Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in full command of the historic Roman Empire, controlling the day to day lives of the Roman people? Or better yet, to punish an entire civilization by watching their world fall into complete and utter chaos? If either of these thoughts caught your attention, or if you're not quite as crazy minded as I am but are still intrigued, then read on to find out more about this soon to be released empire building simulation game.

Glory of the Roman empire is set during the peak of the Roman era, allowing players to get a feel for the better times in Rome's storied history. As the city planner, governor and military leader, players begin with a small village that they must turn into a large city while keeping the citizens happy and things running smoothly. But, don't get too relaxed just yet; there are some hurdles to overcome before your empire rules supreme. These come in the form of external problems such as military threats that players will have to defend, and economic threats that players will have to plan and protect against by keeping active trade between neighboring cities. On the internal side of things, the governor must ensure that the knowledge of his or her citizens is passed on from generation to generation. As people age they acquire knowledge, thus creating a required balance between the young and the old in order to continually advance your society.

The gameplay in Glory of the Roman Empire consists of managing and balancing these issues as well as many others to ensure that your city thrives and grows. The goal in the end is to create an advanced society that is happy, which is not an easy task by any means. However, this is where the fun lies in any building sim. If things went easily all the time, there would be no challenge to a game like this. It is the strategy and thinking that drives these types of games, as well as the rewards for the hard work. In Glory, rewards are received in the form of upgrades which players will receive automatically if his or her citizens' needs are being met.

The play modes in the game include a free play mode, allowing gamers to build up at their own leisure, as well as a challenge mode. In the latter, players will face a campaign consisting of over 30 missions in 11 different historical towns throughout Europe. All in all, Glory of the Roman Empire is easy to jump into and players will quickly become accustomed to the simple interface. It is easy to adapt to the demands of the game and they are not overly difficult to manage by any means. Those who like more complex strategy games may find this a little too easy, but for most players it does seem like the perfect balance.

The idea of building cities and controlling the destiny of their citizens has been around for quite some time now, and all of us who started off in this field by playing the original classic, Sim City, know just how fun it can be. However, to compare these two games would not do either justice. Sure they have some similarities, but they definitely have a different focus, feel and setting, as well as different gameplay mechanics.

Anyway, I digress. Glory of the Roman Empire is not Sim City, and it's also not a real-time strategy game; it's a sim that allows players to build a massive empire set in the Roman time period. This game requires strategic thinking and planning to keep moving things forward in a positive manner. I have to say that I prefer the open play much to the missions in the campaign, but that is just my personal preference. Anyone who likes a good structured campaign should enjoy the missions thoroughly. The graphics in this game are very good looking and will re-create the feel of the historic setting well. From the version we received, the game looks like it will not only be quite fun but also highly-polished when it releases later this month.