A very unknown and niche game which is actually one of the best the original PlayStation had to offer from it's huge library. You had to be a European though to appreciate 'Astérix', because it was only released here. It is a turn-based strategy game in the vein of the newer and much more famous 'Total War' series, but a much lighter, less serious take on the genre.
Like the comic books, the game is about the small Gallic village's struggle to stay independent from the Romans under Caesar. From the starting village on, the objective is to strengthen your regions and conquer Roman ones by adding doses of "magic potion" to each. Some regions contain a mini-game where the player assumes the role of either Asterix, Obelix or another character, which has to be completed before the region is conquered. These mini-games can be a multitude of different things ranging from a platforming level to a fighting stage.
For a game with such a simple and innocent appearance and being aimed primarily at children, it is actually quite challenging. The game is won when your territory includes all the regions that contain a mini-game and reaches all the way to Italy. Being an Asterix game, obviously the game takes place in France, or Gaul to be precise. The challenging nature, along with the variety and the slapstick humor, makes for an addicting little game!
