Review by Brad L. Halo Wars was an experiment in expanding upon a universe entirely viewed in first person. Though Bungie originally wanted Halo to be a real time strategy, some could argue that Microsoft caught lightning in a bottle when the company convinced Bungie to shift the focus over…
Read MoreRetro reflections by Matt S. Ubisoft is always at its best when it’s experimental. Back when the Nintendo DS was a shiny new console, wowing people with Super Mario 64 in portable form, Ubisoft did something remarkably creative with its then-hot Prince of Persia franchise: it released a tactics strategy…
Read MoreReview by Nick H. While 2016 had a great many memorable games, one genre I found myself frustrated with was the 4X science fiction one. There were several solid fantasy themed strategy games, and of course Civilization VI, but I found myself greatly underwhelmed by sci-fi titles, even those with…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. I’ve always felt that Worms Forts: Under Siege was a game that deserved to be remembered better than it has been. Or just remembered at all. One of the most unheralded games ever in Team 17’s particular franchise, I never thought we’d see a game quite…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. As a platform, the Apple iPad and other tablet devices are perfect for strategy games. The immediacy of interaction, through touching units and characters to direct them about, has an experiential element that helps strategy games as well, making you feel like an omnipresent commander with…
Read MoreRetro reflections by Matt S. Square Enix owns a lot of different franchises, of course. Of them all, perhaps the one that has been given the least attention, despite being eminently worthy, is the Ogre Battle franchise. Indeed, aside from the Tactics sub-series, you have to go all the way…
Read MoreRetro reflections by Nick H. We all know that games can change a lot over the years, and many different titles influence future ones. However, having been gaming for as long as I have (35 years and counting), it is always fascinating to me to play and compare games from…
Read MoreReview by Nick H. Somehow it has happened again, and there is a new, ridiculously addictive, Civilization game in our hands. Sure, there are a few flaws here and there along the way, and Civilization VI is not a perfect game. However, it is still arguably the most engrossing 4X…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. In the lead up to the release of the PlayStation VR, I hadn’t even considered how well the format might work for strategy games. Having now played Tethered, I realise that yes, of course VR does great things for strategy games. We’re all used to the…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Genuine 4X games are hard to come by on consoles, and I’ve never been quite sure why. Civilization 2 ran just fine on the original PlayStation, many years ago now, and Koei (now Koei Tecmo) has been producing games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and…
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