Great game! The graphics are a bit grainy, the interface could use some improvements (key mappings!) but the raw gameplay itself is as good as everyone says. It's just plain fun to build up your base, fend off attack waves, and ultimately overcome and destroy all enemies. There's also a rich history and series of spinoff games & mods to discover from this classic RTS. I was out of practice with RTS games and delved back in with Supreme Commander (which is also excellent) but there was so much to learn that I took a step back to Total Annihilation -- glad I did! There's a nice ramp-up for the learning curve, playing through the campaign. That campaign experience alone was worth the full price, and now I'm still enjoying the expansions. One killer feature is the ability to queue commands while paused. It gives you time to really think and strategize. There's definitely still a sense of time pressure as with any RTS, but the command-while-paused feature is a game changer for those who like to contemplate and execute detailed plans.
I loved the Wipeout games from the very beginning, so much so that I developed a prototype sci-fi racer based on space-curves ~20 years ago. I didn't expect a derivative to outshine the classic -- but honestly, this game blew me away. It's even better than my dream game: tracks built around mathematically beautiful space-curves with tubes, tunnels, and every shape in between. Strafing and pitching the craft are nearly as important as turning. the music adapts to how you're racing... and it just keeps getting better as new areas unlock and the ships get faster. I'm on Class 4 now and having spiritual experiences regularly. :) The challenge is deep and nuanced, as the game is really focused on racing, with no lucky weapon draws to accommodate imbalance. You'll need to hone a variety of skills to keep up with the bots and get the best times. With each new track, you build the basics of adaptation and reflex, gradually learning the quirks of each turn until you're driving from pure instinct. Your fingers know what to do based on what you see and when, before you have time to make conscious decisions. That's "the zone", and you'll spend most of your play time there. You can't win until you earn it, and that's what makes the challenge and the victory so meaningful. A few practical notes: 1) "The Survival Guide to Redout" had some ideas that helped me get started; in particular, knowing the different ways to take turns is essential. Watch your checkpoint times as you experiment with different boosting and turning strategies. When you do it right, you'll know! 2) Use an Xbox controller -- at least, that's what I do, and I'm happy with the controls. Would be even happier if I could assign input bindings, but the defaults are workable. I mention it since some reviewers had keyboard-related issues. 3) Don't use GOG Galaxy. It was ruining my experience with frequent distractions and game-hangs. Uninstalled Galaxy and haven't seen a hang since. Redout by itself works great!
