Microsofts overståtte PC Games International Games Festival, bød på gjensyn med mange gamle kjenninger i ny og oppdatert innpakning, men det er selvfølgelig helt nye ting på gang fra giganten også. Digger du RTS spill, er dette virkelig gode nyheter!
Det er Brian Reynolds som har designet spillet og han er samme mann som i sin tid designet Civilization II og Alpha Centuri. Rise of Nations vil ikke være tilgjengelig før våren 2003, men nedenfor har vi noen fine screens fra spillet, samt noen utdrag fra pressemeldingene:
In "Rise of Nations," players have the option to win through military might, using everything from sling-shots to cannons to stealth bombers; through cornering the market on key commodities; or by wheeling and dealing with a wide variety of civilizations. Unlike other historical real-time strategy games, "Rise of Nations" allows gamers to quickly play through from the Stone age to the modern age.
"This is the game I’ve always wanted to do," said Reynolds. "I’m excited to be creating an RTS experience that covers the breadth of history without getting bogged down in the minutia. ‘Rise of Nations’ makes it easy for players to jump from the strategic to the tactical view while growing their empire. We expect this to be the start of a memorable new franchise."
Key Features:
- Cross genre gameplay - Combines pulse-pounding real-time gaming with the epic scope of turn-based strategy games. Real-time gaming allows players to have a fast and fun experience while completing a game in under an hour. The epic scope ties together the mysteries of ancient philosophy and wonders of the world with the silk routes and intrigue of the middle ages plus the technology of modern tanks and paratroopers.
- Zooming scale - Gives players a global view of many cities and sweeping military campaigns while still controlling the progress of individual cities and battles. Provides ability to lead civilizations at the macro and micro level. Players will see clearly defined national borders, which focuses gameplay on nation building.
- Multiple victory conditions - Non-military and quasi-military strategies include espionage, economic manipulations, political maneuvering and population growth. Players can also choose to win through the raw power of a military conquest.
- Streamlined multiplayer - In the multiplayer mode on Zone.com, players build up resources and move through different time periods quickly, reaching the game’s climax in a timely fashion. By expediting the gameplay experience, "Rise of Nations" offers multiplayer gamers immediate gratification and maximum fun.
System Requirements: 450 MHz processor, Win98/2000/Me/XP, 128MB of memory, 300 MB of HD space, CD-ROM, MS Mouse or compatible pointing device, 16 MB video card, audio card and speakers recommended.