✓ If you enjoyed Imperium Romanum Gold Edition, expect shooter, sandbox freedom and dark, oppressive atmosphere
≠ Stands apart with third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and racing gameplay, while skipping deep simulation
Tighter and more focused than the open worlds that followed it, with a compact city you learn by heart rather than by map marker. Driving carries most of the game. The shooting has aged badly — no proper cover, stiff aiming — and missions restart from the beginning, which turns a late failure into a long redo.
Where it drifts furthest from Imperium Romanum Gold Edition: visuals.
It predates Imperium Romanum Gold Edition by 9 years, with what that implies technically.