Earth 2150, when it first came out, was one of the most unique RTS games of its time. When it came out, no RTS of its time had the features it had: fully customizable units (right down to the treads you could put on the bottom), an expansive tech tree (actually expansive is putting it mildly, you could literally go the entire game without exploring an entire side of the tech tree). Also, whenever you got a new technology, there was a video that commemorated you achieving this feat, making it worthwhile to go through multiple times and get every tech out there. The campaign itself, though, is rather basic, but I like the fact that, unlike in other RTS games where it is just a bunch of missions, in Earth 2150, you were always being pushed by the clock. This limited amount of time meant you were always rushing to beat missions in as quick a way as possible. Nowadays, RTS developers would look at said game style and balk, as it would not be what the mainstream, less-hardcore people would want, but if you like actually needing to use strategy but also have a time limit, then this is for you. As for its other features, Earth 2150 comes with a rather robust level editor. In fact, I must admit, this editor is actually just as robust as Starcraft 2's, if not more so from the fact that you can adjust every single feature of every unit and building on the map, thus setting up some unique scenarios. I still remember making a map where it was up to the four other guys to take a fortress that was filled with high-level units (but the one player in the middle was not able to move much out of his base, and thus had to use those units for defense), adding tension to the game. It is only sad that you cannot really share these maps with other people through a modern system similar to Command and Conquer 3, but given when it came out (when dial-up connections were still wide-spread), it makes sense to have the two internet play options it has. It also introduced the fact that having lights on your units mattered when nighttime came. It also introduced true stealth elements (which, again, CNC and SC (Starcraft) have yet to do), where you could launch successful sneak attacks by turning off the lights on your units, but your enemy could turn off the lights on his buildings when the sun went down, making it very hard to spot in the pitch-dark. It worked both ways, as having lights on allowed you to see what was going on in your base, so it was a sort of choice that had consequences. In terms of graphics, I must say Earth 2150 still lives up to this day. In fact, it wasn't until Command and Conquer Generals that Earth 2150 was finally surpassed, and it was not even by that much. Earth 2150 sports some of the best 3D RTS graphics of its time, with unit detail being the foremost focus, but also the environments being rather pretty to look at as well (which didn't hurt matters). In terms of sound, I say Earth 2150 has a good soundtrack, though it is not the greatest soundtrack I have ever heard during its time (that would go to Starcraft, Command and Conquer, and other games), but it is still pretty decent. I daresay you would have a hard time saying it is truly bad. Overall, this game is a very good RTS, is it the greatest? Not by a long shot, but does it still deserve to be in every hardcore RTS fan's library? Yes it does. Its $6 price-point is also a steal, considering you get the full game plus both expansions, not to mention the soundtrack. So if I were you, and I was a hardcore RTS fan, I would definitely give this my money and time. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself playing for hours.
