Shadow of Rome finally scheduled for release Jan 29

PlayStation 2: Shadow of Rome: "In the year 44 B.C., during the reign of Julius Caesar, a terrible plot comprised of murder and corruption was secretly brewing. A plot to prevent Caesar's plans for a reformed Rome was executed, resulting in the infamous 'Et tu, Brute' slaying of the beloved leader. The inevitable fallout of such a tragic blow to the Roman Empire results in Uesnius being accused of the crime. In Shadow of Rome you assume the role of an upcoming gladiator, Agrippa, the son of Uesnius. The only way you will be able to save your innocent father's life is to rise through the ranks of the brutal gladiators until you have achieved a level of infamy worthy of recognition by the Roman elite. Only the most unforgiving, triumphant gladiator is given the honor of executing the branded traitor, Uesnius. If you can reach that level of notoriety, maybe, just maybe you'll be able to free your father at the last minute. The fate of your family name rests in your hands!

Luckily, Agrippa is not alone in his quest for justice. While his portions of Shadow of Rome focus on the visceral, blood-soaked acts of pure animal violence that occur in the gladiatorial arenas of the city, your close friend and ally, Octavius, has a very different task. Octavius must infiltrate the halls of power that control the political and subversive aspects of Roman life in order to uncover the man (or men) who commissioned the incarceration of Uesnius. "

New King Arthur DVD worth a look

I watched the new "King Arthur' DVD last night and found that the Extended Edition Director's cut was much less choppy than the version that was shown in theaters. The DVD also includes a version with director commentary and an alternate ending that I hope to have time to view this weekend. Hopefully it will dispense with the cheesy "wedding" finale.

When I viewed the film last night I was able to listen more intently to the dialogue as well. Clive Owen was forced to speak such formal stilted passages that it was as if he was given expansive Shakespearean lines that contrasted too starkly with the more pedantic dialogue of the other characters.

The extended edition also emphasized Arthur's admiration for Pelagius as a basis for his world view. I was unfamiliar with the teachings of Pelagius so I did a little research and found some interesting articles at:

http://www.clive.bates.btinternet.co.uk/palagius.htm

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/Augustine.html

http://tinyurl.com/4trs9

King Arthur (PS2, GC, XBox)

Review at GameSpot: "The whole basis for the movie King Arthur was to try to tell the 'real' story behind the legend. Set 1,000 years ago in Britain (while it was still tenuously under Roman control), the Arthur of the film is a Sarmatian commander who leads a squad of Sarmatian knights within the Roman army. Arthur's squad is just about to be granted its freedom after 15 years of service, but faster than you can say 'He was only one day away from retirement,' Arthur's unit is sent on one final mission to rescue a Roman priest and his family. All the primary characters from the Arthurian legend are here, including Lancelot, Arthur's right-hand man; Merlin, who is portrayed as the leader of a rebel tribe called the Woads; and Guinevere, who is no longer the damsel in distress or the focus of a bitter love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot, and herself. Rather, she's a feisty, bow-wielding warrior of the Woads. The story is presented through a series of computer-generated and ripped-from-the-film cutscenes, which actually tie together fairly seamlessly. Similarly, the missions the game puts you on are based entirely within the scope of the film's plot, so if you liked the film, you should very much appreciate how the game relates to its source material."

God of War (PS2)

GameSpot: "God of War, casts you in the role of a despondent former Spartan warrior under order from the gods to slay the cruel god Ares (who is--surprise--the Greek god of war). Seems the only way to do this is by unlocking the power of Pandora's box, and the finding of said box will occupy the first part of the game. After a few minutes playing God of War, we were duly impressed by the frenetic action, interesting puzzle mechanics, and cohesive visual style that the game presents.

Magic will be a powerful ally in the game as well. At the beginning you'll be able to control the thunderbolts of Zeus, which of course can be used to zap enemies. At one point in the demo you end up fighting Medusa, who can turn you to stone. In an interesting twist, once you defeat the beast, you can use her head as a magical weapon to turn enemies to stone as well. The game is scheduled for release in early 2005"

Alexander the Game

Game InfoAlexander is the officially licensed real-time strategy PC game tied to Oliver Stone's upcoming "Alexander" movie starring Colin Farrell.

Integrating exclusive footage from the motion picture, the game immerses players in the era of Alexander the Great. Like Alexander, players will face the challenges of managing vast resources, a multitude of units, buildings and advancements, while his enemies always seem to have more of everything.

Blood will be spilt on the battlefield and honor will be put to the test, as the courage and cunning of each decision will determine success. Triumph in epic real-time battles using formations, morale, and authentic battle tactics.

Dragon to release Alexander the Great 12" Action Figure

With all the interest in Alexander the Great stirred up by Oliver Stone's film, Dragon has released a 12" action figure of the invincible conqueror to complement it's other figures of ancient fame including Attila the Hun, Ermanarich" the Goth, and Subadi the Mongol.

Right now, Michigan Toy Soldier is offering Attila on sale for only $29.95 and Ermanarich the Goth for only $24.95. You can also qualify for a preorder discount on Alexander the Great if you sign up for their free preferred customer program.

Immortal Cities: Children Of The Nile

"Immortal Cities is a game where eventually hundreds of citizens, each with their own individual free will and lives, affect your city-building decisions and your ability to build and rule an empire.

Create an empire by providing for your people, and make your mark on history...

From hunter-gatherers to immortal civilization. Watch your people go about their daily lives; make the right decisions and help them, and society, move forward.

Lead your people, Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile is the first and only strategy game where citizens, who behave like living, independent beings, are your primary resource. Power and prestige cannot be purchased, they must be earned.

Build your dynasty over 2,000 years. The fate of civilization is in your hands, you must balance your own ambition with your people's needs."

Empire Earth 2 coming soon

Empire Earth 2: "Become the greatest conqueror of all time by creating, building and forging the grandest of all empires as you progress through 15 epochs that span more than 10,000 years of history.

Introducing new units, powers and leaders through 3 expansive campaigns, Empire Earth 2 will once again set the standard for real-time strategy games with the latest technology and features that expand both the singleplayer and multiplayer experience."

Coliseum now available for only $9.90

Coliseum: "Guide young warriors with training and a little dose of the Gods own luck, into seasoned veterans of the Coliseum circuit.

GoGamer is now offering this title for only $9.90 plus shipping in their Blow-Out Deals section! GoGamer is now also offering a "dirt-cheap" shipping option. If you order 1 - 2 games you can select the "dirt-cheap" shipping option of only $1.99. This option includes tracking. The "dirt-cheap" option is not the default shipping choice so you will need to remember to select it from the shipping options drop-down list to take advantage of this offer.

Roma Victor still on track for 2005 release

ROMA VICTOR: "Roma Victor, a non-fantasy MMORPG (Massively-Multi player Online Role-Playing Game) based in the Roman Empire, circa 180AD, is still on track for an early 2005 release.

Most of Europe is in the clutches of the Roman Empire. Commodus has succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher Emperor and is exerting tyrannical influence. The Praetorians keep a strict and oppressive rule over the entire Empire, which is defended and (outside Rome) largely policed by the Legions. Many Barbarian outposts and enclaves exist peacefully outside Imperial rule particularly in Britannia, Gaul and Germania. These people however always live in fear of the Legions, which threaten their culture and their very existence. If they stand united, they may just hold them off.

Roma Victor is the pilot project of RedBedlam Ltd., a Brighton-based development company set up with the express purpose of building compelling and exciting virtual worlds. Since it's inception back in May 2001, RedBedlam's ethos has been one of community involvement, with the belief that the best products are those that are built with the player in mind. To this end, each and every aspect of this game's development has taken place with direct participation from the online gaming community."

Hanging Gardens of Babylon Model

"The approach to the Garden sloped like a hillside and the several parts of the structure rose from one another tier on tier... On all this, the earth had been piled... and was thickly planted with trees of every kind that, by their great size and other charm, gave pleasure to the beholder... The water machines [raised] the water in great abundance from the river, although no one outside could see it."

Diodorus Siculus

The name of the Gardens is actually incorrect. The name comes from a mistranslation of the Greek word kremastos or the Latin word pensilis, which does not mean "hanging", but "overhanging", as in the case of a terrace or balcony. This means the gardens were literally spilling over the walls. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the Gardens of Babylon remain the most mysterious. In fact, it's the only Wonder that's very existence has been called into question There are records and contemporary images of each of the other six wonders and even archaeological remains, but none have been found for the Gardens. Most historians believe that members of Alexander the Great's army brought the stories of the gardens back to Greece. Were they accurate descriptions of a real place or the tall tales of returning soldiers?

The gardens were said to be located on the east bank of the River Euphrates, about 50 km south of Baghdad, Iraq. King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) is credited for building the legendary Hanging Gardens. The story says that Nebuchadnezzar built these elaborate gardens to please his wife Amytis who had been "brought up in Media (a mountainous region) and had a passion for mountain surroundings".

Get the free model

Free Great Pyramid model

"The
oldest Wonder and the only one still standing is the Great Pyramid of Khufu,
built in 2560 B.C. presumably to serve as a tomb for the Pharaoh. This
Wonder is often thought of as a sandy golden color, but for the first 3,000
years of its existence it was white. In 820 A.D. the Arab Caliph Abdullah
Al Manum decided to search the pyramid for the fabled treasure of Khufu, and
when he did not find it his men stole the limestone covering instead. "

Free Pharos Lighthouse Model Available

"It was a monument, a tourist attraction, a brilliant business venture and a wonder of the ancient world. In many languages Pharos is still the word for lighthouse. The tiny island of Pharos was chosen by Ptolemy Soter around 290 BC to construct the great tower that would guide ships safely into the harbor of Alexandria (his capitol). It took twenty years to build and by the time it was completed Ptolemy Soter had died and been succeeded by Ptolemy Philadelphus The architect was Sostratus, a contemporary of Euclid. One of the many legends surrounding the Pharos says that Sostratus wanted to have his name engraved on the monument but Ptolemy (which one?) said his name and only his was to be engraved upon it's base. Sostratus got the last laugh by engraving his own name then covering it with plaster and engraving Ptolemy's name over it. Long after the death of both men the plaster chipped away as Sostratus knew it would leaving his name for history."

Free Downloadable Model of King Maussolus' Tomb

"The wonder of King Maussolus tomb was not so much in it's size but in it's hundreds of beautiful sculptures. Conceived of and possibly even started during his lifetime by his wife/sister Artemesia it was completed in BC 350, three years after his death. In some ways it was a very different wonder than so many of the religious structures on the list. This was a tomb dedicated to one man and the decorative sculptures by Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas, and Timotheus, were of people and animals rather than Greek gods. All four sides had continuing friezes depicting the mythical battle of the Amazons which was supposed to have been won by the King's ancestors."

Temple of Artemis Paper Model Free to Download

"Known to historians as the Artemisian, this giant Greek temple was a wonder in it's time not, just because of it's size but because of it's beautiful decoration and statuary. Other temples were built hoping to emulate it's beauty but none ever really achieved the same notoriety as the Artemisian. This quote was written by Antipater of Sidon, "But when I saw the sacred house of Artemis that towers to the clouds, the [other Wonders] were placed in the shade, for the Sun himself has never looked upon its equal outside Olympus."

This model is 1/3000 scale and is assembled from seven pieces.

Demo now available for Rome: Total War

The demo is now available for Rome: Total War. Be sure you're on a high speed line though to download it as it is over 160 Mb in size. It will be interesting to see how they created all those simulations for The History Channel's new series "Decisive Battles"!

Excitement Continues to Build for Rome: Total War

"This game is not for the timid, nor for the twitch strategic gamers. Rome is a complex meeting of tactics and deep strategy on a global level. Activision and Creative Assembly gave us the opportunity to sit down and check out both of these aspects in the single player campaign mode. The mix and harmony between those two elements is quite impressive. Those decisions you make on the overland map have a tangible effect to the battlefield.

When selecting the campaign, players will immediately be introduced to the land and the Roman philosophy with a cutscene. After that short break, the campaign immediately begins with players taking the role of a member of Roman House of Julii. Your job will be to protect and expand the Roman borders while taking care of business for the senate via missions. For instance, the Senate had me taking trips into Carthaginian and Greek territories in order to broaden the Roman horizons. This isn't a great way to make friends, but Romans don't really need friends. They need subjects."

I had to laugh at the caption for this image: "Invade a city and watch it burn!"

The Punic Wars: A Clash of Two Empires Reviewed

DailyGame.net"You have the option of selecting four nations to play: Romans, Carthaginians, Gauls and Iberians. Each has advantages and disadvantages in the type of army you can raise and training you provide. The battlefield has a good variety with mountain, ocean and island landscapes to fight in. Players select the number of opponents and the difficulty level, there's an option to select a specific nation or a random one, and special aspects like caves link different areas while wolf packs spice up the game. There's a lot of variation possible, and that's what makes games like this so easy to replay over and over. The adventure campaigns themselves are probably only worth one play-through, but they are interesting and take many hours to complete.

Graphics processing is not a problem for older computers, but you will not be disappointed in the quality of graphics or sound either. The landscapes are rich, and the background sounds are amusing and varied. This is a 2D game that doesn't rely on a heavy-duty graphics engine that will push the limits of your video card, but it provides a detail-rich environment that never leaves you thinking that the publishers were looking to cut corners.

The Punic Wars is an intriguing take on the RTS model that provides a rich platform for trying out new strategies in different scenarios. While not on the same playing field as Rome: Total War, The Punic Wars is a good overall game that most RTS fans will not regret purchasing."

(Also marketed as "Nemesis of the Roman Empire")

Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade PC game demo available

Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade PC game demo"Sword, axe, bow and shield are the weapons you must use with great skill. Fighting your way through Europe and the Holy land, facing human warriors, assassins and demonic minions, you must find the prize that will thwart the plans of the enemy: A holy relic of immense age.

The core of the game is medieval style fighting with the classical weapons of European knights, coupled with stunning graphics of the historical milieus of the 12th century crusades and the otherworldly locations of your worst nightmares."

Atlantis Evolution to ship this fall

Atlantis Evolution E3 2004 Preshow Impressions - Atlantis Evolution Previews for PC at GameSpot: "Atlantis Evolution is the first of a planned series of adventure games based on the famous ancient lost city. You'll play as Curtis Quick, a young adventurer in the early part of the 20th century. While at sea, Curtis is drawn into a vortex and delivered to the lost city of Atlantis. There, he finds himself as the only outsider in a society oppressed by the 'Atlantian' gods. It'll be up to you to figure out the mystery of Atlantis and to help free the citizens of the city.

The game will feature 3D graphics and five distinctly different destinations to explore, each with its own culture and mysteries. As with any adventure game, you'll be challenged to solve difficult puzzles."

Medieval Lords signed for UK - PC News at GameSpot

Medieval Lords signed for UK: "Digital Jesters announced that it will publish Monte Cristo's Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand in the UK in October. The historical city management game promises a more organic city-building experience than other games in the genre, and it will allow players to zoom in to explore their cities from first-person perspectives."

Gates of Troy Demo Released

Gates of Troy Demo has been released.

Gates of Troy is the sequel to the award winning turn based strategy game
Spartan. Gates of Troy covers the time before history in Greece when the
Trojan Wars were fought & heroes were made. Play as Achilles in control of
his Myrmidon warriors, or as Paris, prince of Troy, defending the woman he
loves.

The Gates of Troy demo has 3 tutorial scenarios, and two playable campaigns.
The pass of Thermopylae campaign puts you in control of 300 Spartans, and
their allies under King Leonidas and you must defend the pass for 20 turns
against the Persian horde. This small campaign is recreated on a one for one
scale with history, which will please history buffs immensely. The Crete
campaign allows you to focus on empire building & development rather than
battles.

The demo is limited to 30 turns or 5 battles.

Salammbo: Battle for Carthage

Salammbo: Battle for Carthage : "The original Salammbo is the classic literary work of Gustave Flaubert. It is set during the Punic Wars. Salammbo, the daughter of Hamilcar, a Carthaginian general, falls in love with Mathos, the mercenary leader under Hamilcar's command. An escaped slave, Spendius, helps them to unite, and in the process to destroy Carthage.

The game itself is based both on the book and on Druillet's comic series. It took most of the story from Flaubert, ignoring the spaceships and monsters from the comic books, but it adopted most of the visuals from the latter. Instead of the space-faring adventurer Lone Sloane, Mathos is once again just a mercenary leader, and instead of beasts straight out of the Lord of the Rings movies, you'll see normal elephants once again. However, the very outlandish dresses, claustrophobic settings and non-traditional comics panel placement is straight from Druillet's drawings.

In this game, you play Spendius, an escaped slave turned thief, and your main goal is to survive and destroy Carthage. Throughout the story, you'll sneak into the city, hunt wild boars, fight dragons, steal, kill and maim. "

Asterix & Obelix Battle the Roman Empire on PS2

Asterix & Obelix: "Asterix & Obelix have been running rampant against the Roman Empire in their comic books for the past 40 years. This ever-lasting battle of these Gauls to prevent the gentrification and Romanification of their plot of land has led to numerous fistfights and cunning activities. Apparently, 50 B.C. was a pretty rockem-sockem time and their adventures have proven popular, selling over 300 million copies worldwide. With so much punching and adventuring, a game comes naturally and Asterix & Obelix seeks to bring the action to the screen."

Scheduled Release Date: September 7, 2004

Mare Nostrum

Mare Nostrum: "Players sail the Mediterranean Sea and explore it?s surrounding lands to find places to build cities and access to different resources (perfume, oil, gold, slaves, etc .).
Players build civilization by exploiting these finds. The commodities are used to build cities, wonders and pyramids, or to establish trade routes to the areas where the commodities are produced. Players may also conquer open provinces or even those that are controlled by their opponents."

Fading Legions Boardgame

Fading Legions: "The last true Roman armies try to stave off invasions by Germans, Persians and Gauls between 357 and 378 AD. Includes the battles of Strasbourg (357 AD), Tigris (May, 363), Ctesiphon (May, 363), Megara (June,363), Phrygia (June, 363), Sumere (June, 363), Nacolia (366), Argentum (376), Ad Salices (377), Dibaltum (377) and Adrianople (378).
Fading Legions is a stand alone addition to the Rome At War system of games."

Nero: Legacy of A Despot

"In Nero: Legacy of a Despot, you are a contender for Imperial power. Using your legions and political influence, your aim is to either seize and hold the Imperium by being declared Emperor, or to gather enough land and power so that, at game's end, you are in position to do so.

Nero: Legacy of a Despot is an exciting strategic boardgame full of opportunities. The overall strategy is to become Emperor, stay Emperor, grab areas, and amass victory points. However, to do that, rather than take an extended overview and plan way ahead, the game requires players, instead, to react and act quickly, often making their own opportunities by playing the event cards sagaciously and timely.

Event cards include Assassins, Briberies, Bad Auguries, German Tribe Attacks, Galley Fleets, Crisis in Roma, the Praetorian Guard and many more!"

Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile

Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile: "Set in ancient Egypt, this strategy game centers on AI citizens who behave like real people and serve as your primary resource. Build a place where citizens can live and work, develop your leadership position, and take Egyptian civilization to its peak.

As Pharaoh, you have a paternalistic relationship with your people. You have to address their wants and needs for your kingdom to become successful and powerful. You’ll also need a powerful city to build your monuments and, most importantly, your tomb. You’ll actually command a dynasty, and it’s important for your prestige for the pharaohs in your family to be buried in style, most preferably in massive pyramids.

You’ll be able to expand your power over the entire Nile if you play your cards right, and a strategic portion of the game will allow you to both establish colonies and build forts to expand your domain. "

Empire Earth 2 Introduces Territory Concept

"Empire Earth 2 will introduce the concept of territory to real-time strategy games. The maps will be pre-divided into a set number of territories, and if you capture one, it can tip the balance of power in your favor, because you'll then have access to all the resources in that territory. You'll also be able to use territory to great effect in the game's deep diplomacy system. For example, you can offer to trade territory in exchange for peace or an alliance, or you can grant harvesting rights in a territory to another faction that's looking for specific resources. In this case, you can give unlimited rights, or you can choose to 'tax' a percentage of the resources gathered by this other faction. This way, someone can develop unused resources on your territory, and you can benefit from it. "

Gates of Troy can be played alone or as Spartan add-on

Slitherine Software has announcee that Gates of Troy has gone
gold. I didn't realize it until the latest press release but this "expansion pack" can be played with or without "Spartan". Gates of Troy includes the following scenarios:

"The Trojan Wars
The pass of Thermopylae
Greek Colonization
Pre-Historic Greece
The Ionian Revolt
Grand Campaign with Rome & Persia "

Gates of Troy add-on released for Spartans

GATES OF TROY is a Trojan themed expansion pack for SPARTAN, the award
winning turn-based strategy game from Slitherine Software. Slitherine have
been secretly working on GATES OF TROY for months and are now finally ready
to announce it to the strategy gaming world. Available on PC CD ROM.

It includes 17 new heroes ranging from Achilles and Hektor in the Trojan
Wars to Leonidas & Demophilus in the pass of Thermopylae. Play as Achilles
with his Myrmidon warriors, or maybe you prefer Odysseus or Hektor? Control
vast armies of Trojans and Greeks and lay siege to the most powerful city of
its time – Troy!

Take command of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans against the mighty Persian
horde. The pass of Thermopylae has been re-created on a one for one scale
with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespian allies under Demophilus & 400 unreliable
Thebans who really didn’t want to be there – and can you blame them! This
small force stands against the might of the Persian army with wave upon wave
of increasingly powerful troops hitting your lines until the mighty
Immortals arrive. Xerxes launches attack after attack from his inexhaustible
horde and your objective is just to hold the pass long enough for Greece to
muster her forces.

The expansion pack includes 6 new historically accurate campaigns : The Trojan Wars The pass of Thermopylae Greek Colonization Pre-Historic Greece The Ionian Revolt Grand Campaign with Rome & Persia

Australian game producer awarded "King Arthur" contract

"Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of upcoming Hollywood epic, "King Arthur", has given Australian game company Krome the responsibility of turning the movie into a quality game. John told us that Mr. Bruckheimer's production team worked hand-in-hand with Krome in order to give the game the same feel as the movie: actual voice recordings from the film, extra dialogue just for the game, headscans modeled directly from the original actors and consistent input between the studio and the developer. Apparently the game will follow the same storyline as the movie, which pits Arthur (a Roman originally named Arturius) and 'Celtic battle queen' Guinevere against the Roman empire, which the developers say is more closely related to original historical context rather than the magic and fantasy elements of other Arthur-related movies such as Excalibur or more romantic endeavors like First Knight. The developers say the game should have a release in time for the release of the DVD sometime around Christmas. King Arthur will be published by Konami."

Shadow of Rome demo wows gamers at Capcom Gamers Day

Shadow of Rome's story is set in the year 44 BC. The leadership of the Republic of Rome has been tarnished by political corruption, and Roman society has been overrun by unruliness and violence. Julius Caesar advocates for drastic reform into imperialism in order to restore Rome, but he is met with opposition. However, being the stubborn sort, old Julius keeps on pressing for change. Unfortunately, as any history buff can tell you, things don't work out quite like he'd hoped. Caesar is murdered before the changes he had advocated could be implemented. As the news of the head of state's demise starts to spread, a soldier named Agrippa rushes back to Rome to be faced with even worse news. Agrippa's father, Uesnius, who was a close advisor to Caesar, is the accused murderer. Unlike today's poky court system, the Roman judicial system keeps a pretty brisk pace and slates Uesnius for public execution by the winner of the next gladiatorial event, which is coming up fast. Anxious to keep his father alive, Agrippa sets out to prove his innocence and uncover the truth about Caesar's assassination. Thankfully Agrippa isn't in this alone. He has the help of his best friend, Octavius, and a freed female gladiator named Claudia. As you'd expect, the road to help Uesnius is a long one, chock-full of murder, intrigue, false accusations, and a whole lot of spilled blood in gladiatorial combat. An interesting twist to the narrative is the extended cast of characters you'll interact with, which will include actual historical figures.

Battle for Troy

Paris, King of Troy, has stolen the heart and soul of Helen, Queen of Sparta. Feel the wrath and fury of a king betrayed as Menelaus rages to return his queen. Now two great legions stand poised on the brink of war. May the Gods be with you as you choose sides in an alliance that will soon drown the city of Troy in a sea of blood, all for the love of a woman.

• Command King Menelaus' Greek Alliance to lay siege against
a rebellious Troy to restore the honor of their crestfallen king.

• Defend your city and your stolen queen against the
bloodthirsty onslaught of the raging Greeks.

• Immerse yourself in historic action with 2 extensive campaigns,
each with 8 challenging missions

• March your armies onward controlling 9 unit types:
spearmen, swordsmen, archers, cavalry, healers and more.

• Take your place deep inside the Trojan horse prepared to
vindicate your king's honor.

Roman Mod Available for Chariots of War

"Mods are modified versions of a game created by the gamers for gamers. This mod takes a number of units that were available in Legion and modifies them to Chariots of War format so you can use the updated Chariots of War engine, but play as Rome and her enemies! "

Spartan goes gold

"Just Play and Slitherine Strategies today announced that Spartan has gone gold and will be released in Europe on March 24. The turn-based strategy game, which is up for an award at this year's Independent Games Festival, is set around 400BC and features no less than 100 historically researched nations for players to assume command of. No North American publisher for the game has been announced at this time.

Spartan has been nominated as finalist in the Game of the Year events at Independent Games Festival 2004."

Special Features:

Over 100 different nations on a huge campaign map that spans Greece and the ancient near east

Use ships to travel from island to island, fight naval battles & perform naval invasions.

Siege castles and assault them when they are weakened

Build city walls armed with catapults and hurl Greek fire onto your enemies, scorching the earth and killing anyone in their path

Epic structures such as the Acropolis, Oracle & the Colossus

Odyssey Toys Announces Line of Collectible Historical Action Figures

"Kids can journey through time with the real Explorers, Adventurers and World Leaders that helped shape history. Each figure has authentic sewn clothing, removable hats, flags, swords, maps and other cool accessories. The Three-Packs also contain biographical information on each character, making collecting fun and educational."

Mahdavi Toys Produces Heroes of the Trojan War

Mahdavi Toys is scheduled to launch a line of educational action figures called Trojan Legends, based on the heroes of the Trojan War. Kids will enjoy playing with these life-like figures, which come dressed in authentic attire. The figures, which include Achilles, Odysseus, Hector and Aeneas, will be launched in conjunction with the Warner Bros. Major motion picture epic Troy, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles. Additionally, a video game produced by Mahdavi Toys will be launched immediately preceding the release of the movie. "

They are also planning to release Troy the Video Game, a Real Time Strategy game that will let players create a personal epic intertwined with the story of the Trojan War. Its unique fusion of strategy and role-playing is designed to create an integrated game-play experience that will appeal to an extremely broad range of players from fans of the Warcraft™ and Total War™ series of tactical-strategic games all the way to players of role-playing inspired games such as Neverwinter Nights™ and Everquest™. Ultimately Troy the Video Game is a game which embraces the theme and feel of the Trojan War to create a bold new world for players to discover. The game can be played in as many different ways as there are players and is open-ended enough that no two people will ever find themselves having exactly the same game play experience.

Nemesis of Rome Demo Now Available

"Nemesis of the Roman Empire has a 150MB demo offering samples of both the single-player and multiplayer modes of the real-time strategy game.

The sequel to Celtic Kings: Rage of War, Nemesis of the Roman Empire is set in the Punic Wars. The Punic Wars were between the rising empire of Rome and another Mediterranean civilization, Carthage. Although in real life Rome defeated Carthage, Enlight's RTS gives players the opportunity to rewrite history. "

Persians Featured in Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots Expansion Pack

"One of the most important buildings for each nation in Rise of Nations is the capital city. Once it's captured, you'll usually be faced with a time limit within which you must recapture it or build a new one--or else you lose. However, the Persians have two capital cities (the second city built automatically becomes a capital), which makes them especially resistant to defeat by the loss of a capital. The Persian forces are also bolstered by elephant troops that possess a powerful close-range attack--namely their tusks--which can plow through rows of pikemen. These already formidable beasts can be upgraded later in the game to mahouts, which carry gunmen that can fire from a distance. The Persians also possess powerful nonmilitary bonuses, like a starting bonus of 50 percent food, a discount of 30 percent on all civic research done to increase their abilities to expand, free taxation upgrades, and the ability to commission the maximum number of trade caravans available. Like all nations, the Persians also possess unique military units. The Persians may also commission immortals, a powerful type of infantry unit, and arquebus immortals, an upgraded version of the immortal that carries a firearm. "

Egyptian Prophecy Set For March 24 Release

"Egyptian Prophecy is set in ancient Egypt at a time when the glory of the country is under threat because of the impending death of Ramses II. Amon-Ra, the sun god, promises to extend his life in exchange for the most magnificent temple ever constructed. When the building site is affected by a number of sinister incidents, it's up to the player, as princess Maia, to solve the mystery and, in doing so, save the life of the dying pharaoh. "

Coliseum

"In Stormcloud Creations' Coliseum players will get the chance to become those managers. You'll guide three young warriors and with rigorous training, and a little dose of the Gods own luck, transform them into seasoned veterans of the Coliseum circuit.
Gameplay is resolved using an extremely detailed text based simulation engine. Every aspect of being an Arena manager is covered, from the basics of training your warriors to dealing with disease and injury.
Warriors will age over time, and even run the risk of getting in trouble outside the Arena (something that never happens in real life sports, now does it?).
With combat taking place with a real-time, blow by blow account drawn from literally hundreds of thousands of vivid descriptions, no two games will ever play the same.
Factor in all the other elements (hundreds of diseases and injuries, the realistic aging system, budget constraints, outside events, free agents) and you have a game with infinite possibilities!"

Shadow of Rome slated for the PS2

"Shadow of Rome's story is set in the year 48 BC. The leadership of the Roman Empire has been tarnished by political corruption, and Roman society has been overrun by unruliness and violence. Julius Caesar advocates for drastic reform to restore the republic to its former glory, but he is met with opposition. However, being the stubborn sort, old Julius keeps on pressing for change. Unfortunately, as any history buff can tell you, things don't work out quite like he'd hoped. Caesar is murdered before the changes he had advocated could be implemented. As the news of the head of state's demise starts to spread, a soldier named Agrippa rushes back to Rome to be faced with even worse news. Agrippa's father, Uesnius, who was a close advisor to Caesar, is the accused murderer. Unlike today's poky court system, the Roman judicial system keeps a pretty brisk pace and slates Uesnius for public execution by the winner of the next gladiatorial event, which is coming up fast. Anxious to keep his father alive, Agrippa sets out to prove his innocence and uncover the truth about Caesar's assassination. Thankfully Agrippa isn't in this alone. He has the help of his best friend, Octavius, and a freed female gladiator named Claudia. As you'd expect, the road to help Uesnius is a long one, chock-full of murder, intrigue, false accusations, and a whole lot of spilled blood in gladiatorial combat. An interesting twist to the narrative is the extended cast of characters you'll interact with, which will include actual historical figures.

While it's certainly a shame about Agrippa's father, the resulting adventure looks as though it's going to make for some really involving gameplay. Shadow of Rome is set to have a unique gameplay system that will combine two distinct styles of gameplay--action and stealth--in intertwining levels that will unfold in accordance to how you play. From what we've seen so far, the game will alternate between letting you play as Agrippa or Octavius, depending on the level. Agrippa is the well-trained, deadly fighter of the two. His levels will be action oriented and will revolve around the sorts of things you'd expect to see a gladiator engaging in. You'll fight single- or multiple-opponent battles in an arena, engage in chariot races, or fight on a ship at sea. You'll also engage in some pretty slick battles against animals such as lions or in assaults using catapults against structures in the arena. Combat appears to lean slightly more toward realism than in the Onimusha series and most of the gladiator games that have come out so far. Agrippa will rely on a mix of strength and resourceful use of whatever weapons are at hand or can be taken from an enemy. "

Nemesis of the Roman Empire

"For centuries, Italy was renowned as the center of civilization with its core thriving in the glory of Rome. The influence of the 'eternal city' extended well beyond its borders and ultimately encompassed the known world. Eventually, the paths of Carthage and Rome crossed and the whirlwind of the conflict that evolved included both Iberians and Gauls. For more than 100 years, great commanders fought ferocious battles and established new borders in the world in what came to be known as The Punic Wars."

"Nemesis of the Roman Empire, inspired by the history of The Punic Wars, allows players to experience the brutal warfare between the Romans and Carthaginians. It will explore the three Punic wars between Rome and Carthage in 264-146 B.C. and will include the famous campaigns of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus."