Rome: Total War demo tempts gamers

Activision and developer Creative Assembly released the official demo for Rome: Total War, the highly anticipated PC strategy game, today. You can get the demo--a single-player demo containing a tutorial and the Battle of Trebia map (where you play as the Carthagians)--on GameSpot's download service, DLX.

In Rome: Total War, you'll command one of three major Roman factions as you attempt to build up power and influence in the ancient world. The game has two parts: a deep, turn-based strategic game, in which you manage cities and maneuver armies around the Mediterranean, and a real-time battle mode, where you command thousands of units.

As the third game in the Total War series, Rome ushers in refinements and lessons learned with Shogun: Total War and Medieval: Total War. But one of the game's selling points is the new 3D engine, which brings the battlefields of Rome to life.

With the demo released, British developer Creative Assembly is now putting the final polishing touches on Rome: Total War, and the game should ship to stores next month.