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Rise From Centurion To Mighty Caesar

"Leaves Other Cinematic Adventures In The Dust."

Yesterday's cinematic adventures were long on awesome graphics but short on play. That's no longer good enough. ow there is a cinematic adventure that gives you both.

• Split-second control of your legions. Set formations, choose tactics, and give orders to individual units in real time -- No two battles are ever the same!

• Master the chariot. Race in the legendary Circus Maximus. If anyone tries to pass you, whip him or shatter his chariot.

• Seduce the beautifulCleopatra and conquer Aegyptus. Can you win the "Jewel of the Nile," the most fabulous woman in history?

• Sink unpredictable enemies. Shower his ship with arrows, board him, or ram and splinter his hull. But watch out -- he knows different tricks!

• Plan your diplomacy. Invade, plunder, negotiate, and make alliances with nations of the known world. You can even change the difficulty level of any part of the game.

• Can you survive? Fight gladiator battles in the famous Coliseum. Will it be "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" with your sward at the beast's throat?

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Unknown Source

Kellyn Beck on

THE SECRETS OF CINEMATIC ADVENTURES

Let's go back in time. All the way back to about 275 BC. Civilization exists only in small pockets like Rome, Greece and Egypt. The rest of the world is a vast terra incognita, peopled with strange and dangerous barbarians. You are a young Centurion, sent with your legion to subdue marauding tribes of the Alps.

What would such an adventure be like?

That's the premise of Centurion: Defender of Rome, a new cinematic adventure, where you don't just watch the story unfold, you control the action. You'll race chariots in the Circus Maximus, sail fleets of ancient warships across the Mediterranean, compete in gladiator shows in the Colosseum, seduce the voluptuous Cleopatra and lead Roman legions into battle at the edge of civilization.

In Centurion, rich images of a time long ago are brought to life with cinematic techniques. I began exploring the uses of cinematic techniques in Defender of the Crown and Rocket Ranger. But as great as these early cinematic adventures LOOKED, they lacked the addicting involvement and interactive levels of great computer games. The "cinematic" part was complete. The "adventure" part was in its infancy.

The cinematic adventure has finally grown up. We used every last one of our secrets in making Centurion. It's all there: great graphics, cinematic editing, strategy, and depth of gameplay that players now demand.

Take Centurion's chariot racing scene. We planned out every scene the way a filmmaker would shoot it. You see your chariot enter the Circus Maximus and pass in front of a packed grandstand. The "camera" cuts to an aerial shot of the track and zooms in for a close-up of your chariot. Suddenly the race begins. You hold the reins as you charge around the track, whipping your opponent and trying to shatter his chariot.

We even added a fully-orchestrated musical soundtrack. We asked award-winning film composer Jon Newton to work his magic with sound boards. The pounding drums and blaring trumpets bring out the drama of each event.

But we wanted to go beyond cinematic appeal. We wanted to create an environment that's different each time you play, one that doesn't have the usual pre-determined path. Like our land battle. You control the action and create your own winning strategies. You direct the movements of each infantry and cavalry unit. You send your general into the fray to bolster your troops' morale. Retreat. Charge ahead. Outflank. Even form a wedge. But your enemies are "smart" and unpredictable. They'll adapt to outwit your previously successful strategies and present you with new challenges each time you play.

Cinematic graphics and great game play. This is what makes Centurion the first complete cinematic adventure.

It took my group, Bits of Magic and Electronic Arts three years to bring the epic world of Centurion to life. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy your journey back in time to the world of ancient Rome. (Here's one last secret: Save the Parthians for last. They can tear you to pieces.)

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Advertisement in PCGames, December 1990

Lead The Greatest Invasion Of All Time

Conquer the land, rule the sea and build a mighty Roman Empire. Hear clashing swords and trumpeting elephants as you wage war in real-time battles that you control. Take on the world in this cinematic adventure to become the absolute ruler of Rome.

Conquer, invade, and plunder with sheer force or heartless diplomacy.

Win colossal races. Whip your opponents and shatter their chariots.

Ram the enemy's hull, launch arrows and catapult fire in real-time sea battles.

You control the attack: Charge and drive a wedge through the barbarian hordes. No two battles are ever the same.

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Back of Cartridge Case - Genesis (US)