Grand Ages: Rome

History may wisely inform you that Rome wasn't built in a day, when in fact it could have been formed in mere hours if Grand Ages Rome had anything to do with it. You won't find Kalypso's latest release in the history textbooks but you will find yourself engrossed in a highly detailed second century city builder.

Rome offers sim settler and combat options wrapped in a simple interface. Don't be fooled by the minimalist approach though; underneath the right click of a mouse lies a plethora of building tools designed for detail and ease of use.

The trusty tutorial clearly explains how to start your own thriving city by building key elements to recruit workers, source and maintain a water supply and so forth. Not only this, but it will even show you the best locations to place buildings, especially those with specific terrain requirements — so you won't have an accidental blonde moment (or the Roman equivalent) attempting to place a quarry over a pond.

Once you've mastered the basics it's a matter of ruling your sacred empire. The inhabitants helpfully tend to take care of themselves, showing off the software's solid artificial intelligence (AI) and leaving you to carry on with more important issues concerning development and finances.

There are set missions to help fuel the imagination though sandbox play is equally as fun. If you're a sim building fan then there's nothing out of the norm. It's everything you'd expect from any of the similar titles that came before it with no particular innovation regarding style or function.

Mouse clicking and scrolling forms the basis of overview while general camera manoeuvring leaves something to be desired. Zooming in produces close detail — undoubtedly a pretty touch — but finding a happy medium between intricacy and practicality can be tricky and just plain annoying at times. Watching your workers construct your building demands is a charming idea but zooming to such a scale renders general gameplay impossible in the long run. In addition the promised combat focus is in reality a disappointing appendage that seems to have been thrown in at the last minute. Sure, you can invade and conquer and battle 'til your heart's content, but direct involvement is minimal and it often feels as if you're more spectator than Sim God.

With all this in mind it is worth noting that Grand Ages Rome is an improvement from previous incarnations such as Imperium Romanum. It may not plume the depths or popularity of Empire Total War or Age of Empires but it has to be said that computer AI and visual delicacy cannot be faulted. It's just a shame the release coincides with Empire and will most likely be defeated under its dominating presence.

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