Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War

Sadly, there's very little reason to recommend this title to fans of the strategy or action genres. While there are some decent features, there are too many mistakes thrown on top of an altogether bland design. It's just too bad that the hybrid meant the developers put half the quality for both of the genres. Unless you're specifically looking for a game where you can get down into the action and make a difference to the battle in a traditional RTS setting, look elsewhere for your entertainment.

Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War is a big disappointment. I had huge expectations for this real-time strategy game from the makers of Empire Earth. What I received was the original developers closing down and a feeling that this is still an incomplete game that Midway rushed to release. I can’t see any possible reason to purchase Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War besides any RTS nut looking for a quick fix.

In the end, Rise & Fall attempts a few innovative things with the real-time strategy genre, though it's hurt by the fact that it wants to be both a hardcore real-time strategy game and a fast-paced action game. Unfortunately, it's hard to have it both ways in this genre, as the action mode is bound to frustrate and disappoint strategy fans.