| The Punic Wars - Celtic Kings is the latest real-time strategy instalment from developers Haemimont Games that puts gamers into the role of various ancient civilisations. Unlike the previous instalment, the Punic Wars is set in the turbulent times of 264 - 146 B.C. that pitted the Celts against Romans and Carthaginians. Unlike traditional real time-strategy (RTS) games, the Punic Wars gives gamers the choice of two gameplay modes that includes adventure and strategic mode. Strategic mode is like your traditional RTS environment where players must create their own troops, acquire resources and of course challenge both human and computer opponents. Whereas the adventure mode of The Punic Wars follows two battles of the ancient world. The first adventure mode allows gamers to engage in the history of the Carthaginian general Hannibal which challenged the very fabric of Roman society, whereas the second adventure mode follows the history of how the Roman Republic finally destroyed the city of Carthage. Players also get the chance to play a variety of new nations that include the powerful and notorious Carthaginians and peaceful yet powerful Iberians. There is of course the regular races of previous games that include the Gauls and Romans. Some of the new features in this current instalment of the Celtic Kings is the inclusion of new units that range from war elephants, Numidian riders and even new and improved catapults. There are also a plethora of new special units that helps add to the atmosphere of the game and ensure that your gameplay doesn't become too stale of pungent. The control system of the game uses a combination of the mouse and keyboard to micromanage your race in order to create, battle and maintain peace and order in your world. The combat of the Punic Wars is great and each unit has their own strengths and weaknesses that makes for some entertaining gameplay. Graphically, The Punic Wars is a very impressive game on the PC that features some highly detailed units, background and special effects. Although the game is a traditional isometric view, the developers have done some amazing attention to detail from the various gaming environments that challenge the players to the way individual units move and of course how your towns are slowly built and created. Easily one of the most amazing units in the game are the powerful war elephants that slowly march across the battlefield, destroying whatever gets in their way. The musical score of the Punic Wars is amazing and really helps immerse the gamer into this ancient world. The developers also boast that the game contains over 100 new sounds and musical scores to ensure that this title isn't just your average sequel but a sequel that can stand apart from its predecessor. | 
