CivCity: Rome
{{Short description|2006 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = CivCity: Rome
|image = CivCityRome Boxart.jpg
|developer = Firefly Studios
Firaxis Games
|publisher = 2K Games
|producer = Darrin Horbal
|designer = Simon Bradbury
|artist = Darrin Horbal
|writer = Simon Bradbury
|composer = Robert L. Euvino
|engine =
|series = Civilization
|released = {{vgrelease|NA|July 24, 2006|PAL|July 28, 2006}}
|genre = City-building
|modes= Single-player
|platforms = Microsoft Windows
}}
CivCity: Rome is a city building strategy game by Firefly Studios and Firaxis Games. It includes elements from two game series, Caesar and Civilization.
The player manages various cities of the Roman Empire by strategic placement of buildings. Making sure that each neighborhood has access to all the commodities it needs to upgrade the residences of citizens is the primary challenge.
Gameplay
File:Trajan's Column.png in the game]]
The game offers two types of mission: stand-alone missions to include freeplay (or "sandbox") and campaign-based tutorial missions. The campaign-based mission begins when the player, an engineer, is hired by a local stone works overseer to build a stone mine colony. The player then gets further opportunities to prove himself, meeting such historic characters as Marcus Licinius Crassus and Julius Caesar. The player is granted various ranks, progressing through such titles as Quaestor, Aedile, Censor, Tribune, Praetor and Consul.
Each campaign mission begins with the player's patron offering the greeting of "Hail!" and then stating the character's title. Midway through the game, the player can choose to embark on military campaigns or continue to play peaceful missions which have harder goals but no risk of invasion. In the five military missions, the player can fight three different enemies: the Egyptians, the Germanic tribes of the north, and the famous warriors of Carthage. The building and research options vary according to which mission the player chooses.
The game comes with 27 different maps and 34 missions with user-created scenarios offering many game play possibilities. There are over 75 unique units, 115 different building types and 70 technologies to research in the game. The player can also find over 1000 historical facts in the Civilopedia. There are seven wonders that can be built: the Colosseum, the Great Library, the Great Lighthouse of Alexandria, Trajan's Column, the Obelisk, Circus Maximus, and the Pantheon. Production of these trophy buildings will confer various advantages to the city.
Some citizens will break the fourth wall and state that they are aware they are in a video game. One female citizen specifically will state that she often looks upwards and sees a great face staring down at her (referencing the player).
The player can look inside of various buildings and interact with many of the city's residents. If these citizens are not paid, fed, or given other necessities, they will start to become unhappy. If city happiness falls too low, people will start to leave the city. In the game, there is also chance that certain people, (Cleopatra, Attila the Hun, Julius Caesar, etc.), can increase or decrease city happiness by sending messages. Some natural disasters can occur, such as earthquakes and fires, and these can bring down buildings.
An in-game editor allows players to create new maps and scenarios.
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 67/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/civcity-rome/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=CivCity: Rome for PC Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215225558/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/civcity-rome |url-status=live }}
| CGM = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Review: CivCity: Rome |magazine=Computer Games Magazine |publisher=theGlobe.com |issue=192 |date=November 2006 |page=74}}
| CGW = (unfavorable){{cite magazine |last=Kramer |first=Greg |url=https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_267.pdf |title=CivCity: Rome |magazine=Computer Gaming World |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=267 |date=October 2006 |page=92 |access-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510004546/https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_267.pdf |url-status=live }}
| EuroG = 5/10{{cite web |author=Egon Superb |date=August 7, 2006 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/r-civcityrome-pc |title=CivCity: Rome |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| GI = 8/10{{cite magazine |title=CivCity: Rome |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=GameStop |issue=161 |date=September 2006 |page=98}}
| GamePro = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine |author=Kilgore |date=August 10, 2006 |url=http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/79271.shtml |title=Review: CivCity: Rome |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210133224/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/79271.shtml |archive-date=February 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| GameRev = C−{{cite web |last=Ferris |first=Duke |date=August 10, 2006 |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/37337-civcity-rome-review |title=CivCity: Rome Review |website=GameRevolution |publisher=CraveOnline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012030908/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/civcity-rome |archive-date=October 12, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| GSpot = 6.6/10{{cite web |last=Todd |first=Brett |date=July 28, 2006 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/civcity-rome-review/1900-6154854/ |title=CivCity: Rome Review |website=GameSpot |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417130239/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/civcity-rome-review/1900-6154854/ |url-status=live }}
| GSpy = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Rausch |first=Allen |date=July 25, 2006 |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/civcity-rome/720885p1.html |title=GameSpy: CivCity: Rome |website=GameSpy |publisher=IGN Entertainment |access-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213215429/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/civcity-rome/720885p1.html |url-status=live }}
| IGN = 8.2/10{{cite web |last=Butts |first=Steve |date=July 25, 2006 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/07/25/civcity-rome |title=CivCity: Rome |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-date=October 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015021919/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/07/25/civcity-rome |url-status=live }}
| MaxPC = 6/10{{cite magazine |last=Klett |first=Steve |url=http://www.maximumpc.com/article/CivCity-Rome |title=CivCity Rome |magazine=Maximum PC |publisher=Future US |date=November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517190611/http://www.maximumpc.com/article/CivCity-Rome |archive-date=May 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| PCGUK = 65%{{cite magazine |title=CivCity: Rome |magazine=PC Gamer UK |publisher=Future plc |date=August 2006 |page=78}}
| rev1 = The Sydney Morning Herald
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Jason |date=August 17, 2006 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/civcity-rome-20060817-gdo6py.html |title=CivCity: Rome |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=October 9, 2022}}
| rev2 = The Times
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |last=Wapshott |first=Tim |date=July 29, 2006 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/italy/rome/civ-city-rome-5qxfjvfg35s |title=Civ City: Rome [sic] |newspaper=The Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929032713/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18589-2284912,00.html |archive-date=September 29, 2006 |url-status=live |access-date=October 9, 2022}}{{subscription required}}
}}
The game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Reviewers claimed that derivative and monotonous gameplay and graphical bugs dampened the playing experience.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}
{{clear}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110719001455/http://www.fireflyworlds.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=108&Itemid=237 Official website] via Internet Archive
- {{moby game|id=/windows/civcity-rome}}
{{civilization}}
{{Firaxis}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:CivCity Rome}}
Category:Cultural depictions of Attila the Hun
Category:Cultural depictions of Marcus Licinius Crassus
Category:Depictions of Cleopatra in video games
Category:Depictions of Julius Caesar in video games
Category:Firefly Studios games
Category:Historical simulation games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Video games set in antiquity
Category:Video games set in the Colosseum