enter an opposing nation you go to the game map and begin your task for that country.

As I mentioned, there is a multiplayer element in Rise of Nations. Up to 8 players can compete against each other in a fight for supremacy, in one of many different game modes. Some of the modes are just straight out fighting, with the nations at war with all of their opponents, some, like the Assassin mode, give each player a specific enemy they must defeat, before being able to attack other countries. However,the Diplomacy modes are great fun, as players can forge and break alliances and trade with each other, meaning that the game becomes that much more exciting.

=FINAL VERDICT=

Rise of Nations is an excellent game that I've been unable to put down for most of the time that I've had it. The excellent graphics and sound, as well as the compelling gameplay mean that this game ranks right up there with the best RTS games on the market, and I would heartily recommend this to anyone who likes this genre.

Review written by Karl, 29th May 2004