Considered a precursor to some of the modern games, such as ROME!, and even classic games, such as the Caesar series, The Annals of Rome is a turn-based strategy set in 273BC. Each turn is representative of twenty-five years, and the game has potential to last indefinitely. The goal is to keep the empire of Rome unified for as long as possible.
The Annals of Rome is an excellent game of military conquest that also incorporates realistic factors such as economics, politics and culture. These are all features of micromanagement, but the game does not become tedious or bogged down with little details because it moves along at such a rapid pace, and the interface is so easy to use that details are readily handled.
The enemies to the Roman republic are also based on historical tribes. Barbarian hordes such as the Visigoths, Vandals, Huns, and Turks are always threatening the borders of the empire. The senator’s (you) job is to allocate funds, resources and military in order to defend that which has been conquered, and add more lands to the flourishing empire. Eventually, though, the lands will be vast enough that they are hard to hold, and that will be where the greatest challenges will be faced.
The game phases of The Annals of Rome are very nicely organized and easy to follow. It begins with an economic portion, which also includes the ability to levy or eliminate taxes according to the needs of the empire’s coffers
and the ability of the people to pay. The senator is then given an update on the progress each general is making, and finally there is a military aspect. This is where the expansion of the actual empire takes place.
The Annals of Rome is not a tactical war game, but is all about strategy and simplistic micromanagement. It is a great opportunity to defy history and change the fate of the Roman Empire by improving on its grandeur using your own ideas and strategies. Graphically speaking, this is not an award-winner (and the same goes for sound), but the game play is not effected in the least. This is a very solid game. It is well-worth a download, and will likely force the gamer into hours of forethought, second-guessing and strategy.
