Okay, obvious bits. It's a turn based strategy game - if you've played x-com or any of it's children (not the runty offspring like interceptor but instead TFTD or Apocalypse), Laser Squad, or even MissonForce : Cyberstorm, you'll have a fairly good and instant feel for what you're looking at. However, this has two distinctly major features that many (including and some will probably shoot me for saying this, the first x-com) of these games lack, first and most notably, it has *character*. I don't mean as in the many mercenaries you can hire, but more the fact that these mercenaries actually have had enough time invested in their backgrounds and persona (see Buzz for a prime example) to actually make them a bit more than just nameless cannon fodder. You will almost certainly come to care enough about your favourite mercs that you will not want them to die over the rather hefty campaign. It's not just the attention to detail that the mercenaries got either, the guns all come with various "Fallout" style commentary attached, the items are more meaningful than just "Gun of killzap +2" , and the armour actually has quite a noticeable effect between the levels available. All of your equipment is subject to wear and tear so field maintenance and first aid also become priorities, remember, you're out in the middle of nowhereland, you do not get free medpacks and respawn points. The campaign itself is both open ended enough that you can choose quite a few "paths to victory" (even though they all culminate in the same final sequence, namely the queen taking a bullet to the head), but the options to get there are left more or less in the hands of the player (nagging employer aside). The open ended nature encourages multiple playthroughs to test different combat strategies, different mercenary setups, and different orders to take the cities, you will get your money's worth here. One major word of warning - this game does require you to think a little more than the usual red alert style RTS's that currently dominate the market, and not paying attention to cover, line of sight, and ensuring that your mercs watch their back will net you a very fast and painful lesson. Even the so called "novice" difficulty is not exactly beginner friendly, so for new players, this will prove somewhat of a steep learning curve. The reward for the climb is in my opinion, one of the best Turn Based Strategies available, only just behind the likes of the sublime X-Com: Terror From the Deep and easily ahead of much more modern offerings. If you have the patience and time to learn and get into an old gem, make it this one. /Eryn
