If you say that turn-based strategy is a dead genre, you may be right...almost right, in fact. Leaving aside those great games belonging to it and launched in the past, there are still producers that are keeping it alive, for the joy of all hardcore strategy fans, and I don't have to tell you how glad I felt when I found out that, thanks to an upcoming TBS title, I'll be able to try and change the history once again. Obviously, the war chosen is World War 2, and to make it even more accurate, Matrix Games and Strategic Studies Group have decided to focus on battles fought in a single place, Kharkov.

In the Decisive Battles games series, the Battle of Kharkov has a special place, especially if we think about the fact that history provided not one or two, but three battles fought in that area, between 1941 and 1943, so there's a lot of to try and change as a Soviet commander...but, as you can see in the trailer, I guess those that didn't play any similar game so far won't be crazy about this one, either.

According to David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, "The latest masterpiece from the award-winning Strategic Studies Group has been at the top of many gamers' wish lists and for good reason. Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets brings together the riveting and enjoyable mechanics of the Decisive Battles and Battlefront titles and combines it with plenty of innovation and novel gameplay!"<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->

The feature list of the game includes improved and simplified supply, movement and direct combat systems, improved combat tables that better model diminishing returns and new HQ bonuses that can affect Direct and Indirect Fire, battalion and regimental combat, as well as improved strong points and new hedgehog rules, amongst many others.

Since Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets is already available, and the system requirements are very low, I am sure those trying to bring back those good old TBS times of the late 1990s will be happy to give this game a try.

I know everyone must have, at least once in a lifetime, a reason to wish for everything to stop around him/her, and in most cases, this is also involving someone they love. For me, one of the many reasons to have the entire world frozen in time around me is Civilization, the brilliant game series forged by Sid Meier. Anyway, before Civilization, there was another great game, called Colonization, and now it seems we're going to be able to enjoy it once again, in the full glory of the Civilization IV graphics engine!



According to Sid Meier himself, now holding the director of creative development position at Firaxis Games, "We've received many requests from fans over the years to bring back Colonization and now seemed to be the perfect time to do that."

The Civilization IV engine provided a fantastic foundation for a new Colonization experience and allowed us to create something great for both new players and long time fans of the game," he concluded, and the countless hours I've spent with Civilization IV are a proof to that, as well as the feeling of emptiness I get by the lack of time for playing it anymore, because for me(and a large part of my friends), Civilization is one of those games I will never get tired of, never-ever!

Colonization will get 2008 graphics, a new interface, improved diplomacy options, modding tools, and will allow you to "lead one of four European nations on a quest to conquer and rule the New World."

Expected to arrive this fall, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization will surely be a great addition to any Civilization fan, as well as a game surely worth buying for those strategy fans that didn't grab any of Mr. Meier's games!

In the last years, I've been pretty sad. The reason is the lack of new turn-based military strategy games able to keep me tied up to my computer as Panzer General 2 did, but I guess those times won't ever come back. Well, that's life - evolution doesn't really means you're going in the right direction. Anyway, finding out that one of those few good turn-based military strategy series remaining on the market, namely Panzer Command, got a major new release, is always good news, and today I must share this with you.

Earlier today, Matrix Games and Koios Works announced the release of Panzer Command: Kharkov, a game in which you have the chance to step back to early May, 1942, when both German and Soviet armies prepared major offensives aiming the same place - Kharkov.Panzer Command: Kharkov comes with a Random Battle Generator and a Random Campaign Generator, apart from the historical missions. According to David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, "Panzer Command: Kharkov sets a new benchmark for our series of 3D tactical wargames and we're very proud of the exciting new features and the historical content we've built into this release. This is really a major leap beyond the original Winter Storm release!"

The feature list of Panzer Command: Kharkov is very long, and I won't give it to you here. What you need to know is the price of this game - $39.99 US for the digital download and $49.99 US for a boxed copy with a printed manual, and the location of the official Panzer Command site. These being said and done, I will leave you rewrite history now...

2K Games announced that a second expansion pack for the acclaimed Civilizations IV series will be available in June 2007.

Beyond the sword will focus on late-game time periods, after the invention of gunpowder, it will offer 12 new scenarios created by the Fireaxis Games team as well as by members of the Civilizations Fan Community, it will include ten new civilizations, 16 new leaders, five new wonders as well as a considerable number of new units.

New features:
• Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods.
• New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 12 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the Civ Fan Community.
• New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.
• More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.
• Corporations: A new gameplay feature that allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.
• Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government's secrets.
• Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.
• New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues.
• Expanded Space Victory: Winning the race to Alpha Centauri will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.
• Apostolic Palace: The United Nations will become available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory earlier. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options.
• Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to "buy" components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.
• Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded.

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•