Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends maintains the hallmarks of the first RTS in the franchise (attrition, non-depletable resources, national borders) while improving on gameplay mechanics such as city building and large scale battles. In addition to these improvements Big Huge Games introduced several new features including dominances, neutral units, and capturable resources.

The sequel differs from its predecessor in that it takes place in a steampunk universe spanning autumn-dotted hills in the lands of the Vinci to blinding sandstorms in the burning deserts of the magical Alin. At the furthest reaches of the continent, hidden in the deepest jungles, lie the stone stepped pyramids of the brutal religious zealots known as the Cuotl. Through the Conquer the World (CTW) campaign players strategically guide a tightly knit group of heroes across the continent pursing monsters, love interests, power, and vengeance.

Rise of Legends also sports a Quick Battle (QB) component so players can jump right in to the action by selecting a map and one of the three unique races. The player’s final test of skill is to go head to head on Gamespy or LAN to explore the radically different strategies of the slow but god-like Cuotl, the fast but glass-like Alin, or the innovative but even-keel Vinci.

The campaign includes 52 scenarios with 15 heroes, while the Quick Battle and Multiplayer components include 42 maps for players to fight on.