CivCity: Rome

Lore & Background

The game offers two types of mission: stand-alone missions that include freeplay (or 'sandbox') and campaign-based tutorial missions. The campaign begins when the player, an engineer, is hired by a local stone works overseer to build a stone mine colony. The player then meets historic characters such as Marcus Licinius Crassus and Julius Caesar, and progresses through ranks including Quaestor, Aedile, Censor, Tribune, Praetor, and Consul. Each campaign mission starts with the player's patron greeting 'Hail!' and stating the character's title. Midway through, the player can choose military campaigns against Egyptians, Germanic tribes, or Carthaginians, or continue peaceful missions with harder goals but no invasion risk. The building and research options vary by mission. The game includes 27 maps, 34 missions, over 75 units, 115 building types, 70 technologies, and over 1000 historical facts in the Civilopedia. Seven wonders can be built, conferring various advantages. Some citizens break the fourth wall, with one female citizen stating she sees a great face staring down at her. The player can look inside buildings and interact with residents; if citizens are not paid, fed, or given necessities, they become unhappy and may leave. Historical figures like Cleopatra, Attila the Hun, and Julius Caesar can send messages affecting happiness. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires can destroy buildings. An in-game editor allows creation of new maps and scenarios.

Reader's Guide

CivCity: Rome is significant as a crossover title that merges the city-building mechanics of the Caesar series with the broader historical framework of Civilization, developed by the studios behind those franchises. Its sandbox mode (freeplay) provides an open-ended experience distinct from the campaign, allowing players to manage Roman cities without narrative constraints. The game's reception, according to Metacritic, was average, with reviewers citing derivative and monotonous gameplay and graphical bugs as dampening the experience. Despite this, the game offers extensive content: 27 maps, 34 missions, over 75 units, 115 building types, 70 technologies, and a Civilopedia with over 1000 historical facts. The inclusion of seven buildable wonders, an in-game editor for user-created scenarios, and fourth-wall-breaking citizens adds unique flavor. The game's legacy lies in its attempt to combine two popular strategy series, though it did not achieve critical acclaim. Its sandbox mode remains a draw for players seeking a less structured Roman city-building experience.

Did You Know?

• The game includes seven buildable wonders: Colosseum, Great Library, Great Lighthouse of Alexandria, Trajan's Column, Obelisk, Circus Maximus, and Pantheon.
• Players can choose between military campaigns against Egyptians, Germanic tribes, or Carthaginians, or peaceful missions with harder goals but no invasion risk.
• The campaign ranks progress through Quaestor, Aedile, Censor, Tribune, Praetor, and Consul.