Ancient Rome never goes out of fashion. It has been nine years since Caesar III helped establish the PC as the thinking person's gaming platform, but its return is definitely welcome. A reasonably pretty 3D engine aside, the Caesar games' essence has barely changed for this fourth installment. But despite that lack of adventurous design, it's still a compelling city-management experience.
Your task is to gradually transform tracts of empty countryside into bustling economic powerhouses. For that, you need people. To attract people, you need houses and work. To create work, you need to build farms, factories and, as a classier breed of Roman starts sniffing around, shops, schools and theatres. Then there's water supply, health, policing, trade, tribute to Rome and army building to keep in mind. It's an incredible amount to keep under control, but rather than being daunting it's engrossing and satisfyingly deep.
Sadly, such fine micro-management is hamstrung by an awful interface. Sprawling menus obscure the screen so much you can often barely see what you're doing, sometimes to the point where there isn't room to place a building where you want it. It's very frustrating, and undermines the feeling of leisurely omnipotence the game is supposed to have.
Another misfire is the crude combat, which, because it's so out of keeping with the rest of the game, feels token at best and silly at worst. If you crave Caesarian combat, Rome: Total War is the game to choose, while less-violent historical itches are best scratched with the very different but brilliant Civilization IV.
Nevertheless, a worthwhile game still lurks beneath the sloppy controls. Old as it is, the Caesar formula remains one it's easy to lose dozens of hours to, making it a real shame that this time around it feels a bit rushed and short on new elements.
System Specifications
Requires Windows 2000/XP, 1.6GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 64MB 3D card, 2.0GB disk space
Author: Alec Meer
Computer Shopper Online