Centurion: Defender of Rome

The Good
A very good port from the Amiga, Centurion is an excellent strategy game with great replay value and good gameplay. Although it can basically be finished within an hour or so, the game features well-rounded gameplay with great combat, interesting types of minigames and good managerial section.

Designed by legend Kellyn Beck (who also designed just-as-legendary Defender of the Crown), it is one of the best games I've ever played. Excellent graphics, good music, good controls and excellent gameplay make this one game you will not forget.

The Bad
Although a good game on its own, the PC version does have its drawbacks:

• The music is FM-based and not nearly as good as in the Amiga. Although the limitations are understanble, I still think it could have been done better.
• Very weak diplomacy, which is present in the original version as well, and that is unfortunate.
• Horrible sound effects. Jesus, and I thought the Amiga sound effects were bad...
• The game is too damn easy. I could never finish it on the Amiga, and the hardest setting on the PC is not nearly as difficult.

The Bottom Line
Overall, an excellent strategy game for the whole family. Wait, wrong game. Just play it, for crying out loud.

The Good
The basic "Cinemaware" style game mechanic was well executed (strategic map for troop movement and area control linked by mini-arcade games).

The land battles were interesting, once you understood the strategy, but could be very frustrating if you did not.

And who can beat the subject matter!

The Bad
The arcade games were horrible! The true Cinemaware games walked a fine line between simple and simplistic, but EA's attempt at the genre had a severe lack of control and depth.

Gladiator combat lacked any subtley (bang keys until you win/lose) and the chariot racing was equally disappointing.

Finally, the graphic look of the game was disappointing. This was released years after the original Cinemare games, yet hardly improved on their style.

The Bottom Line
Defender of The Crown meets Ben Hur. But in a bad way.

The Good
I loved the challenge of conquering the world. I loved trying to figure out the right combination of responses to negotiate treaties. And also racking up huge kill numbers was fun! The sea battles were great (modeled right after Pirates!), the chariot races were fun, but the best part had to be the responses of the enemy generals. Stuff like "Your tribe wear clothes not right" by Galba of Narbonensis and "I shall rip out your lying tongue, dog of Rome!" by Vercingetorix of Gaul just rule. :D

I really liked the music, but there were only like 2 in-game songs... I wish there had been more.

The Bad
Well, it didn't have a way of recording the "Record Achievements" at the end of the game. That would've been nice.

Also, I would have liked to see a greater diversity of units (Roman elephant units, archers, catapults, different types of cavalry, etc.), more flexibility of movement on the battlefields (you couldn't move units diagonally), more types of battlefields (trees, rivers, etc.), and stuff like that.

They really needed to cut down on the amount of gladiator fights! Practically every 3 years the citizens of Rome would "grow restless" and you'd have to hold a gladiator fight. That part was pretty pointless.

The Bottom Line
This is a really fun game. You should try to play it if you never have.