With Emperor Commodus ordering daily Colosseum fights, you find yourself as a slave being sold off to Magerius, forced to compete in the Colosseum in order to pay off the guy’s debt. Far from just being a brawler, Colosseum: Road To Freedom has a bit of depth to its story and structure that make it worth checking out. ![]() Colosseum: Road To Freedom Colosseum: Road To Freedomĭeveloper: Goshow, Ertain Publisher: Koei Tecmo Platform(s): PS2Ĭontrolling a whole school might sound cool, but being able to experience one warrior’s journey from the colosseum to freedom is just as compelling, which is why Colosseum: Road To Freedom has gained a bit of a cult following in the years since its launch. Instead of controlling just the one Gladiator, you’ll instead be in charge of an entire school, recruiting and upgrading new warriors as you travel around the world, pitting your school against barbarians, fellow Gladiators and warriors from Egypt and Asia.īattles themselves are turn-based, but there’s a golf game-esque swing meter mechanic that determines the power and accuracy of your strikes, so Gladius is worth talking about for just that alone.ġ1. Even still though, Gladius manages to distinguish itself from the pack. The idea of warriors and champions (and mostly slaves, let’s be honest) battling to the death for the glory of Rome is one that lends itself well to video games, so it’s no surprise there’s a lot of games about gladiators. We mentioned earlier that two of the most iconic aspects of Ancient Rome are its architecture and its military strength, but there’s of course a third one: the colosseum itself. The twist is that instead of a top-down view of the action, you’ll control the general himself, exploring a huge open world to route the native barbarians in the name of Caesar.īeing able to actually control your leader and impact how battles fare puts Warlord: Britannia in a unique position in the strategy genre.ĭeveloper: LucasArts Publisher: LucasArts Platform(s): PS2, Xbox, Gamecube Not only is the premise exciting though, but the actual gameplay is also worthy of praise.Ī strategy game with a twist, Warlord: Britannia sees players leading a Roman expeditionary force to take Britannia for the empire, recruiting and upgrading Legionnaires and building camps in the process. ![]() How Roman invaded Britannia is often not focused on too much when it comes to games about Ancient Rome, which is why a game like Warlord: Britannia is so interesting. The Roman Empire’s reach before it inevitably crumbled was massive, with the Empire having conquered much of Europe, Britain included. Warlord: Britannia Warlord: Britanniaĭeveloper: Darkmatter Games Publisher: Darkmatter Games, Stribling Media Platform(s): PC Sounds like a great deal, but remember: your back is always weak to knife damage.ġ3. As you progress, you’ll take on more responsibilities and earn promotions, until eventually, you’ll be offered the seat of Caesar. While most of these games focus on combat above all else, Caesar V takes a city-builder approach, allowing players to experience the political side of Rome.Ĭaesar IV casts players as the governor of a newly formed province within the Roman Empire, and it’ll be your job to manage the needs and whims of your constituents in order to rise through the political ranks. ![]() Two aspects of Ancient Rome that have become key aspects of its entire legacy are its architecture and military might (we’ll get to the third one soon), so it’s no wonder that the Ancient Rome setting has naturally lent itself very well to the strategy gaming subgenre. Rome might have fallen, but its future is up to you.ĭeveloper: Tilted Mill Entertainment Publisher: Sierra Entertainment Platform(s): PC With over a hundred characters and loads of choices to make, the outcomes of The Age of Decadence are in your hands. ![]() Combat is often too difficult to win, as you’re usually out-matched by your opponents, meaning you have to use other skills like diplomacy to engineer situations better for yourself. Instead of offering a ridiculous power fantasy, The Age of Decadence’s world is brutal and unforgiving. It wouldn’t be Ancient Rome without political power struggles, after all. A great cataclysm has befallen the world during the period of the Roman Empire, and hundreds of years later, different houses and clans are now trying to pick up the pieces/vie for control of whatever else is left. We might be breaking our own rules right out of the gate, as The Age of Decadence isn’t strictly based in Ancient Rome, but the core backstory uses Rome as its primary jumping off point. The Age Of Decadence The Age Of Decadenceĭeveloper: Iron Tower Studios Publisher: Iron Tower Studios Platform(s): PC
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