Caesar III

"Hail, Caesar!!!"

If you are a fan of any Simulation game, or just a big history buff, then Caesar III is the game for you! It has everything that a game based on Rome would have: barbarians, wars, large cities, prosperous provinces, and of course, Caesar himself! I love this game, and chances are, you will too! This game may take little time to learn, but it takes a long time to master it!

Graphics - 10/10
WOW!!! Everything is true to the Roman period! The temples, the theatres, the farms, and of course...the Colosseum!!! Every building is an eyeful. They are gorgeously detailed and coloured - to a point where you can simply drool. The citizens of your city even walk around the streets, going about their daily routines, and you can clearly see when you have a LOT of people! Amazing! A 10 in my book!

Sound - 10/10
Another WOW!!! Sound effects, as well as background pieces, are plentiful! Sword strikes, hammers pounding metal, furniture being manufactured... it all sounds REAL!!! The background music is even better, especially the battle music! The voices are VERY abundant and at times amusing. The citizens voice their opinions about the city and tell you how to improve if you are having trouble. There are tons of voice-overs (definitely more than 50 clips... and some are more than a minute long, especially the mission briefings in the Career game!!!)

Gameplay - 10/10
Yet again, WOW!!! There are two ways you can play this game, and both are fun! You can play missions, where you build cities, and in time, you can become the next Caesar... that is, if you do a good job! Or, if you prefer building a city without Caesar watching your every move, you can go to the City Construction Kit and build your own. I prefer the latter choice, as you have more freedom and no limitations on city requirements.

This game is focuses heavily on government. You must make sure that your people have enough health, educational, and entertainment facilities to keep them happy, and make sure that you can employ people too. You can adjust taxes, hold festivals, and much, much more!!!

This game is well worth your time and money, let me tell you. This game is definitely for those who love Sims or Roman history. And to paraphrase Shakespeare's Antony... ''I praise thee, Caesar III''.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/01/02, Updated 02/02/03