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PROS
Able to command large groups of men, looks cool to see a battle, has a multiplayer mode, nice campaign videos.
LOWS
Campaign can seem very repetitive. You can never really build a base.
OVERALL
If you fit into the category of people who don't like base building but instead constant fighting, (which can become repetitive) Praetorians is for you.
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I was inspired to checkout Praetorians after watching the movie Gladiator. In the movie there is a long battle scene where the Romans are fighting the barbarians. I loved how the legionaries put up their shields and spears and then everyone runs into them. Well, Praetorians is pretty much Gladiator in a game. You are able to produce a certain number of troops depending on your number of settlements, and then use your troops to capture more settlements.
This has nothing to do with collecting resources, because units cannot be produced if your population becomes too big or your honor points are too low. So in order to produce more troops, you need to use the troops you have at hand in order to try and kill as many enemy units as possible. This will earn you what is called ‘honor points'. If you don't command your troops right and lose the battle, you are not going to receive any honor points.
Each unit is unique. Some are really good for defense and some are really good for offense. Gladiators are great on offence, throwing nets and stabbing. By putting archers on a hill, you will increase their firepower distance. These two work a great pair.
Computer AI is smart. Your enemy could be using the same tactic as you are. Your legionaries have the ability to put their shields up for protection against arrows.
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I always have my legionaries in the first line because they are excellent for defense. Then behind them I have the spearmen who are brutal against enemy calvary. Almost in between my spearmen I have my physician. He heals all of the units inside his radius. Only sometimes I have slingers behind them. They are good at wearing down the enemy troops in general. After them come my archers and then of course, me, The Leader.
The biggest part of the game is playing the campaign. I have to say I am impressed. Almost every mission has a good introduction. Your objectives are clearly stated and explained. Most of the times you start out with a small force and you have to capture a settlement to produce more troops. After that you build up your forces and try to accomplish the mission. The only mission I didn't like was when I had to escort a unit to a nearby Roman camp. I kept on getting ambushed by archers and he kept on getting shot first. Sometimes missions can feel repetitive, but if you are really into the game, you won't mind.
In skirmish mode, you pick a map which has a certain amount of settlements on it, and then you choose your civilization. You can either be the Romans, the Egyptians or the Barbarians. Decide the number of players in the game, and then get ready for some action!
You can also play this game online. It is powered by Gamespy, thus meaning that the servers are pretty good.
Praetorians is a good game, but it is certainly only suited for a small group of players. If you are not into commanding troops and giving military order tactics to units, this is not the game you want to buy. If you like to be in charge over a large military force and think you are much smarter than all those barbarian and Egyptian generals, this is the game where you can prove yourself.
