PC impressions: Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising
Games like Rome have gained some following, so a Roman-themed MMO doesn't seem too surprising a concept. Marking a departure from the elves-and-orcs staple of so many MMOs, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising takes place in a stylised Roman setting of approximately 300BC.
The game's setting assumes that Roman mythology was more-or-less fact, so players can attain favour with various gods and battle a range of mythological creatures. The focus of play is a cross between hack-and-slash combat and squad-based strategy -- execute combo moves and fight hand-to hand, or deploy a squad of soldiers to do your dirty work for you.
Quests in the game take the squad of minions into account, so solo play doesn't have the same "you versus the world" feel as in some other games. There are over 1,000 missions to keep you occupied, and the cross between squads and missions makes this feel more like an action game than a MMO at times.
Graphically the game isn't on a par with some of the stunning Eastern visuals we've seen at E3. However, it seems comparable to the other Roman-style games out there in look and feel. Scholars and classicists may balk at the reinterpretation of history, but anyone who wants a quick fix of historical multiplayer action may like this game. On the other hand, it seems that the concept would work equally well as a straightforward RPG rather than a MMO, so the jury's out on whether it will be worth the monthly fee.
