

The only character to play is a warrior named Larax. Gamers expecting a role-playing game set in the Roman world might be a bit disappointed, as the RPG conventions are fairly sparse. The version of Celtic Kings that most players will try first is the adventure game, which also serves as an extended tutorial. The developer and publisher Strategy First are betting that this interesting combination will find a place among the memorable games within the category.

The title focuses on a single era (as opposed to, say, the entire ancient world, or even just Roman exploits), providing what is possibly the most lengthy and detailed adventure yet presented in an RTS engine, and blending in an assortment of role-playing and adventure elements. Real time strategy (RTS) is a very popular genre, and many such games come out every year, only to be quickly lost and forgotten amid the mass of similar releases. This epoch of endless conquest and re-conquest makes a wonderful setting for entertainment of any sort, including Bulgarian studio Haemimont Games' recently released Celtic Kings: Rage of War - today's Celts are the descendants of the Gauls. While the Gauls naturally cherished the few successes they did achieve on the battlefield, their hallmark was fierce independence rather than military prowess, and even today, their greatest leader, Vercingetorix, is venerated for his courageous resistance against the Empire. Caesar started his career slaughtering hundreds of thousands, with later Roman generals going on to win major victories as well. During these repeated attempts at subjugation, the implacable Gauls were often beaten but never truly defeated. This is due in no small part to his own famed writings on the subject, but there were also additional conflicts spanning various other leaders.

The Roman Empire may capture the hearts of both history buffs and gamers like no other, and of all the notable campaigns in its glorious history, none is more renowned than Julius Caesar's wars against the Gallic tribes.
