Civilization IV: Warlords and CivCity: Rome are 2K Games' latest retail offerings this week. Both titles are clearly targeted at fans of Sid Meier's "Civ" series, who now have two more reasons to lock themselves in the house and (hopefully) enjoy a great virtual summer. And just because CivCity's main developer is Firefly Studios, with just a vague contribution from Firaxis Games, shouldn't make it any less of a Civ game. Although I have to admit, their strategies have been somewhat lacking as of late.

CivCity: Rome is based on the world of Civilization, and integrates several elements from Sid Meier's TBS series, such as city-happiness, production and culture and wonders. On top of that, it also sports some features that might finally spice up the genre: gladiator fights, chariot races, temple ceremonies, debates in the senate, not to mention looking inside the buildings:

"For the first time in a city builder you can look inside the Villas, the forums, and even the Roman baths! Discover, in much greater detail, how Romans went about their daily lives."

Peeping inside Roman baths, every Civ fan's dream come true... right. In case city-builders just don't do it for you, maybe some good old "Civ a la Sid" will.

"Paying homage to some of history's greatest military leaders, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords delivers eight unique and interesting scenarios, giving players the chance to change the course of history with the help of their powerful new "warlord" unit. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords includes [6] new civilizations, [10 new] leaders, [6 new] units, resources and [3 new] wonders that offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization's military power as they strive for world domination.

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords adds new twists and challenges to some of the most creative scenarios in the series. In the Omens scenario, Great Britain and France race to settle North America at any cost, while the Barbarians scenario allows players to take control of ruthless hordes of warriors. With these brutal Barbarians under your control, your goal is to conquer all other civilizations on the map by decimating their armies, looting the cities and burning them to the ground."

Now that's more like it, I'm feeling hot already!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)