Rise of Legends, a game I love even today

Rise of Legends, a game I love even today

The DVD Cover of Rise of Legends

I am not certainly a gamer, especially when it comes to new releases and all those hi-fi first-person shooters and racing craze. But when I was younger, I often used to spend mny hours sitting in front of my Windows installation playing a game or two, especially from RTS (real-time strategy) genre. My favourites at that time included many of the well-known titles, such as the famously addictive Age of Empires series, Deus Ex (the original one), Glest and its more developed sibling Megaglest, etc. Now I only find myself occasionally trying to make my way into the world of Wesnoth, a fictional world of fantasy and adventure created by Mr. David White in 2003, and in heavy development soon after.

But recently, I discovered an old (by today’s standards) game, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. Released somewhere in th middle of 2006, the game wasn’t a commercial hit compared to its cousin the original Rise of Nations series. But after installing and playing the game, I can honestly say that I find it very addictive and especially thought-provoking indeed.

The game hosts a main campaign with a decently crafted storyline, featuring aliens, humanoids, robots and magical beings. The entire adventure takes place in the earth-like planet of Aio, which is shared by its three major kinds of inhabitants, the steampunk, tech-loving Vincis organised in form of city-states, the magical, Arabian-like Alins who are ruled by a single emperor, as well as the God-fearing and native Indian-resembling Cuotl (whose gods actually turn out to be a powerful breed of scientifically advanced aliens).

A fierce battle between the Cuotl Storm Goddess and the Vincis

The main story introduces Giacomo, my favourite character, also known as ‘Inventor of Miana’, brother of the ruler of the Vinci city-state Miana, Petruzo. At first, they’re shown to be journeying to a distant land to retrieve an artifact that has ‘fallen from the sky’, actually a high-tech component of a machine the Cuotl death-god Czin is trying to make. At the same time, their fierce enemy, the Doge, dictator of Venuci (another city-state), outruns them and kills Petruzo. Giacomo, guided by the Mianan General Carlini, and with the aid of Lenora, the captain of the fiercely independent Pirata Air Force, finally storm Venuci only to find that the Doge has escaped in the Alin provinces. They do the same, make a journey through the Alin sands, battle Djinns and finally kills the Doge. Then, they come across the real threat, the false Gods of the Cuotl, whom Giacomo battles. At the end, Giacomo sacrifices himself to prevent Czin from turning on a machine that would bring down chaos.

Vinci advanced technology unleased

The story is exceptionally well-made, and I believe Hollywood should try making a film on it. But the main feature of the game, which I especially like, is the fact that science and magic can combat one another in it. You get to select the faction of your choice, and my favourites are the Vincis. Graphics and sounds are especially marvellous, although the game turns a bit laggy at times. The strategies you may employ are limited in number, mainly because resources are only two in number, namely wealth (energy in case of the Cuotl) and Timonium. Wealth is mainly for building troops, while Timonium helps in making buildings and researching technology. Each faction has its own super-unit, the King Leviathan (a giant robotic spider, the ultimate expresssion of Vinci technology), the Glass Dragon (of the Alin) and a space-ship like floating city (of Cuotl). You can also summon heroes from each faction, with special powers. Tech tree is especially awesome, and resembles Age of Empires III in many ways, although far more advanced compared to it. Factions are well-balanced, and the concept of ‘boundary line between empires’ is especially fabulous.

So start a game, build and improve your cities, capture new cities and build a strong army to trample your opponents. Multiplayer support is pretty good, and the game still has a small, but active fanbase. One thing is especially cool, all those special effects. I remember battling the Cuotl (I was playing the Vinci) once with my Pirata Airforce, and immediately the Cuotl Goddess of storms came down with her fierce fleet of Quetzal fighters (high-tech flying crafts). My Air destroyers were destroyed themselves, but I had already researched my King Leviathan. And what a battle it was! The special attack of Leviathan is plain devastating.

There are a wide range of neutral factions who can be forced or persuaded to join your cause. Each of them may present different units in addition to the standing army that you maintain.

All in all, even after 7 years of its release, Rise of Legends can keep any casual gamer like me occupied for hours, if played properly.