CivCity: Rome
- April 5, 2007
- FireFly Studios
- 19h median play time
Get on SteamCivCity: Rome is a city-building game set in ancient Rome, where players must build and manage their own Roman city, completing various missions and tasks to progress. The game combines elements of city-building and management with historical and cultural accuracy, offering a unique and engaging gaming experience. Players must manage resources, construct buildings, maintain happiness, and defend their city from various threats to become a successful Roman governor.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fun city-building mechanics that allow for creative city management and growth.
- Nostalgic experience for fans of classic city builders, reminiscent of games like Caesar III.
- Engaging campaign with a mix of economic and military challenges.
- Frequent game-breaking bugs, particularly with workers not performing their tasks.
- Limited resolution options and graphical issues on modern systems.
- Repetitive gameplay and lack of depth in certain mechanics, leading to frustration.
- graphics63 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its early 2000s origins, but many players still find them appealing given the game's age. While some reviews highlight the graphical detail as impressive for a city builder from that era, others express disappointment and desire for a modern remaster. Overall, the visuals are seen as acceptable for nostalgic players, though they may not meet contemporary standards.
“The graphics are gorgeous.”
“Graphics are amazing for such an old city builder.”
“Sound is good, graphics are stunning (considering game age), and the gameplay really hooks you.”
“The graphics suck because it was made in the early 2000s.”
“This game's graphics are more appropriate for a 1996 game than a 2006 game.”
“It has since aged very badly indeed, the graphics are poor, the interface is annoying and the gameplay is uninspiring to say the least.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this city-building game is characterized by classic resource management mechanics and a blend of features from various genres, offering a fun and engaging experience despite some dated graphics. However, frequent bugs, particularly with AI and worker behavior, can hinder progress and detract from the overall enjoyment. While the mechanics are solid and provide a low-stress gameplay loop, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, with occasional confusion over certain mechanics.
“Classic resource management/city builder, with some of the clearest gameplay in the genre.”
“The graphics haven't aged too well, but the gameplay mechanics are superb and the game has a lot of soul, with challenging and fun missions and enough personalization options to make each city look and feel distinct.”
“Its unique blend of technology tree, stronghold-style happiness and city mechanics, and Caesar III city-building mechanics is appealing.”
“I managed to find workarounds to the bugs, but they occur so frequently that it becomes a hindrance to the gameplay experience.”
“The graphical detail is fantastic, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired.”
“I was hoping to not encounter the notorious game-breaking bug early in my gameplay; sadly, about 30 minutes in, it became impossible to progress.”
- story35 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is set in a Roman-era context, featuring a campaign that combines economic and military missions, with a gradual increase in complexity. However, players frequently encounter frustrating bugs that prevent workers from completing essential tasks, making some missions nearly impossible to finish. Despite these issues, the campaign offers a variety of challenges and replayability through custom missions and a map editor, though the overall narrative experience is considered lacking.
“The campaign is very fun with each mission bringing its own challenges, either militarily or economically.”
“I love the gradual step up in complexity of tasks to successfully complete your mission in different colonies you're assigned to govern.”
“Fantastic game! I played this first before Steam existed; you have a peaceful and military campaign to play through and then onto Londinium, the final mission.”
“I previously played this game for hours and completed the campaign, so I know how to play and that the houses need basic things and location - but even the first entry-level campaign story doesn't work.”
“You cannot complete entry-level campaign missions because workers do not perform their tasks.”
“It doesn't matter if they are on red (work) or blue (free) time; the well workers will just sleep in their houses or at the well and do nothing. It is the same story with stone workers and wine workers.”
- stability33 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and make it frustrating for many players. While some users find enjoyment in the mechanics once the issues are resolved, the overall consensus is that the stability is poor, with persistent problems affecting worker functionality and game performance. Many recommend caution, especially for those using newer operating systems like Windows 10, as the glitches can render the game nearly unplayable.
“I really like this game; it runs great on my Windows 10.”
“In short, the game works and runs great.”
“I just bought this game and it is so buggy it is impossible to play.”
“Initially I was excited to play this game, however the glitches make it unplayable.”
“I've never seen a game with more bugs and glitches.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its immersive quality, with a soundtrack reminiscent of John Williams that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly during chaotic moments. While some users noted similarities to the soundtrack of Caesar 3, the overall composition and voice acting are considered enjoyable and contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
“Very immersive musical score as well.”
“The music and voice acting are pretty good -- nothing annoying here.”
“The developers ripped the soundtrack straight off from Caesar 3.”
“I may be the only one who's noticed it, but part of the city ambience music is exactly from Caesar 3.”
“While it is an older game, the visuals are appealing and the almost John Williams-esque soundtrack really makes the more chaotic parts exciting.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it highly engaging with various campaigns, missions, and a map editor, others note that once the mechanics are mastered, the replay value diminishes. The presence of user-generated content offers potential for extended play, but the complexity and bugs in the creation tools can hinder this experience.
“The replay value is very high, with a civic and a military campaign, single mission options, a map editor, and of course, various skill levels to challenge yourself with.”
“The replayability is high, with lots of things to do and a great game I recommend to anyone interested in historical accuracy and city building in general.”
“The armies are a bit weak, but otherwise a fun and replayable game that you can dump several hours into without feeling too stressed or bored.”
“Once you learn how to play, you can win any scenario and sandbox easily, so there is no replay value.”
“The stand-alone scenarios have limited replayability, and though you can make your own maps (and campaigns!), the tool to do so is not user-friendly and there are some bugs in it.”
“A decent older RTS game that still has some replayability left in it.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable initially, but it can become tedious over time, particularly when trying to troubleshoot issues like house upgrades despite having the necessary services nearby.
“Fun but gets kind of tedious.”
“It's an interesting game mechanic, but it gets tedious sometimes -- sort of feels like a debugging exercise trying to figure out why a house doesn't upgrade when all the services it needs are very close.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is criticized for being poor, with users highlighting subpar voice acting and a confusing timeline that detracts from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere and voice acting are atrocious, and the timeline makes no sense.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The review does not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, instead focusing on its promotion of medium-density urbanism. Therefore, it lacks relevant information regarding in-game purchases or financial models.
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on Windows 7 without any noticeable glitches.
“I have yet to see a glitch, and it runs smoothly on Windows 7.”
“The game is incredibly well-optimized, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider range of hardware.”
