It's Risk! But on a different map!
If you've played Risk to death and feel like you've exhausted its possibilities but fancy playing exactly the same game with slightly different graphics, then Conquest is the game for you. It really doesn't add anything new to the established formula but manages to provide a decent bit of boardgame-style shenanigans thanks to simply being reasonably well implemented. Just in case you're not familiar with the original, then here's a brief rundown on what's going on. Players take control of armies and seek to control the map, eliminating their rivals in turn-based fashion by moving their troops around the map. You can only attack areas which are adjacent to ones which you currently control and if you win a battle (which is calculated in rather abstract fashion by the computer, and with the game lacking any action sequences), then you can move some or all of your remaining troops into the newly liberated area, thus expanding your dominion. Play continues in such fashion as players take it turn to move and fight until one side is left victorious and they can claim bragging rights. You can play with up to eight opponents, human or computer controlled but the game is best experienced against real people as bragging to the computer when you beat it just isn't quite the same. One little touch that is slightly different to other Risk clones is the inclusion of a couple of maps, one being Australia, with the battle being fought over its territories, and another geometric-style map. As far as Risk clones go, this is perfectly acceptable stuff, with a decent interface and controls and the same type of engrossing strategy fun. However, it really is nothing new so if you are a Risk fan, you may as well stick to the original, unless you want to fight it out over Australia.
