Galactic domination, old-school style
For a neat slice of true retro-style galactic domination, then Starclash 2 is well worth an investigation. Perfect for fans of sci-fi strategy games like Iron Seed or Starflight, Starclash 2 might be crude in terms of visuals but it lacks nothing in the way of depth and should provided even hardened veterans with plenty to get their teeth into. Getting into the game is pretty straightforward, thanks to an intuitive interface and once you've got the hang of it you can concentrate on your goal: to wrest control of the universe from your opponent. You can take on the computer or a friend and must carry out the usual simple enough tasks of creating units then deploying them throughout the universe, while maintaining high levels of productivity and efficiency. That's pretty much it for the game but there are a lot of options to tweak, including game length, size of game and overall difficulty, while the computer opponent makes for an admirable adversary and should stretch seasoned commanders, thanks to its propensity for complex strategy and cunning moves. While lacking in the sheer depth, variety and addictiveness of later efforts like Reach for the Stars, Starclash 2 is quite remarkable, especially considering it was made in 1983. Graphics are obviously pretty basic and the game is basically text-based but as long as you don't let this put you off, and you're in the market for a proper bit of old-school strategy fun, then this should be right up your alley.Check out the original Starclash too, which although more limited than this game is still an ambitious and playable slice of strategy fun.
