I picked up the anxiously awaited sequel to Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, over the weekend. It is, in a word, amazing.

In RoL, you can choose from three unique races: the Vinci, Alin or Cuotl. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses.
The Vinci utilize the power of steel and steam to power their nation. Their weaponry, their culture is heavily dependent on technology.
The Alin are a mystical sort. They almost remind me of the Protoss in StarCraft to some extent. They harness the power of magic to defend your nation and attack your foes.

The Cuotl are the inhabitants of the Cuotl jungle, and little is known about them… but all that is known is feared. These god-like creatures command powers that can be explained by neither Alin mystics nor the strongest minds of the Vinci academies.

In Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends™ you lead vast fantasy armies into massive, strategic battles, raise your civilization from a tiny village to globe-spanning empire, and help guide a young inventor’s struggle to unravel his world’s ancient past and unite its people against an unimaginable threat!

RoL takes the next big leap in the RTS genre with an all-new 3-D engine, immersive in-game cinematics, integrated story-driven gameplay, a multiplayer mode for fast-paced games, and clan support to build online communities.

Overall, the gameplay is very similar to RoN. I was able to jump right into a Quick Battle and start kicking some Alin butt. This is definitely the game I hoped it would be. I’ll try to write a more thorough review once I’ve played a bit more.