When they decided to call it Total War, they weren't really telling the whole story. In the seven years that the epic RTS series has been around, it seems to have spawned more spin-offs than Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street combined. Further expansion is on the way in the shape of Rome: Total War - Alexander, and you won't even need to leave your iron fort to buy it, instead downloading it - for a fee - from the safety of your own dressing gown.
Reckoned by many pundits to be the greatest general of all time, Alexander's campaign is set to recreate his epic push to conquer the known world, spanning the years from the death of Philip II of Macedon in 336BC up to Alexander himself carking it. Throw in six new historical battles that highlight his most momentous conflicts - all also playable in multiplayer - and you're looking at the best part of 40 hours of gameplay.
Four new factions will be available, namely Alexander's Macedonian army, The Persians, The Indians and the Barbarians. The 50-odd new units will include the Theban Sacred band, Indian Elephants, Persian immortals and even Indian naked female archers.
All of which pales in comparison with the news that Brian Blessed is lending his voice to the game. Attracting something of a cult following, Blessed is famously revered for his show-stealing portrayal of Prince Vultan in 1980's Flash Gordon, particularly his ad-libbed battle cry of: "Who wants to live forever?" Already familiar with the subject matter - if not necessarily through his appearance in the fanciful Oliver Stone movie of Alexander - his performance as narrator of the game should be worth the admission fee alone. Alexander's alive?
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