Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends Critic Reviews

Everything about this title is simply executed on a level that we rarely see outside a few elite development studios.

Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends is one of those games that you can sit down, have fun then look at the clock and realize two hours have gone by, it’s just that addictive.

The three races, even though there could have been some more differences between them, are really fun to play with and bring a nice breath of fresh air into the genre.

By taking all that's best from the real-time build-and-conquer template, mixing it with elements of Civilization and Total War, and wrapping it up in an impressive (though not quite eye-popping) engine, Big Huge Games have taken the genre in a bold and exciting new direction.

It's obvious a lot of thought went into every aspect of the game, from the unique look and functionality of each race to the incredible balancing that ensures each of them are on equal footing.

It's generous, detailed, and brainy. If you want cheap thrills, there are some great real-time strategy games out there -- this isn't one of them. But if you want something from the other end of the spectrum that plays unlike anything else, this is the game for you.

Bottom line, if you liked Rise of Nations (and there were few who didn’t), Rise of Legends will be right up your ally.

Steampunk and fantasy mesh in a way that's thrilling and engaging, and perilously addictive. It's hard to find a comparison to any RTS you've experienced before; this masterpiece just may become a Legend in its own right.

This is a solid game, nice graphics, great controls, but most importantly, immersive engaging gameplay that makes you forget to sleep and eat.

Intense strategy monster that almost lives up to its predecessor's legend.

The setting itself and the very unique factions in the game are enough to make the game stand out from the crowd. Back this up with some solid RTS gameplay and you have a winner in Rise of Legends.

Visually, the game is spectacular, but the 3D engine demands a fairly powerful PC - the bigger the battle, the slower the performance. Thankfully there are plenty of graphics options to fiddle with.

A masterful work.

A pretty engaging and challenging strategy, offering a lengthy single-player campaign in a captivating fantasy setting.

Given Bug Huge Game's big huge ambition level when crafting <i>Rise of Legends</i>, some dents in the genie lamp are to be expected. But they don't come close to spoiling <i>Legend's</i> fabulous magic carpet ride.

A game of non-stop action that spits in the face of its boring real-time strategy rivals.

It is always risky to take something popular and approachable and change it up. That alone is well worth the price of admission. Factor in the enjoyable single player campaign and excellent art design, and I think you certainly have a game worth your hard earned cash.

Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends features the best balance I’ve seen in an RTS – ever.

Despite providing three well-balanced, distinctive races, a host of spectacular units and powers, and some novel play factors like national borders and peaceful expansion, away from the rationale of the story of RoL can feel a tad generic.

The second game from Big Huge Game designer Brian Reynolds takes careful steps to renew real-time strategy gaming, but does not dare step far enough. The game is beautiful and has lots of great ideas, but lacks in feeling, mostly due to bad sound effects.