$20 Game of the Week: Rise of Nations – Gold Edition (PC)

Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of real-time strategy games. Mainly I’ve been sticking with the Command and Conquer series, Starcraft, and Warcraft. You can never go wrong with their simple-but-addictive play mechanics, but there are also options available for people who seek something deeper. Total War, Age of Empires, and Empire Earth are a lot more complicated than beginning RTS players are used to, but the historical settings they utilize as their backdrop reward those who have the patience to learn the play mechanics. Microsoft Game Studios/Big Huge Game’s Rise of Nations however, achieves a happy medium between the fast paced and simple mechanics of Starcraft and the world building aspects of Empire Earth.

Rise of Nations can best be described as Civilization as an RTS game. You pick one of over 20 civilizations (each with their own unique abilities, units, and special traits) and you oversee its development from the dawn of time until the distant future. Like all RTS games, base building, technology development, and resource gathering play a key role. However, you also make negotiate with other nations, expand your territory, and pick your style of government. There is no single player campaign mode so to speak, but you can choose to play though a number of scenarios, play a random battle, or you can play the game’s conquest mode, where you can take over the world, one territory at a time. This game also includes scenario and script editors for the modders out there, and of course you can take it online. The Gold Edition of the game includes the Thrones and Patriots expansion, which includes new scenarios, new civilizations, and new units. Fans of the RTS genre and world building games alike will enjoy watching their civilization develop from tribal settlers to tanks, airplanes, and beyond.

System Requirements:
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 or higher (including Vista)
Processor: 500 MHZ or greater
System Ram: 128 MB or better
Hard Drive Storage: 1.6 GB or more
CD ROM Drive: 8X or better
Video Card: 16 MB or better
Hardware: Sound Card required for audio, mouse or other Microsoft approved pointing device
Online: 56 Kbps modem or LAN for online/multiplayer