14 DAY TRIAL // What we know: The Creative Assembly is one of those rare developers that have created a niche and then dominated it for years and Rome II is the kind of video game which will see them use an established technological platform to tackle a classic gaming setting.
Players will be able to take control of one of eight factions in the Ancient World and try to develop their cities and their empire, control adjacent areas, battle rival factions and then mount a challenge against other big empires in order to secure the world that developed around the Mediterranean.
The game will continue to blend high-level strategy on a world map with real-time tactical battles and there are more options for role playing, both in the political and the military field.
For the first time, players will be able to use land forces and navies at the same time to mount a combined arms assault against a specific location or enemy.
The Creative Assembly and SEGA have not offered an official launch date for Rome II, but leaked information shows that the game will be out during October on the PC.
Why it matters: The strategy genre has perked up a little in 2012 and this year seems to bring even more high-profile launches with Rome II probably the biggest in the field.
The integration of land and naval warfare and the increase in soldier numbers means that the game is closer to actually simulating ancient warfare than even before.
The new role-playing elements also mean that gamers can grow closer to actual historical characters and will probably be driven to learn more about history and the ideas that underpin it.
It will also be interesting to see whether gamers are ready to revisit a setting that was already covered in 2004.
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