Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends

Since Rise of Nations was so fantastic and innovative, it's only natural to anticipate that Rise of Legends would be similarly ground-breaking. That it isn't is disappointing. But those looking for a quirky RTS with great races and well-balanced units--that also somehow manages to pack all of that into a more-of-the-same design--will find a lot here to like, as long as they're not too hung-up on great storytelling.

Given how much I liked the first title, more Rise of Nations isn't a bad thing. Fortunately, Rise of Legends improves on the original in a few key areas. First, the introduction of the new unique races and their distinctive abilities and art styles helps give the game a much needed fantasy flavor. The graphics are pleasant to look at and offer a wide range of cool effects and distinct environments. The RTS mechanics take a while to get used to but they're relatively solid and undeniably enjoyable.

Strut your ego online, however, and you'd best have octopus arms. Literally swarming with hotkeys, Rise of Legends has enough multistroke macros to make flight simulators quiver with envy. That's a compliment if you're hardcore, but a warning if you don't play competitively. The guy with the steel trap memory and piano fingers will smoke your mouse pokes every time.