Love a good strategic warfare game? Want one that offers more than just battles? Then look no further than Rise of Civilizations. This game pairs lessons in history with battle engagements that require you to use your strategizing skills to build up armies and special forces specific to your region, space and time, to build your empire and defeat forces that threaten to topple your world.

Rise of Civilizations takes you on a journey through time. It starts in Ancient Times, where there were no borders to cross and no governments. There were ancient civilizations and peoples. There were kings. There were armies. They fought each other and took over conquered lands, absorbing the people, the culture and the treasures.

This game provides you with an opportunity to be one of those leaders of a people in ancient times, who has to build an army, defend its lands and encompass others’ lands in hopes of keeping the peace. As you win battles and bring about stability, you will find yourself moving through time to an new era, a new set of foes and new cultures to explore.

There are two sets of civilizations to choose from. In the East, there is India, Korea, Japan and China. In the West, there is Islamic, Britain, Rome and Egypt. In each, you will find a new set of challenges when it comes to building up an fortress, a city and a show of force to keep your people safe. The tools are different, the weaponry is different, and the methods of warfare differ, but that is what makes this game so interesting and hard to put down. You learn so much in addition to all the fun you’ll have. The creators of this game did their homework and put in elements of historical nature to stay on point with what really happened during the different periods of time in the various regions of the world.

If you have a gamer who needs some help with history, this game could change everything for them. Who doesn’t want to have fun while they learn?

Each historical era and region features real heroes of the time. So, you can be someone like Caesar or Marc Antony. You could be Ashoka. You could be Empress Lu. The fun begins where your imagination starts and takes you to faraway places. It’s not just an exploration, but a chance to delve deep into the scheming minds of long ago to build up armies and rule the world.

What is also neat in the game is the introduction of ancient artifacts. They are hidden across the landscapes you will travel and roam. They can also be found in a hall of artifacts, in which you can then restore and keep the treasures for centuries to come.

Game play as is it would be in any other war game. The context is what makes Rise of Civilizations so cool. You build and help construct successful civilizations and then move through time to the next era, with its own demons, its own cultures and its own treasures.

The game could be improved upon by adding more heroes and Great leaders that are also female. All it would take is some research.

In all, this game sets itself apart from all other warfare games and strategic force building by using as a backdrop real civilizations from times in the past. You’re not battling in some fictional place, but a real one, which makes it even more engaging and allows for a completely submersive gaming experience.