The release of Rise of Nations in April 2003 marked a transition for the RTS genre. Many would feel that this transition was for the better upon the games release, and Rise of Nations was given many "Game of the Year" critical acclaims by plenty of online and print video game PC magazines. It was with much anticipation that the expansion to Rise of Nations was looked forward to with high expectations. The question is whether it lived up to these expectations.
The answer would be yes. The gameplay mechanics were enhanced with the addition of a government system for each civilization plus an addition of six new civilizations. The often requested American civilization were finally added, plus the Indians, the Persians, the Iroquois, the Lakota and the Dutch. Furthermore, a few more wonders were added in the form of the Forbidden City and the Hanging Gardens, just to name a select few. These additions were thankfully playtested with great extent.
As for the existing civilizations, they were not treated with anything new. Aside from the government system being implemented with use and a few balancing issues, there was nothing new to be had for the old civilizations. This is a little troubling, as there was very little to distinguish these civilizations in the original Rise of Nations in the first place. However, despite the lack of enhancements for the other civilizations, it does make the new ones fit in much easier.
The game mechanics have been quickened extensively, thanks heavily to the new government system. This system provides lavish bonuses to every nation, depending on the path you choose to take. One could take a military route, or an economic route, but no matter which route one took, the game time was reduced by approximately by 25%. What used to take roughly an hour to complete in my experience now took 45 minutes and it was still just as fun in the mean time.
After a year in development, it would have been nice to have had a graphical update to the game. Unfortunately, there was no such enhancement, of any kind. Therefore, things feel kind of dated, despite the technological advancements of computers. It would have been nice to have had a few little touch ups, perhaps adding a more 3D feel to the hills, or the use of psuedo-3D units. So what you saw in Rise of Nations prior to the expansion is what you get in Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots graphically.
A scant few sounds were inserted by the Big Huge Games team in the expansion pack. A song or two can be heard that was different than in the original Rise of Nations, and the attack prompt noise is different. Other than that, everything else remains the same. Perhaps a few different unit acknowledgements would have been nice, as there was a year to have had that done. Instead, we are left with just the single unit sound acknowledgement of the original Rise of Nations, which were still good for it's purpose back in 2003.
The balance of Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots is one of the best out there in the RTS genre. After multiple patches to address the original civilizations (i.e. the weak Russian civilization), the new civilizations really have no significant advantage. Granted, the American civilization does have a significant advantage towards the Modern and Information Ages, but they are at a serious disadvantage in all ages prior. So great care was taken when adding the American Superpower into this game.
Longevity has been enhanced with new additions into the "Conquer the World" mode. A new Cold War scenario brings the tension of either the American or Soviet side in perspective. Certain actions, such as being a little too close to certain Soviet locations, or the Soviets bringing nuclear missiles to Cuba, can escalate the crisis and raise the DEFCON level. If the DEFCON level gets too high, nuclear war will be unleashed, and mutually assured destruction awaits you. Other campaigns included are the tours of Alexander the Great and a New World Campaign (where you can play as the European superpowers trying to dominate the fledgling American civilization, or the Indians trying to kick everyone out). Lastly, the additions mentioned earlier to the game mechanics means that players of old, as well as players of new, have much greater incentive to try out the system and see what awaits them in the new exciting matchups.
Rise of Nations was a groundbreaking RTS, by combining aspects of Civilization and the usual RTS tried and true. Now, with Thrones and Patriots at your fingertips, governments are added and another layer of strategy is revealed. Do you go for the military dominated government or the economically dominated government? Now, you have your chance. I highly recommend this expansion to Rise of Nations, if you own the Rise of Nations game.
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