Empires: Dawn of the Modern World enters golden age

RTS fans, start your fingers! Empires: Dawn of the Modern World, the new game from designer Rick Goodman--the man behind Age of Empires--has gone gold.

Published by Activision, Stainless Steel Studios' latest offering doesn't have quite the sprawling timeline of the developer's previous RTS release, Empire Earth (also designed by Goodman).

Focusing on five eras during the last 1,000 years--the Middle Ages, the Gunpowder Age, the Imperial Age and World Wars I and II--Dawn of the Modern World gives strategy gamers the best of both worlds, separating the empire-building and real-time combat features. The game also features seven unique armies with unique attributes and abilities, like crafty French partisans and relentless Russian infantry, and has extensive multiplayer functionality.

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is rated "T" for teen and has a suggested price tag of $49.99. The game is scheduled to hit shelves October 21.