Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends
May 23,2006 - Making a standout strategy game in 2006 is a tough task, thanks in part to Big Huge Games' earlier effort, Rise of Nations. In the Age of Empires realm of RTS's, RoN was the pinnacle of deep and broad gameplay, featuring a huge variety of nations, maps, units, and eras. A sequel was a given, but who expected Big Huge to go out on such a limb with Rise of Legends? Granted, it's similar enough to its lauded predecessor to keep it grounded, but in other ways, it couldn't be more different. And for that, we cry “Hallelujah!” It would have been all too easy to toss out Rise of Nations 2 and call it a day, but instead, we have a brand new experience on our hands.

A lot of these changes are welcome, even superior. The biggest improvement is arguably the addition of a single-player campaign narrative, the lack of which was Rise of Nations' primary shortcoming. The story introduces you to Rise of Legends' three races, each of which is as different from the others as you can imagine. Yet modern strategy titles like Dawn of War and Battle for Middle Earth II prove that solid gameplay does not preclude a fascinating story, and Rise of Legends stumbles in this regard. The science-fantasy game world is colorful and artistic, but the story is slapped on with little exposition. We'd love to know more about the Vinci, Alin and Cuotl, but as presented by RoL, we can't make heads nor tails of exactly what was going on or why. Important characters are introduced with a two-second voiceover, a lot of plot points go unexplained, and the campaign feels a little haphazard as a result.

That feel translates to the gameplay itself, although it pieces itself together well as the campaign progresses, and finally roots itself in Rise of Legends' strong multiplayer game. The Vinci race produces clockwork units that would have been at home in Syberia, while the Alin and Cuotl bring their own unique flavors to the table, thanks to their own colorful, fantastical units and buildings. This is where the muddles story sticks out most, because this is a vibrant, fleshed-out world that is unlike anything we've seen before. Giant fire-breathing salamanders emerge from volcanic Alin fortresses, while winged cherubs float above the proceedings while a flying Vinci hero rains down flaming death upon them from above. It's a mix of sci-fi and fantasy design that is simultaneously enthralling and confusing.

It doesn't take long to get used to Rise of Legends' unique elements, however. The crux of the gameplay isn't changed much: expand your territory, collect resources, and prepare for attack. The mechanics of doing so give the usual ingredients an unusual and original spin, however. Off the bat you'll notice that city building and expansion is a little different than we're used to. You must build city districts to unlock upgrades, produce new units, and generally advance your offensive and defensive capabilities. Unit-producing buildings vary by race, making the gameplay experience on each side unique. For example, the Vinci must build multiple research facilities, because each facility can be used for one purpose, such as churning out lumbering walkers, or building an enormous telescope. The Alin, on the other hand, have separate structures representing the elemental ingredient of the resulting units.

From there, matches equate to a war of land domination. As you spread across the map, you encounter NPC units and buildings to attack, although if you've been trading with them (an automatic process taken care of by caravan units), you may very well acquire them without a battle, earning some new unites in the process. You've also got other skills which you acquire over the course of battle, usually determined by which player reaches a particular goal first. Military dominance provides a powerful attack that differs by race, for example, while craft dominance offers a defensive power. As you could guess, these skills take some time to recharge, and can turn the tide of battle.

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