Quirky, intriguing yet somewhat disappointing.
I think i set them too high.
This game, in comparison to its predecessor, is a let down. For me, one of the main reasons why it is so disappointing is the fact that there are only 3 nations.
Although the nations are very balanced (And i have to congratulate the makers on how balanced they are!), they are focused into one strategy. I don't just mean excel in one strategy; i mean completely focused in to it. Take the Alin for example, they are the military people. They are brilliant at rushing. Booming not so good, turtle, in my opinion, even worse.
This make online play tedious as the moment you find out who your opponent is playing, you can pretty much guess their strategy. Of course the element of surprise is there (And it's a big surprise) but the strategy you are therefore trying to perform isn't designed to suit that nation so your opponent has plenty of time to adapt accordingly.
The only way to win, unless on specific maps, is by conquest. This obviously makes the nation that focuses on army very appealing. I think they should have brought back the classic wonder victory and territory victory from Rise of Nations; it provided you with more options and more diversity.
Take Rise of Nations out and you have a solid game. It is a great game and it will keep you entertained for a long while. The 3 nations are quirky and fun to play with maps ranging from straight forward land to challenging cliffs that require you to make transport units. The attrition returns and the research trees although now there is less research to do done. There is also little research to do at buildings that is not related to upgrading troops. Each nation is also incredibly different with their own units. Not just a select few unique units; all the units are unique to each nation.
The problem is, you can never forget that Rise of Nations is there. Rise of Legends feels like a downgrade from the awesome Rise of Nations. Little diversity in gameplay, few nations that specialise in specific strategies far too intensely and many features that we all loved from Rise of Nations are removed.
If you're thinking of buying this, get Rise of Nations first. I admit this game had a lot to live up to but it would be far better if they hadn't removed so many features. It doesn't look like they're planning to release an expansion for this any time soon.