I'm playing ROME: TOTAL WAR right now. It's a compelling game, even just in single-player mode. It's very close to the original Civilization, but the real-time tactical battles and the faction politics make it much more engrossing. From the homepage

Rome: Total War is the next generation in epic strategy gaming from the critically acclaimed and award winning Total War brand. The aim of the game is to conquer, rule and manipulate the Roman Empire with the ultimate goal of being declared as the 'Imperator' of Rome.

On top of that, there is the role-playing aspect of it where you try to advance the careers of your family members. It's a very well-done game and has a lot of innovative game features. Without giving a detailed review, let me just say I highly recommend it.

Also, the graphics are so detailed epic in scale that the History Channel is using the engine to recreate "Decisive Battles" for its upcoming show.
posted by Tim at 8:28 AM