Sparta also puts a twist on the standard role of worker units who usually just chop wood and carry gold on auto pilot. Production buildings like farms and weapon research buildings are more productive if they have more worker units in them. So if you want to maximize your farm’s food output or research a new type of blade weapon faster, you’ll have to make sure that there are enough worker units to help speed up production.

On the other hand, increased micro management on the production and resource gathering side didn’t really satisfy our bloodlust. Even with an army of worker units slaving away, it seemed like it took an unusually long amount of time to crank out new fighter units making for a rather slow-paced affair. Hopefully, the final build will adjust this - it seems like an easy tweak to us.

Of course, the ultimate deciding factor in any real-time strategy is whether or not the game can offer a fun multiplayer experience. And Ancient Wars: Sparta promises a murderous multiplayer mode with up to eight players online when the game ships later this year. Until then, click on the Images tab above for an advanced look at the ancient armies you’ll be leading to battle.