Although the graphics weren’t completely finished and they only saw the pre-alpha version of Slitherine's newest game SpartanGamers Europe previewers liked what they saw.
"There is a good Civ-like strategy element, and the battles play smoothly, no matter how many units are involved. I watched a battle between the Persians and the Athenians. It started out with several large blocks of red and blue on a minimap and the main viewing area was devoted to the battle itself. As the Persian cavalry advanced, the Athenian phalanx lay in wait. At the very last moment, 100 spears, each 30’ long came up out of the grass to meet the charging cavalry. “Can you say kebab?” I asked. Indeed they could. The rest of the Persian army saw this and thought “oh dear”. After a while the battle began to go in favour of the Athenians. Morale plays a big part in this game. If you start losing a little, you’ll soon start losing a lot. If your poor infantry are charged from the flanks or the rear, don’t be surprised if they run off in terror."
Despite favorable reviews by 
"Celtic Kings: The Punic Wars is set during the period 264 BC through 146 BC and will explore the three Punic wars between Rome and Carthage, which include the famous campaigns of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus. The game will feature four playable nations in total, with the Romans and Gauls from the original game being joined by the Carthaginians and Iberians. New units for players to wage war with will include Numidian riders, slingers, mountaineers, Libyan infantry, war elephants, and three new catapult models. "