Armchair generals rejoice!
While seemingly straightforward on the surface, a little bit of time spent with Global Conquest soon reveals that it is a surprisingly deep and enjoyable strategy game that offers a lot to the kind of gamer who enjoys the likes of Risk or Empire Deluxe. The basic concept is simple enough, requiring four players (who may be computer or human controlled) to discover territories and conquer them in order to conquer the world and emerge victorious. The world is randomly generated each time you play, with the usual mix of mountains, oceans, forests, swamps and other such environments. Once you have your playing field, players add in various military units including infantry, submarines and aircraft carriers, with spies also available to steal secrets from your opponents. There are also financial considerations to factor in, with the creation of new units requiring funds from your treasury and with new money coming in by expanding your empire. As far as tabletop boardgame-style strategy fests go, this one is pretty decent stuff. The bland visuals might prove off-putting to many, and they are undeniably weak, lacking in detail or personality but if you can get over this, you'll find a deep and rewarding slice of strategy fun that makes for an entertaining ride. The interface is straightforward enough to pick up which makes things appealing while the array of units and options also adds in some much appreciated depth and variety and which is supported by the random nature of the world. Of course, it's a lot better when you have human opponents to play against but the computer puts up a decent fight so if you're looking for a challenging and enjoyable strategy game, then take a look here.
