Rise of Nations – 15th Anniversary
Every Major Video Game Anniversary in May 2018
An anniversary that all old-school PC gamers will appreciate – Rise of Nations was born in the golden era of the real-time-strategy (RTS) genre, which has long since been displaced by modern MOBA titles. Back in the early 2000s, however, the popularity of the Age of Empires series sparked developers to create different spins on that same gameplay loop. A slew of similar games tasked players with managing economic and military resources to rise from primitive to modern nations, passing through different “ages” as they sought to crush rival forces.
What gave Rise of Nations a point of difference was its emphasis on territory and national borders. Buildings could only be built within the borders of a given nation, and invading armies left unsupplied within those borders would wither and capitulate until those areas of the map had been successfully captured. It was also praised for its immense unit selection and exciting range of different “ages,” that saw players start with primitive Hoplite troops and finish matches with stealth bombers and nuclear weapons.
Rise of Nations remains launched to critical acclaim, earning several Game of the Year and RTS of the year awards back in May 2003.
