The battle is on.

As for the multiplayer game, Rise of Nations features a slick in-game interface for match selection, letting you find the next one on one, two on two, or three on three game and jump right in. You can also set a custom set of game parameters if you have a particularly favorite game configuration. Additionally, the game will track your stats and maintain leaderboards, and let you browse player stats and profiles on the web as well as within the game. You can also maintain friend lists, issue challenges to other players, and other such things that have become a staple of Microsoft’s vision of online gaming for Xbox 360 players. The work that went into balancing the races is really evident online and Rise of Nations could develop into one of those strategy games that has a loyal online contingent of players for years to come.

All of this comes wrapped in a very pretty package. Rise of Legends is a gorgeous looking game, from the colorful and detailed game maps to the smooth and lifelike movements of the individual units. Nothing in the game seems static, as the cities are always a hub of activity and environmental animations such as flocks of birds and flowing water help to really bring the game to life. The game’s engine is fully 3D, but as is the case in most 3D strategy games playing the game is only really practical from a zoomed back camera view.

It’s hard to imagine a strategy gamer not enjoying this game. The setting itself and the very unique factions in the game are enough to make the game stand out from the crowd. Back this up with some solid RTS gameplay and you have a winner in Rise of Legends.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 90%. Rise of Legends rises above the real-time strategy crowd.

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