Introduction
Developed by Emperor Games for release next year, Roman Empire Wars will put players into the role of Emperor, with all the responsibility for imperial security and expansion that brought. You alone will control general diplomacy and battlefield tactics; therefore, you must aim to carefully balance relations with rival powers, like Sparta or Gaul, if you are to assert the might of Rome across the known world…
For full details, visit https://store.steampowered.com/app/1443980/Roman_Empire_Wars/.
A More Basic Premise
Despite being Emperor Games’ first foray into historical gaming, Roman Empire Wars will not ‘break-the-mould’ as far as wargaming is concerned; rather, it merely promises to complement the well-established genre of ancient-era conflict simulation, updated for a modern audience. Therefore, success will likely be measured on appealing to fans of similar titles; a daunting task for such an inexperienced indie developer.
This considered it is unlikely that Roman Empire Wars will compete on par with past successful Roman strategy titles, like Rome: Total War (from Creative Assembly), or Imperator Rome (from Paradox Interactive). Both titles offered altogether more comprehensive gameplay, with players having to manage complex economic and governmental systems, not just engage in battle. However, it would be unfair to expect parity with these titles; their respective developers have the resources and experience necessary to produce a market-leading war simulator, a lofty status Emperor Games simply can’t match. Thus, their game’s premise shouldn’t be solely judged according to past precedent; rather, it’s inherent disadvantages in a saturated market deserve recognition.
Key Features
Unfortunately, conducting a more thorough run-through of gameplay is impossible at this time; published information has been rather limited in detail, complemented by a mere five in-game screenshots. That said, some indication of the general focus of this title can be discerned from these somewhat meagre offerings.
Indeed, those screenshots give a clearer image of the various environments in which battles may be fought. As mentioned, Roman Empire Wars challenges players to dominate the world as known by ancient Romans; territories as diverse as Great Britain, Persia, and Carthage, and everything in between, all being explorable. These screenshots show a detailed simulation of the desert, alpine, and forest biomes respectively, with appropriate weather conditions to match. Players will have to regularly adapt their strategy and formations to cope with deep sands, steep inclines, and potential freak snowstorms.
Furthermore, players are also promised a sophisticated battle management system, for both land and naval encounters. Tactics can be altered in real-time, allowing your armies to properly adapt to the state of battle; whether better to flank the enemy, or attack them head-on, you alone can dictate the course of action. Overtime, mastering the flux of battle should bring your empire countless victories, mimicking the glories of Rome’s greatest leaders.
Finally, developers promise that your units will accurately reflect those of the day, both in terms of utility and uniform. Therefore, your experience as Emperor will hopefully seem that bit more immersive.
Conclusion
Overall, information released thus far doesn’t suggest that Roman Empire Wars will be a particularly revolutionary title; it mainly just continues an existing trend of ancient-era virtual wargaming. However, given Emperor Games’ more ‘newbie’ status where game development is concerned, it would be unfair to expect the earth at this point.