I owned this game on disk back in the 90's and ever since then it's been one of my favourite all-time strategy games. Even though I was around 8 at the time and got soundly beaten in most of the scenarios I played. I've tried getting my disk copy to work a few times over the years, but to no avail. I cannot stress this enough, unlike some of the other 40k releases on GOG. This version works. (64bit Windows 8, for the record) There are no issues, no crashes, no bugs, not that I found in several hours of play. Finally getting the game to play again and getting to hear the menu music was almost worth the price of admission (and getting to own a soundtrack I've loved for years as a bonus.) I'm not going to hide my nostalgia here, but I also didn't walk into this blind. There have been plenty of games that I've been fond of over the years that didn't hold up well. This one does, I'm actually amazed by that. Admittedly, the graphics and sound are dated, but never distracting. It runs in wide screen but has no other graphics options. It plays, it runs, it's nothing fancy. The game runs on the Panzer General engine, if you know those games you'll know what to expect. The interface is simple, with left clicking getting you by most of the time. It's not clunky and feels like a more modern game in its simple-to-the-point-of-complexity design. Think the X-Com remake in terms of approachability and scope. You build an army of units that gradually level up as you take them on missions. Some are better at combating other enemy units better than others. When one dies, it's gone for good. The game is hard even on easier difficulties and you will have heartbreaking moments when one of your veteran squads is viciously ambushed by Tyranids. It'll hurt at times, but it rarely feels unfair. Play well and you'll win, but you'll never bring home all the troops you took out with you. In a way, that feels right. After all, in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
