Centurion: Defender of Rome

The game begins in Ancient Rome in the year 275 BC, placing the player in the sandals of a centurion in the Roman army, at first leading a single legion. The player's ultimate goal is to become a Caesar through a mix of successful military conquests and internal politics of "Bread and Circuses".

The bulk of the game involve turn-based strategic planning and management on the world map and the real-time battles (with on-demand pauses to give orders to formations) against various enemies of the Roman Empire, such as the Celts, Carthaginians and Parthians. Centurion also featured other "side-show" activities, such as gladiatorial combat (the player's duties involve financing the ludi events), chariot racing in the Circus Maximus, and naval battles. There is also some diplomacy (it is even possible to seduce the queen Cleopatra after forming an alliance with Egypt).Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211210/jZkS-FT8vV0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180712195643/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkS-FT8vV0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkS-FT8vV0| title = Centurion: Defender of Rome Cleopatra Seduction Scene | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

The game's designer, Kellyn Beck, was also the creator of several Cinemaware games and Centurion was similar in look to those games, featuring "cinematic" graphics, animation and sound effects. His inspiration for the game came from watching the films Ben Hur and Spartacus and the game's working title was Caesar.Computer Gaming World 55 (January 1989), p.14 The team Bits of Magic, who co-designed and programmed the game, included Nicky Robinson.

The PC version of Centurion received 3 out of 5 stars in Dragon.{{cite journal|title=The Role of Computers|last1=Lesser|last2=Lesser|last3=Lesser|first1=Hartley|first2=Patricia|first3=Kirk|journal=Dragon|issue=163|date=November 1990|pages=47–50}} Other magazines, however, usually gave the game better reviews, with scores mostly in the range of 75-90%.{{Cite web|url=https://amr.abime.net/review_43515|title=Centurion review from Joystick 8 (Sep 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack|website=amr.abime.net|accessdate=4 February 2024}} Computer Gaming World gave it three-plus stars out of five in 1990. The magazine praised the VGA graphics and audio, and said that as a game as opposed to an accurate historical simulation, Centurion "succeeds admirably ... those who liked those old gladiator movies" would enjoy it.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=74 | title=A Funny Game Happened on the Way to the Forum / Electronic Arts' Centurion: Defender of Rome | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=September 1990 | accessdate=16 November 2013 | author=Brooks, M. Evan | pages=43 | issue=74}}{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=75 | title=Computer Strategy and Wargames: Pre-20th Century | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=October 1990 | accessdate=16 November 2013 | author=Brooks, M. Evan | pages=11}} In 1993, the magazine gave the game two-plus stars, describing it as a "graphical tour de force—a historic tour de farce".{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=107 | title=An Annotated Listing of Pre-20th Century Wargames | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=June 1993 | accessdate=7 July 2014 | author=Brooks, M. Evan | pages=138}}

• Consoles Plus (September 1991){{Cite web|url=https://abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=51&num=6576|title=Le site des anciennes revues informatiques - www.abandonware-magazines.org|website=abandonware-magazines.org|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• Raze (August 1991){{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/RAZE_Issue_10_1991-08_Newsfield_Publishing_GB/page/n37/mode/2up|title = RAZE - Issue 10 (1991-08) (Newsfield Publishing) (GB)|date = August 1991}}
• Amiga Action (June 1991){{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_4811|title = Centurion review from Amiga Action 21 (Jun 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack}}
• CU Amiga (April 1991){{Cite web|url=https://amr.abime.net/review_10682|title=Centurion: Defender of Rome review from CU Amiga (Apr 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack|website=amr.abime.net|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (July 1991){{Cite web|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=11550|title=Kultboy.com - DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!|website=www.kultboy.com|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• Zero (June 1991){{Cite web|url=https://amr.abime.net/review_11648|title=Centurion review from Zero 20 (Jun 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack|website=amr.abime.net|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (September 1991){{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-48/page/n59/mode/2up|title = ACE Magazine Issue 48|date = September 1991}}
• Zero (August 1990){{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/zero-magazine-10/page/n58/mode/2up|title = Zero Magazine Issue 10|date = August 1990}}
• Amiga Computing (August 1991){{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_8037|title = Centurion review from Amiga Computing 39 (Aug 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack}}
• Amiga Format (July 1991){{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_2153|title = Centurion: Defender of Rome review from Amiga Format 24 (Jul 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack}}
• ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (September 1990){{Cite web|url=https://amr.abime.net/review_37784|title=Centurion: Defender of Rome review from ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment 36 (Sep 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack|website=amr.abime.net|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• Tilt (September 1991){{Cite web|url=https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/erreur404.php|title=Le site des anciennes revues informatiques - www.abandonware-magazines.org|website=www.abandonware-magazines.org|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (September 1991){{Cite web|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=12172|title=Kultboy.com - DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!|website=www.kultboy.com|accessdate=4 February 2024}}
• Video Games (September 1991){{Cite web|url=http://www.kultpower.de/archiv/heft_videogames_1991-03_seite86|title = Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Videogames 3/1991}}
• Amiga Joker (June 1991)[http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/centurio.htm#centurionaj Review]gamespy.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725041814/http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/centurio.htm#centurionaj |date=25 July 2008 }}
• Amiga Power (June 1991){{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_119|title = Centurion review from Amiga Power 2 (Jun 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack}}
• The Games Machine (August 1990){{Cite web|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_9917|title = Centurion review from the Games Machine 33 (Aug 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack}}
• Amiga Power (July 1991){{cite web|title=Amiga Power Issue 3 1991|url=https://archive.org/stream/Amiga_Power_Issue_03_1991-07_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n94/mode/2up}} {{dead link|date=February 2024}}

• Annals of Rome
• Rome: Pathway to Power

{{reflist}}

• {{moby game|id=/centurion-defender-of-rome|name=Centurion: Defender of Rome}}
• Centurion: Defender of Rome can be played for free in the browser on the Internet Archive

Category:1990 video games

Category:Amiga games

Category:DOS games

Category:Electronic Arts games

Category:FM Towns games

Category:NEC PC-9801 games

Category:Real-time strategy video games

Category:Sega Genesis games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Turn-based strategy video games

Category:Video games about gladiatorial combat

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Video games set in the Roman Empire