Developer Fireglow Games just set release dates for the next installment of its famed World War II inspired real time strategy series. Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory will be available in localized versions as early as November 23^rd in French speaking territories. German-speaking lands will follow on November 30^th, with UK and Ireland on ready for invasion on December 5th. Sudden Strike always followed the line of historical accuracy, to the point where campaigns became long battles of attrition with no definite winner in sight. You can expect nothing less from Sudden Strike: Arms for Victory, real time tactics at its finest.

The most notable update is the reworked graphical engine. You can launch coordinated land, sea and air attacks with a more realistic feel due to the massive eye candy improvements and new war sounds. As seen in the screenshots, the dynamic lighting implemented in this third installment really does the job well. Sudden Strike releases are mind blowing in terms of historical accuracy but 2007 quality graphics only add to the overall authenticity. Fireglow developers are true to the legacy. There’s no problem in blowing everything in between your combat lines and the enemy’s, as tanks, fortified positions, trees and many hostile troops litter the battleground like misfortunate debris.

You will be given the choice of playing as British, Soviet, American, German or Japanese forces, each with hundreds of tanks, ships, planes, artillery and soldiers true to its World War II counterparts. Up to seven armies can fight it out on the long kilometers of the front lines, in online battles. The wait is almost over but if you’re too anxious, you can take a look at the multiplayer test version while waiting for the final release.

I don’t know about you, but for me Starcraft was one of just very few games that really rocked my world.

I remember like I just played it yesterday and not almost 10 years ago. All those hours spent hunting down my friends on the battle map with my trusty Protoss zealots…ah those were the days. Everyone smart enough to have played the game even once knows it revolutionized the genre in so many ways.

That’s why I never understood why Blizzard never even announced a sequel…until World of Warcraft came out…then it hit me like a brick in the head, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

But hey, let’s not get into that, let’s just rejoice that another Blizzard classic is about to be born. There were always rumors running about Starcraft II, but they were all launched by fans like me, who wanted it so much they never stopped believing in it. So when I saw the official announcement you cam imagine my joy.

Seeing the presentation trailer, with that cigar smoking Terran marine, even though it really didn’t show much, made my heart pound a little harder than usual. Then I saw some gameplay screensavers, and I recognized some of the old elements of the game, like familiar buildings and units, but also really new ones which I’m dying to take to battle. It all looks so colorful and appealing drawing you in like a siren’s song. I know I might sound a bit delusional, it’s this damned game. And I just know I’m not going to be able to get over this state until I get my hands on it…And here’s the problem: we’re talking about Blizzard and these guys take their time, I mean really take their time so I’m guessing I’ll be 40 by the time they release it. I’m kidding but it’s sure going to be a while since they declared “it will ship when it’s ready”.

But let’s look on the bright side it will come out eventually and that’s all that matters. Now if you’ll excuse I have to go kick my Terran friend’s ass in Brood War.

<-250x250 Square - left->The original Company of Heroes was a true breath of fresh air for all RTS enthusiasts, it truly was one of the best games of the genre, introducing new concepts that proved strategy games could be so much more than what had been done in the past.

Now the guys at Relic Entertainment are releasing Opposing Forces, a stand-alone follow up to the original game that is set to top it’s predecessor and claim supremacy over the all other RTS games.

In Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces players will have to choose between two unique armies, the British 2nd Army during the liberation of Caen, France, or the German Panzer Elite in their struggle to repel the might of Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation in human history.

As far as the multiplayer is concerned, players are in for some pleasant surprises as they’ll be able to battle online in all new multiplayer modes, with this new armies, or the armies from the original Company of Heroes because they are fully compatible.

Powered by an upgraded version of Relic’s Essence Engine, featuring full Microsoft DirectX 10 support, improved vehicle AI and weather conditions that will directly affect the battlefield, Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces is definitely one of this year’s most anticipated games.

I consider this The Return of the RTS King because the C&C series, from my point of view, is the best strategy game ever made…and plus KANE IS BACK!!!

Ever since I heard EA started working on Tiberium Wars I knew they were going to come up with a good, solid game but I have to say that they exceeded even my high expectations. Command&Conquer 3 is definitely one of the best RTS games in recent history.

<-120x240 Vertical Banner - right->Frankly I don’t even know where to start, there are just so many things to say about this digital masterpiece. In the single player mode you’ll be able to choose between the GDI campaign and the NOD campaign, both of which are very well structured and offer the same storyline from opposing viewpoints. The action takes place in a time when tiberium deposits have spread to the point where there are just few safe areas left. This doesn’t only mean the environment has gone straight to hell but also a war-torn world, for he who controls tiberium controls the future. The twist in the plot is represented by the Scrin, an alien race who invades Earth in search of tiberium.

Unfortunately you won’t be able to play as the Scrin in the campaigns, but you can enjoy this original and unusual faction in skirmishes and multiplayer battles. The campaign missions are very varied, you’ll need not only obliterate your enemy or defend, but also some bonus objectives like capturing buildings, taking out enemy defenses, prevent them from launching nukes, teaming up with arch enemies to defend against the alien invasion…one thing is foe certain, you won’t be bored.

The AI in C&C 3 is very resourceful and it will exploit your every weakness. Now you won’t realize this in the beginning but after the first two acts you’ll really have to come up with some kind of strategy to triumph over your foe. You won’t be able to keep attackers at bay just by building one powerful unit type or two because every unit(and I mean EVERY UNIT) has a weakness. Also players with a more defensive approach will have to rethink their strategy because the action in this game is lightning fast and it won’t allow you to build up an impenetrable fortress, you’ll have to take the action to the enemy as fast as you can.

The battle theaters are very impressive as well, you will travel from Washington DC to North Africa, Eastern Europe and even The Amazon Basin. They are all wonderfully designed with recognizable settings and landmarks that make them seem genuine.

The units look good, especially the Scrin, they are not so varied as in other games of the genre and the upgrades are also few, but meaningful. You’ll be able to increase units’ armor, equip them with jetpacks, equip tanks with better cannons…you know, all the good stuff.

The factions have a different fighting style and this is what makes them unique. The GDI have a very direct approach with their mammoth tanks and juggernauts while the NOD rely on sneaky and stealthy attacks using stealth tanks and viper bombers to infiltrate the enemy base and take him by surprise. Still the two are very balanced and if you master their fighting style you’ll win no mater what side you choose. The Scrin however are a bit unusual. While the ability to gather infinite tiberium without having to build silos might seem appealing they are a very complex race and you have to get used to their units, buildings and upgrades before challenging someone.

But the part where Tiberium Wars really signs is the multiplayer mode. Let’s be honest, this is what any RTS should concentrate most on. And the guys at EA have really outdone themselves with this one. There are almost 25 maps to choose from for up to 8 players…and all have strategically placed tiberium deposits and tiberium nodes that will make for intense battles that you won’t soon forget. The game features leader bords and clan support as well as a feature called Battle Cast which allows you to broadcast your game in real time to anyone who downloads the free Battle Cast client. You can even have a commentator coment the battle byusing the built-in telestrator…brilliant.

The audio is authentic, all the units make specific sounds when they’re given orders and the Scrin make a constant alien-ish noise. The voice acting is also very credible and adds to game intense action. Also the in-game movies are fine touch. Featuring an impressive cast of real life actors, including Hollywood legend Michael Ironside, they make believe you’re a aprt of a multi million dollars blockbuster…and that is no small feat.

C&C 3 is a must play for all RTS fans and should not be missed for any reason. It will keep you busy and satisfied for a long time to come. Weather you’re playing the single player or the multiplayer modes you’ll love it.

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Almost every RTS ever made has tried to best imitate war and everything that it involves, but if we take a minute to think about it not many of them succeeded, hardly any actually. Is Supreme Commander any different?

Ever since it was announced this game has attracted a lot of attention probably also because Gas Powered Games promised us a strategic experience unlike any other, massive armies clashing on huge battle maps, the possibility to create an unlimited number of units, everything sounded a lot like Total Annihilation a classic of the genre, so everyone got more and more excited. So when it was finally launched everybody was expecting no less than masterpiece. Were they disappointed? Not by a longshot.

Supreme Commander delivered on it’s promise and in my opinion it’s one of the greatest strategy games ever made…it’s practically a war simulator, a very good one.

Aside from the huge scale of the game another great thing about Supreme Commander is that strategy really works here, the ways in which you can approach your opponents are practically infinite, you can attack them head on, take them by surprise by dropping troops off behind enemy lines, you can take out his anti aircraft defenses and then crush him with aerial attacks, pound him continuously with huge artillery cannons, destroy his antimissile defenses and use nuclear missiles or you can…do anything you can think of…the possibilities are endless.


There are 3 factions you can chose from but apart from their physical appearance there are no noticeable differences between them, there’s United Earth Federation, the Cybran and the Aeon Illuminate. They all have the same type of units divided into the three main categories: land, naval and aerial units. There are three campaigns to play in the single player mode ,each with five or six missions. Might not sound like much but trust me the missions are so long and so complex that you’ll find yourself playing one for hours on end.

The only resources you’ll need in Supreme Commander are energy and mass and while energy can be obtained through generators and power plants, mass can only be mined from certain key points throughout the map. This makes things very interesting because this means violent battles to capture and hold this positions.

The only serious weak point of the game, if it can even be called that, is that you need a monster of a computer to play it in decent conditions. The requirements are very steep, and if you don’t have one of the latest graphic cards on the market, at least a 3 Ghz processor and a minimum of 1,5 Gb of RAM don’t even think about Supreme Commander. It’s designed as a strategy game for the next five years so it’s improbable that there’s a PC out there that can handle this game without stuttering even a little

Bottom line is Supreme Commander is one of the best RTS games ever, maybe even the best and if you can afford to play it you should do so without hesitation. There are still a lot of things to be said about this game but it’s better if you discover them on your own.