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REVIEWS

Urban Assault DEVELOPER : Terratools PUBLISHER : Microsoft Games Requirements: Win95/NT 4.0, Pen. 133, 16 MB of RAM, 4x CD-ROM, 1 MB Video Card Recommend: Pen. 233, 64 MB of RAM, 3Dfx Card, 56K Modem

Of course, if you are more a strategist than a Rambo you can win via the usual RTS means. Make sure you have more resources, build more than your opponent, and crush him with overwhelming numbers. In the later missions this simply can not be done however, as your opponent has superior units than you, and more of them. Staying behind in the host station while the AI does all the grunt work is not such a bad option though, as it allows you to keep track of the big picture, the entire warzone rather than one battle at a time, and allows for superior resource management. Logic dictates that the best course of action is a compromise between playing commander and playing the hero.

The 3D engine running the game is also very good. Hard core tank and helicopter sim fans will laugh at the simplicity of the controls, but those of us just looking for a fun game will appreciate Microsoft's omission of the tiny technical details. Controlling a tank or ground vehicle is as simple as playing Quake, with accelerate, decelerate, left, right and fire being all you need to know. Of course this is just as well, as you are issuing commands to your other squads and building new units whilst all this is going on. Flying helicopters and planes is similarly simple. Nothing beats the feeling of leading 20 helicopters over a ridge to assault enemy entrenchment's, all while doing the housekeeping back at the 'station.

Multiplayer is also a blast, adding a whole new dimension of skill to traditional games. You cannot win on reflexes and battle prowess alone (unless you make a very slick dive at the enemy host station - see below), and pure resource gathering and deployment will not secure victory either. You must combine both to succeed. You must lead your squads to victory in battle, whilst winning the war from afar. The fact that you and your opponent only rarely meet face to face in battle makes the occasion a true showdown, a battle of wills which can often mean victory or defeat for your whole squad.

But what are some of the games weaknesses? Well, for starters some of the later missions can be disgustingly hard. It gets to the point that to have any chance at all of beating a level you have to have played it 5 times before to memorize the map, know when and where the attack will come from, and perfect a movement and building order to compensate. This is where the game becomes more like Concentration than strategy. It becomes a chore to play and you find yourself groaning even when you complete the mission, only to find there's another one. Another problem is the terrible vulnerability of the Host Station. While some may say "Yes, but this is part of the strategy, protecting the station", the host station is so incredibly fragile that it is THE obvious thing to target. Given that the loss of the station results in the loss of the game, I feel that the host stations should be a bit tougher than they are.

Overall however these are small concerns. The game is great - decent graphics and sound, average story, but incredible gameplay and a truly awesome interface make this one stand out. It's not quite as good as Battlezone overall, but it offers a more epic feel, rather than a skirmish atmosphere.

Reviewed by AJ Dunlop