Bryon Lloyd reports:
''They say that Rome was not built in a day. I don't know where I am going with this; it is just something they say. It may not have been built in a day, but it will take you several hours. Many, many, hours, that is, in Europa Universalis: Rome. It seems a match made in heaven when you think of a civilization-building game and the rise of the Roman Empire. Sure this could be said about many of Earth's civilizations, but Rome holds a special place in our heart. For me, it is not just about the rise of the empire, but its magnificent crash that brings a certain mystique to the period. It is arguably the basis for western civilization. This is a storied series with many entries, all of which have received better than average reviews.
Though it may not win any awards in visual excellence, it is not the intention, of course; everything you need is cleanly laid out before you. The heads-up display has a common layout that is widely known in the RTS world. Each of the necessary information pages are readily at your fingertips. There is no lack of visual representation for the various resources at your disposal, so everything you need is right there. It is just sans the flashy details.
The music is epic and melodic, with all of the harp string and pan flute you have come to know and love in association with the Roman and Greek periods. But hey, I digress. I would say that everything I need from the sound effects is there. The heart of this game is not to be found in its graphics or sound. The best is yet to come.''
Direct2Drive has slashed $15 off the price of Paradox's strategy title Europa Universalis: Rome Gold, taking the game down to $5 as part of the digital distributor's Deal of the Week.
The Reticule writes: "Paradox may be all hands on deck at GamesCom in Germany but I managed to sneak some questions through to the companies CEO, Fredrik Wester. Read on for his comments on DLC and newly announced titles from Paradox.
The Reticule – You describe the new titles as being a 'tribute' to those who play your games, to what extent does this mean the new games will be designed according to what your fans want to see?
Fredrik Wester – We are always working close to our customers when designing and developing games. This is the result of many years of interaction between our studio and our fans. Several people from the publishing team also interacts with our forum users on a daily basis to discuss, get feedback and to help us develop the company and our games."
GamersInfo writes: Europa Universalis: Rome is an empire builder set in the time of ancient Rome. Despite my love for all things Rome and empire or city builders, I found the game to be tedious, boring and frustrating.
In my experience, there are typically three elements to all empire builders, though most good games will focus on at least two. The primary one is conquering your foes through epic cinematic or stylistically rendered combat. The second element that you can find is winning through the simple strategy of micromanaging your city or empire. That is, you win through trade, diplomacy, alliances and financial gain. And, through all good empire builders, there is the undercurrent that you are somehow a supreme figure looking over all you survey with a sense of power and control.
