More Articles on Europa Universalis: Rome
Europa Universalis: Rome - First LookEuropa Universalis: Rome - Q&ALatest Previews
Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Hands OnStar Wars: The Force Unleashed - Hands OnToo Human - Hands OnRaven Squad - First LookQuantum Of Solace - First LookUser Reviews
There are currently 0 User Reviews for Europa Universalis: RomeWrite your own review for this game today and you will receive 100 Gamer Points.
Click here to register
Europa Universalis: Rome - First Look Preview
Gwynne Dixon
30/01/2008
Beware the Ides of March because Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis series is setting its sights on Rome...
While Europa Universalis games have traditionally been set between the Renaissance and Enlightenment historical periods (15th-18th Centuries), EU: Rome marks a significant change in the series' setting. As you may have guest from the title, Paradox Interactive's latest EU game is set during the rise of the Roman Empire. It's certainly an exciting change of direction for the series, and it comes alongside significant graphical strides forward for the title.
As a PC strategy game that was originally based on a board game, EU has always been a slight oddball in the strategy genre. The series fits best in the turn based strategy genre, although Paradox has always incorporated real-time gameplay into EU games. The first couple of titles were perhaps more like a board game on the PC (a la Risk or Democracy), although the series veered away from that last year with EU III and Rome is set to complete this transition.
Rome hasn't forgotten its roots though, as the heart pounding at the centre of this title lusts after historical accuracy and strategy gameplay that doesn't bottle-neck towards combat. Knowing that epic battles certainly aren't their strong point, Paradox has always focused on offering a deep simulation of a historical period that emulates the political, diplomatic, religious and expansionist climate of the era.
For example, playing as the Celtic faction (one of 10 different cultures) is a very different experience to playing as the Romans. As the Celts, the difficulty level is significantly harder and you'll be at odds to just protect your boarders. Of course, it's significantly easier to plough through Europe with your all conquering Roman Empire. Other cultures, such as the Greeks, Carthaginians, Egyptians and Gauls, also have historically accurate characteristics that significantly affect the style of gameplay. N.B. It's worth noting that, as well as these 10 major cultures, there will also be 53 playable factions in the game that fill hundreds of provinces throughout Europe.
The game's timeline stretches from the start of the Punic Wars (280 B.C.), right up until the height of the Western Roman Empire (when territorial maps of Europe were a distinct shade of Roman red). Similarly to EU III, gamers will be able to start a game at whichever point in this timeline that they please (anywhere between 280 and 27 B.C.).
It's all part of Paradox's aim to provide gamers with a replication of history, and then allow the player to go out and sculpt their own alternate history from any standpoint. Considering this, it's unsurprising that Paradox hasn't set any specific winning conditions for the game. Instead, Rome offers gamers the opportunity to set their own goals for a game, such as defending the shores of Egypt from Roman invasion. The aim is to offer an open choice, rather than to close the game to specific winning conditions. Indeed, the only way you can lose is by getting conquered, or by losing a civil war (more on that later).
Put it this way, if you're the sort of person who's read Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and then thought: 'Why all the fighting?' Then EU: Rome certainly looks set to offer you cerebral stimulation with strategic gameplay that isn't centred on combat. It's not that combat won't play a part, but if you really want to experience all that Rome is going to offer, then you're going to have to scratch your head a bit harder before you reach for the sword.
One of the features that is set to heighten the political intrigue across Roman Europe, is Paradox's detailed character generation system. The game starts off with a few thousand pre-modelled characters that are based on historical figures (e.g. Julius Caesar himself). Each one has characteristics of their culture, so Germanic tribesmen will look like Neanderthal man and Roman senators will look like Head Teachers sporting reeves.
As the game progresses, EU: Rome generates further characters with appearances that are inherited from the original cast of historic figures. Obviously, these generated characters won't be the same every time as they'll depend on how your specific game develops. They then fill key positions in each empire, such as Ambassadors and military leaders. But they're not just there to look pretty, as these figures play a crucial role in your various strategies.
For example, let's say that you've got a Roman Senator who won't stop causing you grief. Simply promote him to Ambassador of a Germanic faction that hates the Roman Empire and they're likely to make Bratwurst out of him. This is a double-edged sword though, because Roman leaders may cotton-on to your dastardly ways and your popularity will begin to waiver. This could lead to such leaders breaking away from the Roman Empire, forming a new faction with their supporters and declaring civil war on Rome.
Paradox has also developed the National Ideas feature from EU III. Under the three forms of government in the game (Monarchy, Republic and Tribes), there are additional slots that you can insert these National Ideas into. For example, one National Idea might be 'Militaristic', and this fits well under a Republic government. These National Ideas obviously affect the tendencies of your civilisation (in this case making it more militaristic) and, while you can select the Ideas of your choice, you're given an incentive to tend towards the Ideas that offer tasty bonuses.
Religion is another factor that must be taken into account in your various strategies. We're told that there will be religious groups such as the monotheists, Semitic pantheon, Greek pantheon and Germanic religions. The stronger your religion rating, the more chance you have of successfully invoking one of 10 Omens. These can be called upon every six months to provide bonuses like morale boosts for your troops. However, if you fail to invoke the Omen then you are punished to the same extent.
Impressively for a strategy title, Rome will offer a multiplayer mode for up to 32 players. You can either play co-operatively, or head-to-head, and this is another example of the ways in which EU has built up its niche audience of discerning strategy gamers.
One thing it won't offer is the visuals of a game like Civilization IV. That said, EU: Rome is the first game in the series to offer 3D maps that are littered with forests and units. This may seem like an archaic advancement in strategy games but, up until Rome, all EU games had were 2D maps with very little, if any detail at all. The attraction was always in the statistics that governed the gameplay, as well as Paradox's detailed representation of history (it's a bit like Football Manager for academics).
Anonymous
Date Added:Wed 12th Mar 2008 05:00