Games
Sony
Microsoft
Nintendo
Other Platforms
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
84
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
79
AI War: Fleet Command
77
Aion
xx
Aliens in the Attic
xx
All Aspect Warfare
66
Ashes Cricket 2009
xx
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
91
Batman: Arkham Asylum
82
Battlefield 1943
69
Bionic Commando
xx
Black Mirror 2
79
Bookworm Adventures 2
82
Borderlands
xx
Cabela's Outdoor Adventures 2009
87
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
72
Champions Online
73
Championship Manager 2010
69
CITIES XL
xx
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
xx
Crane Simulator 2009
57
CrimeCraft
xx
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Deadly Intent
52
Darkest of Days
xx
Digger Simulator
xx
DiRT 2
91
Dragon Age: Origins
51
Dreamkiller
xx
Dungeon Fighter Online
67
East India Company
xx
East India Company: Privateer
xx
Elven Legacy: Ranger
74
Empire: Total War - The Warpath Campaign
xx
Eufloria
xx
F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn
70
Fallen Earth
68
Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
xx
Family Feud: 2010 Edition
53
Farming Simulator 2009
xx
Fatale: Exploring Salome
76
FIFA Manager 10
70
FIFA Soccer 10
88
Football Manager 2010
xx
Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood
xx
GearGrinder
xx
Gratuitous Space Battles
82
Gridrunner Revolution
xx
Gyromancer
77
Hearts of Iron III
66
Heroes Over Europe
xx
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
xx
King's Bounty: Armored Princess
81
League of Legends
90
Left 4 Dead 2
80
Left 4 Dead: Crash Course
xx
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
xx
Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood, The
58
Lucidity
85
Machinarium
xx
Madballs in Babo: Invasion
73
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
74
Mini Ninjas
xx
Murder, She Wrote
xx
Mystery of the Mary Celeste, The
86
Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger
85
Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
xx
NBA 2K10
xx
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine
83
Need for Speed SHIFT
76
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
69
Order of War
81
Osmos
39
Painkiller: Resurrection
xx
Price is Right: 2010 Edition, The
78
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
xx
Puzzle Kingdoms
67
QuantZ
xx
RACE On
39
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger
83
Red Faction: Guerrilla
86
Resident Evil 5
77
Risen
xx
Rogue Warrior
xx
Rubber Ninjas
80
Runes of Magic Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy
77
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat
xx
Saboteur, The
xx
Sacred 2: Ice & Blood
xx
Saw
72
Section 8
73
Shattered Horizon
85
Sims 3 World Adventures, The
xx
Star Trek: D-A-C
47
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
63
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition
xx
Summer Athletics 2009
77
Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
82
Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
77
Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
xx
Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 5: Rise of the Pirate God
xx
Texas Cheat 'Em
64
Time of Shadows: Dawn of Magic 2
84
Torchlight
80
Tropico 3
69
Twin Sector
xx
Venetica
78
Void, The
72
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 4: The Bogey Man
44
Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Part 2
xx
Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey
74
Wolfenstein
xx
World of Zoo
64
WorldShift
79
Zuma's Revenge!
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 46 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 42 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Big Huge Games
Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy
Players: 8
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: May 9, 2006
Summary
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends evolves the franchise's trademark features such as borders, large-scale battles and city-building in innovative ways. Players are able to transform small villages into powerful civilizations and lead vast fantasy armies into strategic battles using formations, unit control and heroic abilities to destroy the enemy. The popular Conquer the World (CTW) Campaign returns in Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends with exciting updates. The new CTW Campaign guides players through a new world of heroes, monsters, loyalty and betrayal. Gamers follow a story through multiple campaigns with fascinating subplots and heroic characters. The campaigns immerse players in an ever-changing three-dimensional world with terrain and cities that evolve as civilizations grow. [Microsoft]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Rise of Nations Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots
Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats
Also On The Web: GameSpot Preview GameSpy Preview Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Game Informer
Everything about this title is simply executed on a level that we rarely see outside a few elite development studios. [July 2006, p.108]
VGPub
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends is one of those games that you can sit down, have fun then look at the clock and realize two hours have gone by, it’s just that addictive.
Read Full Review >GameZone
The three races, even though there could have been some more differences between them, are really fun to play with and bring a nice breath of fresh air into the genre.
Read Full Review >PC Zone UK
By taking all that's best from the real-time build-and-conquer template, mixing it with elements of Civilization and Total War, and wrapping it up in an impressive (though not quite eye-popping) engine, Big Huge Games have taken the genre in a bold and exciting new direction.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
It's obvious a lot of thought went into every aspect of the game, from the unique look and functionality of each race to the incredible balancing that ensures each of them are on equal footing.
Read Full Review >Sydney Morning Herald
Visually, the game is spectacular, but the 3D engine demands a fairly powerful PC - the bigger the battle, the slower the performance. Thankfully there are plenty of graphics options to fiddle with.
Read Full Review >Next Level Gaming
This is a solid game, nice graphics, great controls, but most importantly, immersive engaging gameplay that makes you forget to sleep and eat.
Read Full Review >Yahoo! Games
It's generous, detailed, and brainy. If you want cheap thrills, there are some great real-time strategy games out there -- this isn't one of them. But if you want something from the other end of the spectrum that plays unlike anything else, this is the game for you.
Read Full Review >Gamezilla!
Bottom line, if you liked Rise of Nations (and there were few who didn’t), Rise of Legends will be right up your ally.
Read Full Review >1UP
Steampunk and fantasy mesh in a way that's thrilling and engaging, and perilously addictive. It's hard to find a comparison to any RTS you've experienced before; this masterpiece just may become a Legend in its own right.
Read Full Review >PC Format
Intense strategy monster that almost lives up to its predecessor's legend. [June 2006, p.94]
Gamers' Temple
The setting itself and the very unique factions in the game are enough to make the game stand out from the crowd. Back this up with some solid RTS gameplay and you have a winner in Rise of Legends.
Read Full Review >PC Gamer
Given Bug Huge Game's big huge ambition level when crafting Rise of Legends, some dents in the genie lamp are to be expected. But they don't come close to spoiling Legend's fabulous magic carpet ride. [July 2006, p.65]
Games Master UK
A game of non-stop action that spits in the face of its boring real-time strategy rivals. [July 2006, p.80]
ActionTrip
A pretty engaging and challenging strategy, offering a lengthy single-player campaign in a captivating fantasy setting.
Read Full Review >GamingTrend
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends features the best balance I’ve seen in an RTS – ever.
Read Full Review >Loaded Inc
It is always risky to take something popular and approachable and change it up. That alone is well worth the price of admission. Factor in the enjoyable single player campaign and excellent art design, and I think you certainly have a game worth your hard earned cash.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
The second game from Big Huge Game designer Brian Reynolds takes careful steps to renew real-time strategy gaming, but does not dare step far enough. The game is beautiful and has lots of great ideas, but lacks in feeling, mostly due to bad sound effects. [June 2006]
PC Gamer UK
Despite providing three well-balanced, distinctive races, a host of spectacular units and powers, and some novel play factors like national borders and peaceful expansion, away from the rationale of the story of RoL can feel a tad generic. [June 2006, p.76]
Game Chronicles
This game ties together many of the great aspects of earlier titles (national borders, heroes, mega-units) seamlessly. The new fantasy setting, with its grand theme of magic versus technology, is a welcome change from orcs versus elves.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Online RO
Although it was more complex and more ambitious in scope than Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends has proven to be another hit for Big Huge Games and as such is a serious contender for the title of “Best real-time strategy game of the year” award. The only negative thing that can be said about it is the singleplayer campaign, which oddly enough should have been one of its strong points. Fortunately, the multiplayer modes, the three different but very well balanced factions, lots of strategies and the art design recommend it to all RTS lovers.
Read Full Review >eToychest
When push comes to shove, Rise of Legends is a lateral step for the Nations franchise. The game is sound mechanically and brilliant visually, but it lacks the staying power that kept Rise of Nations in players’ disc drives for so long.
Read Full Review >Gaming Horizon
Taking the best interface cues from genre stalwarts like Command and Conquer, Warcraft III and Age of Empires, the player will become immersed in a global conflict pitting two well-balanced yet different powers against an unimaginable foe.
Read Full Review >Jolt Online Gaming UK
Rise of Legends may not break new ground, but it certainly adds to what has gone before and presses all the right buttons along the way to becoming one of the more entertaining RTS games out there.
Read Full Review >IGN
The introduction of the new unique races and their distinctive abilities and art styles helps give the game a much needed fantasy flavor.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
It doesn't tamper too much with the underlying engine that made the first game so great but adds just enough novelty to justify a second iteration.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
Big Huge Games has dressed the RTS in its finest coat-tails, sent it on the most captivating of journeys and transformed its communication skills. There's no question it has become a creature with broader horizons and more refined taste, but there's also no question it's still a familiar figure. [June 2006, p.84]
Game Over Online
Whether you think Rise of Legends is a masterpiece or whether you think it is a hard to swallow piece of fiction with a great strategy game underneath is dependent on how much you admire the backdrop that the creators have fleshed out.
Read Full Review >3DAvenue
Very much worth your time and money if you can't get enough RTS gaming, it's just a shame it wasn’t more than yet another solid RTS.
Read Full Review >Games Radar (in-house)
Exactly what anyone craving an eclectic director's cut of Rise of Nations could want, and just as playable, thanks in part to three well-balanced antagonists. If it's not terribly inventive, well, there's always "Rise of Nations 2," right?
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
I need to stress that even when it abstractly fails - like the campaign mode - it falls comfortably above the vast majority of its peers. When it excels it excels in the same way as an aged whiskey or a finely made leather sofa does: it exudes quality and craftsmanship. Rise of Legends is an extremely-good-to-great game. Give it time and you'll love it.
Read Full Review >WHAM! Gaming
When it’s all said and done Rise of Legends is a solid RTS. The single player skirmishes with the computer are much better than playing the campaign and the multiplayer option is an absolute blast.
Read Full Review >G4 TV
Rise of Legends is a very different sort of RTS game that genre fans will be able to pick up and play but yet will find themselves drawn into thanks to its very different look and feel.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Magazine
Following up a grand slam nuclear blast like "Nations" with a bottle rocket may seem like an odd choice. But in many ways, the smaller fiddle plays the sweeter music. [Sept. 2006, p.54]
Gaming Nexus
An original, attractive world full of interesting beings to kill. Just oozes interesting ideas we’ll see more of in the future. Path-finding and networking bugs add a fly to the ointment.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
I think this game could have used a few more months in development to tighten up the campaign and make it more fun, but at the very least I've found the multiplayer to be very entertaining.
Read Full Review >Gamer 2.0
With a less slapdash campaign and tighter AI, it could have been great, but even now, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends is worth playing—just not legendary.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Rise of Legends is a bit flat in comparison to Rise of Nations, but quirky races and units provide a lot of off-the-wall appeal.
Read Full Review >DailyGame
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends is an atypical real-time strategy game that manages to draw attention with its unique style, but ultimately plays like any other game in the genre.
Read Full Review >GameShark
This is yet another Reynolds strategy game that aims to please the hardcore gamer while being accessible enough for new players to learn the ropes if they are willing to put the time in thanks to the amazingly intuitive interface and striking game balance.
Read Full Review >Strategy Informer
The turn based combined with RTF is unique and fun, providing a little time for thinking and not so much twitchy trigger finger.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
A playable piece of art, Rise of Legends is a very pretty painting even if it is on a very standard canvas. Leonardo would probably approve.
Read Full Review >GameSpy
Elegant and beautiful and quirky, and shows (in multiplayer at least) flashes of undeniable brilliance. Unfortunately, also like Leonardo's gadgets, Rise of Legends never quite gets off the ground.
Read Full Review >PALGN
The gameplay is solid, but there are far too many mistakes and flaws that really hurt what could’ve been a solid sequel.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 42 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
J G gave it a9:
In my opinion this game, that came and went like a flash, is a good successor to Microsoft's Rise of & Age of games. It truly combines the best features of all of them. It answers the question of, "What if Rome never fell, and Leonado had become the great inventor -- rather than Edison or Newton, etc.?" It answers the question of "What if the Age of Mythology existed & never ended?" Finally, it answers the question of, "What if we add some aliens into the mix?" Rise of Legends has gameplay that is very similar to Rise of Nations. It continues to use the concept of national borders. When enemy units cross these borders, they suffer attrition. In addition, one can't normally build any buildings outside these borders. This should be familiar to those that have played Rise of Nations. However, Rise of Nations also adds in a town center system similar to Age of Mythology's where you are only allowed to build a city after occupying an existing city. All cities not occupied by enemies or allies are guarded by neutral parties. In some cases, you can buy the allegiance of these neutral sites. In addition to cities there are also other types of neutral sites that have various benefits to your nation when captured. Another aspect of Age of Mythology that was incorporated into this game is that each civilization has three unique heroes that can be summoned during gameplay. If you play the campaigns, you might have even more than that at your disposal. The final aspect of the game that was borrowed from the "Age of" series, are some well written campaigns. There are three campaigns that have multiple scenarios, and a story in the background -- along with a final goal. Like Rise of Nations, you choose your scenarios from a larger world map. Unlike Rise of Nations, a story was developed that guides you through the map. The result is that each game has familiar characters -- even the "random map" games. There is enough variety in the technologies that you could play the same game over again a few times, and it wouldn't necessarily turn out the same. For one civilization in particular, you have to choose from three different technologies when you upgrade. You can only choose one. Random map games are also made more interesting, because occasionally, the map will be rotated. Not only might you start in a different location on the map, the orientation might also be different when you begin playing. I know this game is a little old now, but it is a game that I have found to be enjoyable, and I continue to find it enjoyable. The campaigns are nice, and they have some interesting cut-scenes. The story would probably never make it to the theater, but it is good for a computer game. It's enough to sustain the game and give one an excuse to keep playing, in my opinion.
C. W. gave it an8:
Where Rise of Nations was a compelling hybrid between RTS and turn-based 4X games (particularly Civilization), Rise of Legends is just plain real-time strategy--which is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The RTS aspects of Rise of Nations were undeniably the most entertaining part, which accounts for why Rise of Legends is still fun--and it IS still fun, especially for more casual gamers (like myself) who want the thrill of watching waves of soldiers overrun enemy installations without any of the skull sweat involved in other genre gems like WarCraft 3 (ugh, micromanaging!) or Homeworld (ugh, 3D navigation!). But RoN was enhanced, not shackled, by the infusion of 4X elements; by taking the "Nations" part out of RoL, Big Huge has left us with a game that looks gorgeous but plays like a rather tame StarCraft. It's a better RTS, but a worse game--and, seriously, how many more of those do we need?
TJ gave it a9:
A wonderful game! Amazing graphics, good story, fun campaigns, very unique factions and units, and some nice UI features. I highly recommend this game to any RTS afficionado.
Nate H. gave it a10:
Great use of physics. The campaign is great in the sense that you can choose what you want to do AND the fact that you can upgrade your heroes.
Casper J. gave it a10:
Underrated game. I'm playing through the campaign and find the 3 uniques races very cool and fun. The 3 race design in a 'single time-period' is quite similar to starcraft. But I like Legends more than starcraft, (never finished starcraft, probably due to my 'total annihilation' fascination at the time). I'm surprised so many people compare this game to 'age of empires' or 'rise of nations', because legends is not an 'advance through history' style game. Nations is closer to Command & Conquer Generals, Dawn of war, Warlords battlecry, Act or War etc. (games with 2 or 3 races, 2 resources and a single time period). Pros: No builder type units needed, yeah! Very Cool flying units. Pause and still give orders Excellent interface. Neutral buildings to capture for bonus Very Good AI Board game style strategic map. Territory boundries affect gameplay 2 resources (i don't like more than 2, ideally just 1) Cons: Online multiplayer is sparse. Need an above average computer to play. Weapon sounds could be louder
K Dep gave it a5:
Average game. A lot like the original RON, so the gameplay is solid. It's similar to AoE or Warcraft for those who didn't play the original. However, it can get tedious and boring fast. There is no really good way to get ahead fast, so a lot of time is spent waiting for resources or upgrades. After that, it basically becomes a trench war to see who can pump out the units fastest. Don't pay $50 for this game, wait for the price to drop to less than $30.
Johhny R. gave it a6:
not too bad ,but not too good,the original rise of nations was much better if you can compare them at all.
