Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War: A Nostalgic Look at a Forgotten Gem
Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War is definitely a hidden gem in the world of real-time strategy games. Despite being abandonware, the game still holds up well today and is definitely worth checking out for fans of the RTS genre. As an old Age of Empires snob, this really filled those “what if I could control the character in third person” fantasies most of us from the time had.
And that was just it, possibly the biggest standout feature of Rise and Fall was indeed this third-person mechanic, which was a first for RTS games at the time of its release in 2006. This allowed players to control their units in a more immersive and dynamic way, as they could see the action from a more personal perspective. A dream come true.
The game also boasts a very robust single player campaign, where players can choose to play as one of six different civilizations: Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Persian, Barbarian, and Assyrian. Each civilization has its own unique units and abilities, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game.
The voice acting (in all its cheesy mid-’00s glory) really added to the overall atmosphere of the game. It helped bring the civilizations to life and made the single-player campaign feel more like a movie than a videogame.
In addition to the main character voices, the game also had a narrator who provided historical context and background information on each of the civilizations. This helps to further immerse players in the world and gives them a better understanding of the context in which the game takes place. I fondly remember feeling like such a smart-ass in History class because of facts retained from a playthrough.
It is certainly a shame that it was abandoned and is no longer being supported by the developer. The game was definitely a unique and innovative entry in the world of real-time strategy games, and it is a shame that apart from the fact that it is no longer being updated or maintained, there are no games like it.
Overall, This is really is a fantastic RTS game that aged well. Its innovative third-person mechanic and engaging single-player and multiplayer modes make it a hidden gem that is not to be missed!
