Centurion: Defender of Rome

Genre:

Strategy

Year:

1990

Developer:

Bits of Magic

Publisher:

Electronic Arts

Perspective:

3rd-person, Isometric, Top-down

Theme:

History, Warfare, Real-time

Releases:

DOS (1990), Genesis (1991), Amiga (1991)

It is 275 BC and you begin to write the story of the Roman Empire, which you will help shape as a young legionnaire. Game Centurion: Defender of Rome is a high quality strategy in which both battle skills and diplomacy are very important. The game begins in Ancient Rome in the year 275 BC, placing the player in the sandals of a centurion in the Roman army, at first leading a single legion. The player's ultimate goal is to become a Caesar through a mix of successful military conquests and internal politics of "Bread and Circuses". The bulk of the game involve turn-based strategic planning and management on the world map and the real-time battles (with on-demand pauses to give orders to formations) against various enemies of the Roman Empire, such as the Celts, Carthaginians and Parthians. As you come to the territory which does not belong to you and you would like to get it, you get the first opportunity to speak with the leader of the area. Either both of you agree on a diplomatic solution, or the fun part of the game begins and you go into the war. If you manage to claim the land for you, the worries about it doesn't end. You must continue to guard the Province against the incursions of the barbarians and keep it stable, to help form your empire. Already from this brief description you can seee, that a well chosen strategy is an important part of this game.