Sub-standard historical strategy
The renowned battle of the Crimean War, where vastly outnumbered British troops took on the Russians in a bold but foolhardy assault, provides the backdrop for this flawed and only marginally enjoyable slice of historical strategy. The game offers players the chance to recreate the battle by taking on the role of either the British or the Russians and plays out in real-time. Would-be commanders take control of their troops, issuing commands to either individual units or groups of units, with various options for different formations available to enhance your chances of success. Units are represented by basic but reasonably accurate renditions of the real-world troops, giving the game some degree of personality, with the variety of units on display is fairly broad. In theory this adds to the level of strategy that is required, with effective use of them requiring careful consideration. However, one of the game's biggest flaws is its poor AI, with both enemies and allies acting in unpredictable fashion and which makes any kind of tactical approach somewhat pointless. On top of this, the interface is less than intuitive, rendering proceedings confusing and frustrating when they should be fluid and responsive. These are the biggest issues with the game, but when you add in the mediocre graphics and sound, and lack of anything really approaching strategic, exciting battle, you have a game which is only suited for hardcore and dedicated armchair generals and historical buffs. For everyone else, avoid this and try something like Blitzkrieg.
