CES 07: Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising Updated Impressions

LAS VEGAS--If you've ever wanted to do as the Romans did, then you might want to look into Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, the upcoming massively multiplayer role-playing game that will let you explore an ancient Rome full of mythological creatures. The game, which is being developed by Perpetual Entertainment, features some of the most believable combat yet seen in a massively multiplayer role-playing game. Not only that, but you'll be able to lead your own squads into battle, something that Perpetual gave us a glimpse of at the Consumer Electronics Show.

In Gods & Heroes, you can adventure alone or you can hire mercenaries and other characters to accompany you. If you have a squad with you and wish to engage in a solo battle, all you have to do is give your squad a passive order, and they'll stand by and let you saunter into combat alone. That's not to say that they won't assist you, however. Any of your spellcasters, for instance, will support you from a distance by casting buff spells that boost your fighting abilities, as well as healing you when you take a lot of damage.

Should you want to take the squad into the fight, you have a number of options. The squad control panel can let you issue basic commands to a squad as a whole, or you can give orders to your fighters, your skirmishers, and your spellcasters. The fighters are the front-line melee troops, the skirmishers are ranged warriors armed with spears or bows, and the spellcasters are your magic users. The artificial intelligence is designed so that if you get in a big brawl, your troops will automatically pair off against an opponent, so you can see a lot of pitched one-on-one fights going on. That's also helpful for the game's detailed combat animations, which really make battles feel like real fights rather than the abstract swinging of swords seen in most massively multiplayer role-playing games. Blows connect, warriors reel from being hit, and you'll see elaborate finishing moves, such as one warrior leaping onto the back of another and choking him.

The squad system means that you can get the feeling of being involved in a decent battle, even if you're playing by yourself. Team up with a couple of other players, each with his or her own squad, and you can take on large groups. Squads will also be useful as you tackle some of the formidable mythological creatures in the game, such as hydras, medusas, and centaurs. And it's a truly impressive sight to see a squad engage a towering colossus. For those situations, you may want to call in the favor of your character's patron god--an example of this being a lightning strike to take out a colossus. Favor is earned by doing quests for you gods, and that's the only way to replenish it, so you'll want to hold those god powers for special situations. Gods & Heroes features a distinctive setting and colorful visuals, and it could very well be a game for those tired of elves and dwarves. The game is currently a few months from beta testing, and it should launch later this year.