Disappointing expansion to one of my favourite games. Most of the narrative elements are reused from its predecessor. The substance of the plot concerns a few loose threads that were set up in Perimeter, but their exploration here feels perfunctory, lacking the spirit and sparkle that had made the strange world on display come alive. The new faction offers little differentiation in gameplay. I couldn't really advise anyone other than real fans of Perimeter to bother. (All the same, I don't regret buying my boxed copy, even just because it took me so long to track down. It's a reminder to temper my expectations.)
Occasionally you may find yourself playing a game so novel and well-realized that it reminds you of the limitless possibilities of the medium. Not only are most of the mechanics fresh and unprecedented, but the world-building and the story are wonderfully creative, offering wonderment at the mysteries of the unknown. The only flaw I could identify is that some of the units are poorly balanced (requiring disproportionate numbers of sub-units or investment in labs relative to their utility, or overpowered once constructed *cough* daemon scourge generators *cough*), and maybe the inability to queue buildings which requires seemingly unnecessary micro. I should mention that I'm a fanboy of this game going way back, and I haven't played it in a few years. But it really left a lasting impression on me and at this price even the most casual of RTS fans should be obligated to try it out. So glad it's on GOG so that I can bug everyone I've ever met to buy it. Someday I will at last have the opportunity to try the multiplayer... and ruin it for everyone else with cheesy exploits and strats refined over hundreds of hours.
