Centurion: Defender of Rome

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.