Amazon.com Product Description

Star Trek: The Next Generation, Birth of the Federation is the first PC CD-ROM strategy game based on the rich Star Trek, universe! Forged from the cultures, time lines, events, and technologies of the hit TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, this turn-based epic emphasizes resource management, combat, and diplomacy. Control one of five major alliances: Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Ferengi, or Cardassian, each with its own set of abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Encounter over 30 exotic races. And beware, there lurks the potential for a Borg invasion--threatening all players! ... Read more

Reviews (35)

good game for trekkers
This game is very good for Star Trek fans.the multiplayer abilities make this game something special.One drawback is the micromanagement and slow speed for larger galaxies.Overall a very good strategy game.

Warning: this game is a time eater!
This game was the first turn-based strategy game I ever owned. My roomate played Master of Orion 2, but I never got into it because it seemed like it had a high learning curve and seemed kind of boring. However, as a Star Trek fan I heard of this game and somehow got a copy of it cheap from an auction site way back when (good luck doing THAT now. My original copy shattered in my CD drive and I was SHOCKED to see how much an original copy of this game is going for. Microprose would do a lot of business by re-releasing this sucker). The learning curve here was steep as well, but the tutorial and a highly-recommended walkthrough on the Internet written by Cadillace helped me to get the hang of it (if you're interested in this game, look this walkthrough up; it is better than the manual or the so-called "official" strategy guide). After that, I was hooked.

The basic plot of the game is simple. You choose one of 5 Star Trek TNG empires; the Federation, the Klingons, the Romulans, the Ferengi, or the Cardassians, and TRY TO TAKE OVER THE GALAXY! This is easier said than done, since whichever galactic power you choose, the other 4 will be there with the same aims as you. Each galactic power has its own distinct style and game display appearance, special abilities and weaknesses in both technology, intelligence, research, diplomacy and ships. The game parameters are highly variable, and no one game is the same; thus replay value is pretty high. Overall, it is a tossup between the Federation and the Romulans when it comes to picking the best empire to play as, followed by the Klingons, Cardassians and Ferengi (in that order). The Federation have some of the more powerful ships (and the greatest number of ship types to choose from) with strong shields and armor, good diplomacy with most minor races, great research capabilities and decent starting cash. Their negatives include a really liberal and cheese-eating population, so doing what you need to do to win, like subduing and bombing planetary systems, will piss them off. You'll have to be judicious in massaging their moods, and it won't be to your advantage to subjugate minor races. Also, their initial intel setup is attrocious and will need major upgrading once you meet the Cardassians and/or Romulans. However, with time and maybe a few minor races, you'll be able to hold your own with those guys. The Romulans are very good or decent in all categories, but they don't hold the top points in any. They have decent diplomacy and research but not as good as the Feds; they have very good intel but the Cardassians have a slightly better initial setup; all of their warships cloak and thus have a free attack in any fight where they are cloacked from the beginning; however their warships are also the flimsiest in the game and need that cloak in order to survive. It takes a lot of ships to attack a protected system, but at least you can choose between subjugation or diplomacy, your population doesn't care as long as you're not losing. The Klingons are warlike and have really tough ships, some of which cloak. Declare war often and win, you'll be fine. Intel, research and diplomacy are not their fine points...The Cardassians have the toughest ships with the heaviest armor which can fire from pretty much all directions; however they have the smallest set of ships to choose from and their ships are also the slowest. Don't even try to use diplomacy unless you have a whole lot of money; if you want to play as an evil empire then the Cardies are the ones to use. It may come back to haunt you though...And the Ferengi, although they have the most powerful warship in the game, are still very tricky to play and you don't get that warship until you've achieved much research. What you do have is cash, tons of it, and the sooner you learn to handle it, the sooner you can whack those who underestimate you.

Other factors influencing game play include:
A)Minor races with varying special structures that can aid your empire. You can either sweet-talk/bribe these races to join your mighty empire, or you can swoop in and force them to join your mighty empire. You can play the game without them, but it won't be as interesting. Diplomacy relates your empire to both the minor and major empires.
B) Random events. These can be turned on or off. If you're a beginner then start with them turned off, but once you've gotten the hang of the game they can add a bit more excitement to the game. These events can be sometimes good, mostly bad. Good random events include positive planet shifts say from desert to Oceanic(increasing population and allowing construction of various structures). Bad random events include (but are not limited to) negative planet shifts, earthquakes and plagues, warp anamolies, and various alien creatures wandering the galaxy and interacting negatively with your ships and planetary systems. The worst alien creature you may encounter are the dreaded Borg. A Borg cube can assimilate a system in at least 5 turns, and when a system is assimilated a new cube is formed which begins assilating elsewhere, and so on. You better have a huge fleet to blow them away Admiral...

There are two ways you can win and you choose the conditions at the game's beginning. You can either win by domination (control 60% of the galaxy by yourself, or 75% if you are in an alliance with another major power) or by vendetta (where you have to wipe out two of the major empires who are your blood enemies). Whichever you choose, strategy is quite important. Know when to fight, when to make peace, and be ready at all times. Also, when starting the game, you can choose from 5 technology levels to begin at. Level 1 is pre-warp stage with only your home planet developed and all your research tech levels at 1 (out of 10). The other extreme is level 5 where you have all your tech levels at 8 (out of 10), all your home planets developed, and 2 advanced colonies adjacent to your home system. It is best to play from level 5, it gives you the best chance to win against the computer and your aim is to end up with higher levels anyway.


Issues with the game involve memory hogging, slow and jerky motion as the game progresses, frequent crashing, and the cheating of the computer players.

This game got me interested in other turn-based strategy games, and so far I have Star Wars rebellion (a much steeper curve than this game, i still do not know how to play it), MOO2 (seems interesting, still trying to figure it out) Space Empires IV and MOO3 (haven't gotten to play them yet). So far, i still recommend BOTF. Check it out if you can find it.

Tough to get the hang of
I received this game as a second-hand gift from a friend, who told me he was having too much trouble understanding it. I was able to figure it out, but I've played Civs 2 and 3, so I'm used to this game format. Overall, it's a fun game, though I have yet to actually win. Also, some of the technilogical advancements are pretty bland, with level increases being denoted by number (automated farms 6 as opposed to automated farms 5, etc.) Ship level increases are similarly uncreative (increased with the "II" denominator). Not a bad game, but I'm told it's expensive.

Same Game Different Name
This is a good game, don't get me wrong.I think it is an entertaining game.It is just so much like Civilization, Masters Of Orion, and Star Wars Rebellion.

Slash77
In its day this was ok, but graphics are not really state of the art and in retrospect too complex with little action. ... Read more

Product Description

A 60 day pre-paid game card. The Matrix Online, co-published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and SEGA, is an MMOG where tens of thousands of players will jack into the Matrix world to take an active role in continuing the saga of The Matrix movie trilogy. Developed by Monolith Productions in conjunction with the Wachowski Brothers, creators of The Matrix trilogy, the game will be a re-creation of the virtual world of the Matrix, employing cutting edge 3-D graphics, networking and serve ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Emperor returns gamers to Dune, land of sand, home of the spice and the first real-time strategy title. This all-new game presents the Dune universe in full 3-D. As in the classic Dune 2, players can command three unique political houses: noble Attreides, evil Harkonnen, and insidious Ordos. Five powerful subgroups add to the volatile political climate. There are four game worlds to battle on, and players can choose large-scale strategic advances or ground-level tactics. Gamers can wage war online both head-to-head and cooperatively. ... Read more

Reviews (80)

Dune Junkie approves!
Ever since I bought Dune: The Machine Crusade at a book sale for three bucks, I've been absolutely obssessed with everything Dune. I found Emperor on a Wal-Mart shelf and decided to give the game a go. I expected another lousy 3D generic RTS. I was DEAD wrong! I found myself addicted to Emperor: Battle for Dune. I spent hours upon hours, coordinating raid on spice harvesters, sending out patrols, fortifying my bases, annihilating enemy forces, bulging the front line on Dune, oh I could go on for hours. Setting up attacks also have to involve avoiding sandworms which appear at random and can easily destroy half an army in one attack. Sandworms can really turn the tide for either side of battle. Another thing, I really L00VE that you managing your economy is super simple. Just build a refinery, add a few docking pads, and replace spice harvesters occasionally if one gets destroyed by and sandworm. The sheer destruction one could inflict was mouth-watering. I loved setting infantry on fire with the Harkonnen flame tank and hearing there screams. It really made me feel like a true Harkonnen. I usually build bunch of turrets around my base for an automated defense so I don't have too much about small raid and so I can focus on building overwhelming forces. The graphics cannot be praised in futile words. Enough said. I DID have a few beefs with Emperor: Battle for Dune. The AI is just plain dumb. I managed to destroy an entire base with just a flame tank and an assault tank. However, I really only play my friends on LAN or online. So its not a big deal. The acting in the cutscenes was a bit cheesy but to be expected in all Westwood games. The sketchy story was understandable because it was hard to place in the Dune timeline.

Overall, this game makes it to my top 5 best games ever! I wish they make another one but stupid EA bought Westwood and now they are only focusing on C&C which needs to seriously be put down peacefully.

One of the best RTS's I have ever played,
This game is stunning with its 3D graphics.I have an old piece of junk called a computer that can run this game pretty well considering the system requierments. The units are very well done from Harkonnen Missle tanks to Ordos Chemical troopers.


The campaigns are presented on a map which is equally divided into thirds. Depending on the house you choose you must attack,hold,and attack from enemy territories to reach their capitol.


The game is also littered with entertaining cut-scenes between missions.
The building and producing mechanics are very easy----no running around collecting units of food and wood like AOE-----------just build a refinery and the game collects the money for you. You may have to replace a harvester every so often ,but other than that it runs itself.


The game is alot quicker and action oriented than other games like AOE(Age of Empires I or II). Instead of building up a town and collecting a ton of resources. Emperor is able to do that faster. The game's missions are shorter, though much more fun.

Overall this game definately deserves 5 stars and will keep you playing for a long while.

WESTWOOD GOES OUT WITH A BANG!
I loved the original story (even the franchised series been ghostwritten as you are reading this). The graphics are a bit dated today yet can still keep up. Not the best strategy yet well balanced and not worse than Generals.
I bought the game some years back but still take it out once in a while.

The Emperor of RTS games
This is a truly awesome game! I have been playing this game since it came out and I wrote this review in 2004! There is so much replayability you can't count how many hours you can play it. Be warned though, this game has the potential to take over your life with it's beautiful graphics, truly awesome music, and great balance between the three houses. The music is good enough for you to buy the game alone, the music is even better than Starcraft music and the game is better than it too! If you enjoy a game that lets you choose where to attack and defend you will love this game. Also, there are several different kinds of missions like defending a subhouse defend against another subhouse or attacking an enemy convoy heading out of the map. Although the difficulty level is very high during the end of the game with the computer opponents simply pouring out high level infantry and heavy artillery and such it is still beatable and you really feel as if you accomplished something. Overall, this is a really good game that any gamer SHOULD NOT MISS!! That is the directive!(I have spent over 500 hours playing this game and am still going!)

Not the best Dune game out there, but still not the worst
Emperor Battle For Dune is a mixed bag of a game.As a RTS its formula has been oftenly used and abused many times in other titles (especially the Dune II or Dune 2000 series), and the leap to 3D isn't entirely that spectacular.

But considering the production value, this game is quite worth mentioning.There's a top actor Michael Dorn (of Star Trek's Lt Worf fame) playing the Atreides duke, and the costumes and props are all used from the 1984 David Lynch movie.

Of course the storyline is a bit absurd... supposely to take place centuries before the main Dune storyline during the 'War of the Assassins'... serious Dune fans might have difficulty understanding it.

The dynamics aren't too heavy... and most missions are pre-scripted and the campaign unfolds the same ways no matter what.

But this game is quite worth playing (if you can find the hours the spare for it). ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The drama of the award-winning space-combat simulation of '98 continues in Freespace 2, featuring massive juggernaut warships, jaw-dropping visual effects, and white-knuckle dogfight action. Explore a vast, enigmatic nebula and battle a mysterious adversary to determine the fate of humanity.The year is 2367. Thirty-two years have passed since the Great War. The only jump node to Sol collapsed long ago, isolating Earth from the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance (GTVA), a new government uniting old enemies. As the Terrans and Vasudans struggle to rebuild their civilizations, civil war erupts in the Polaris system. A rogue Terran admiral declares war against the Vasudans, and his rebellion threatens the stability of the Alliance.Without warning, the Shivans return, and the GTVA launches a crusade to eliminate their Great War nemesis. Once again, the Alliance must crush the Shivan onslaught or face annihilation. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Are you serious?
Okay I've had this game for a few years now and still play it on occassion. It is that good of a game.In fact in my opinion its the one flight sim worth playing. But I was looking here on amazon and two seller's were selling Freespace 2 for 149.00! Yeah it's a good game but is it that good. do people really pay that much for this game? If they do, or you are reading this and are interesting in buying it I have a copy that I can part with for a price and it won't be 150 bucks (100 sounds good). Contactme if you are interested

Good but not perfect
Freespace 2 has a lot going for it. It's a model space flight simulation. You spend almost all your time flying and fighting with great controls, there's good AI both for enemies and your wing, graphics and sound are very good also. Additionally there's good multi-tiered story although part of it remains unresolved at the end. Some of the briefings that advance the story, introduce new weapons and review mission objectives can drag a little too long.

But as I finish the single player campaign what sticks in my mind isn't the good above but the disappointments. Most of the game takes place in a large nebula. Multi-colored 'gas' and lens flare effects fill the screen, the result feeling like playing with a large flashlight in your eyes. It doesn't improve the gameplay it just irritating. Most missions are the straight 'kill everything' type. Other missions seem designed to frustrate you. For example one mission requires you to fly a series of waypoints that are basically in a straight line. The catch is you can't see the next way point from your current one so if you waver off course you become hopelessly lost and have to start over. Finally a handful of missions are usually difficult, pitting you solo against a large number of enemies or timed with unclear objectives.

Apart from a badly-scratched install disc I had no trouble running the game in Windows 98. Nothing I tried would get the game to install in Windows 2000.

Absolutely Incredible
I just got a hankering to re-install this game. Freelancer got a little stale for me and Tachyon didn't have enough to keep me playing after I beat it. So after more than two years of not playing this game, I am finding it to be incredible. The graphics are crisp, sound is incredible, controls incredibly responsive, gameplay complex enough for me, and storyline is pretty darn deep (especially for a game of this type). Plus... the game can pretty much go on forever with the FRED2 editor and there are VAST numbers of community created mods, featuring both sorte missions and full length campaigns.

Wonderful Game
It is a great game I would recommend it to everyone.

Best Space Sim Ever
While there arn't all that many space sim games worth playing anymore, or any new ones being made(that I know of), This is the best one that exists, period.Although I've played almost all the others worth playing (except freelancer) this one remains the best.Although now that its garphics are dated and it doesn't really offer anything new to to the genre, it more importantly doesn't add anything bad either.
The missions are well thought out and more diverse than other games.The ship selection is awesome, more than 20 ships, about 40 distictly different weapons, and great weapon effects.The ships are modeled very nicely, even by todays standards.The story is fast paced and by itself gives you reason to want to keep playing clear through the night (no joke).The capital ships are HUGE, the largest one being about 15,000 times the size of your fighter!The action is intense and NEVER gets boring or repeditive, the voice acting is great, the mission designer isrelatively simple, the cutscenes are beautiful, and the only problem with this game is that there's no expansion pack for it with more missions to play (the campaing gets boring after the 3rd or 4th tome through).In my opinion the game's worth whaterver you have to pay for it, ... for a 3 year old game would be worth it, don't hessitate to get it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Is this title out yet?
Why is it that Amazon says this is out. I don't see on store shelves?

Does anyone know? I though the release date was in May now around the 20th?

... Read more

Product Description

Battle your way through the strategy card game environment in the classic Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalker. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Duels of the Planeswalkers on Windows2000 and XP.
For those who have stumbled across these older reviews of the game where the incompatibility with Win2K and XP was listed as a downside, note that there is an unofficial patch that was released some time ago that let it run under NT based versions of windows, and slowed the 'shandalar' campaign down to normal levels on modern machines. It also replaces the serial networking option with a TCP/IP LAN/Internet direct connection for multiplayer(so it can still be used online), and has tons of tweaks and bugfixes to the game. Just search for 'Unofficial manalink patch 1.3.2' to find it and once again enjoy this wonderful game.

I never played much of the 'shandalar' campaign style game, but I must say that the actual card game within the engine is a top notch representation of the physical card game, and I really prefer it to the more modern and free options such as Magic Workshop, which to me was more of an interactive Magic-themed shared whiteboard, where anyone can do anything, wether it be an actual legal action or not.

top of my list
I began playing the card game several years ago, and when the PC software came out, I knew I had to have it. I have just about worn mine out playing it over and over again. I would say it is a must have game, but since the online version was released they have shown no interest in upgrading this version. Therefore, if you are running Windows 2000 or XP, or plan to upgrade soon then you are out of luck as far as enjoying this marvelous game. I recently upgraded to XP and now I wish I hadn't. Only the oline version works on a newer OS, but you have to buy electronic cards. This really ..., especially for those of us who started out playing the original game and spent hundreds of dollars on the cards already.

In closing, the game is awesome and if you have Windows 95/98 and plan to stick with that OS for a while then definitely add this to your gaming collection. Windows 2000 & XP users, on the other hand, are just out of luck!

Pick a card...any card--no, not that one!
Magic: The Gathering is a fantasy-themed card game--as I like to joke, the world's most elaborate form of "Go Fish"--which is, of course, more fun to play against a human than a program. But this game turns out to be a lot of fun and a great way to learn the game, which has its share of subtleties and nuances. Although it will take a while, you'll learn the game well enough from the program that you eventually spot the flaws in the computer's playing as well as the numerous bugs in interpreting cards.

Around the solid mechanics of the card game, Microprose built a spare but interesting gaming premise. Your avataar wanders around the mythical land of Shandalar running errands and fighting monsters. (Said fighting occurs, of course, as MtG duels.) What makes it interesting is the tweaks of the MtG rules that occur in Shandalar. In a "straight" duel, which this game allows you to play outside of Shandalar, you and your opponent have exactly 20 life points and the deck of your choice. In Shandalar, you start with a weak deck, fewer life points, and (by doing specific errands) you can build up to 20 points (and somewhat beyond). Other errands allow you to collect cards. Special "dungeons" themed around the game's five magic types allow you to fight certain creatures "in their element" for a chance to collect rare cards. (Not required, but fun.) Some of the creatures of Shandalar have "meta-powers", and can go into a game with certain advantages, like a card already in play. One kind can actually swap your deck for another (decent) deck. You can obtain similar bonuses by defeating these monsters, or through various "world magics" as they're called.

You're in a race against the five wizards of Shandalar, whose job it is to take over X number of cities, at which point they'll have the power to cast the Ultimate Magic Spell. In other words, game over. As they capture more cities, they get stronger. As you defeat their minions, they get weaker. In the final analysis, this game is rife with good ideas and a still too buggy implementation.

To make matters worse, retro-PC-gaming is a difficult and often unrewarding thing. Microsoft has never been much for backward compatibility and you'll have trouble running this on Windows 2000, though it can run on XP with some tweaking, I'm told. It'll run on your Windows 95/98/ME machine, but for a near fatal flaw: It'll run WAY too fast even on a 400mhz machine. (Note the 100mhz Pentium "minimum".) Shandalar, grievously, was made into a "real time" game, and your quests have time-limits. You can use a utility (MoSlo, Throttle, CPUKiller) to slow your entire computer down and make Shandalar go faster--but the kicker is during the duels, your computer opponents will take proportionally longer to decide their moves.

The "real time" aspects of the program were an unfortunate design decision ironically and irritatingly out of pace with the rest of the game. Shandalar could've just as well been set up like a board game.

With all its warts, though, this is a fine game. The real tragedy is that it wasn't maintained and updated. I'm not big on on-line games, and I don't like the MtG Online pricing scheme even if I did, but I'd shell out three Hamiltons yearly for a new version of this game, with new cards, new world "tweaks" and increasingly improved AI. It's a shame we'll never see it.

Finally, the timeline for these games, courtesy GameSpot: The original was released in February of 1997, followed in September of '97 with "Spells of the Ancients", followed at last by this version, "Duels of the Planeswalkers", which has all the new cards, bug fixes, and multiplayer. This is the last version, the version you want if you're going to play it at all.

The new Online, pay-per-pack version is not related to this game, nor is the older 1997 "BattleMage". (The latter only takes place in the MtG world, with no resemblance to the card game, so beware!)

A grand game.. that STILL holds my attention...
"Duel of the Planeswalkers" is a GREAT game.It was released in 1998 AFTER the initial release of "Magic the Gathering" (for PC) and the expansion pack "Spells of the Ancients"."Duel of the Planeswalkers" includes BOTH of the initial releases and also allows you to play online or via LAN.There are even a few "cards" that were designed specifially for playing on the PC... you will never find this in an actual MTG deck, they have random effects assigned by the computer when you play them!

My biggest complaint about MTG the CARD game was that it was impossible to keep up with all the rules... banned cards... and if I use this card with that card in this particular circumstance this will happen... MIND boggling problems.Its true MTG was the "father" of all other card games since 1992, and most are a far cry from MTG... but trying to seriously play and keep up on every expansion set was insane!!THUS MTG Duel of the Planeswalkers was born and is the answer to every "causal" MTG player's Prayers.

My 2 complaints about this game are as follows:
1) On today's 1.5+ Gigahertz machines this game needs to be slowed down if you play the "single player" theme game.Not a problem at all during actual DUELS, but in the "Shandalar" world everything moves WAY too fast. No big deal, just find a CPU reducer utility on the internet.Older machines might not have a problem in the "Shandalar" area, but might bog down in the middle of a duel where over 20 cards are on the "table".The CPU really has to do some massive computing to figure out it's next move....(newer machines DON'T have this problem!)

2) This game hasn't been updated/added on to since 1998... great game... an expansion would be exquisite!

I have yet to take advantage of the online/lan playability... and I wonder if anyone is STILL playing this online... I'm not sure.

It's 2003 and I still find myself going back to this game... fun to play, easy to walk away from when necessary, no long term monatary investment.

If you are a casual player or fan of Magic the Gathering, this game is an excellent purchase.Serious players might find the game slightly old and outdated... but may yet enjoy it.

Keep the gam listed
This is a great game. It is good to have this game listed.I pre-ordered this game back in Oct/Nov.Two weeks ago, someone in CA had an UNOPENED copy of the game to sell thru the Marketplace for 24.95.Since I we listed as a pre-order, the game was automaticly sent to me!It was truly an unopened copy! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Close Combat: Invasion Normandy is the fifth game in the highly acclaimed Close Combat series. Play as the Allies or the Germans in the World War II's most dramatic battle. Sneak attacks, stalwart defenders, spies, and saboteurs are among the surprises available to both sides. The improved campaign system allows movement of multiple battle groups on a scrolling strategic map of the Cotentin peninsula. An all-new battle-group screen allows you to not only customize your own battle groups but your enemy's as well. The option to play with historical conditions extends even to the weather and its effects on air and naval support availability. Track the progress of your men from battle to battle, as they improve their combat skills and earn medals. With dynamic map tracking, the shell holes, trenches, and vehicle wrecks you create today will be there tomorrow. Tactical successes and failures will have a direct impact on strategic play with extended continuity from battle to battle. Create your own battles, operations, and campaigns with the scenario editor. Review the action in-depth on the improved battle debriefing and soldier screens. Play head-to-head via TCP, UDP, serial connection, modem, or the Internet, with free matchmaking services. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Not For Action, But For Strategy
This is a game that you will probably find yourself playing many, many times, depending on whether or not your intentions for purchasing the game are for action or strategy.
Historically, I felt it did a great job of duplicating the scenarios of the real invasion of Normandy.Hedgerows were a major nuisance for the Allied forces and it was that way in Close Combat 5, as well.It makes it hard to put the tanks into some sort of effective use, without the help of supporting infantry.Sometimes the amount of troops allowed to fight in a battle were actually too large to be historically accurate, when considering the scattered drops of the U.S. airborne, and that made offensive moves in this game too easy, but it really didn't take away much from the game.In all honesty, it wouldn't have been much fun to lead an attack with only a group of men the size of a few squads.
Strangely enough, an entire division is lost if it's involved force, in a battle, loses every man.Although not the entire division participates in the battle, the entire division will no longer exist, as if the rest of it is disbanded.
Overall, the game was much fun for me.I was interested in learning more about Operation Overlord, and the involvement of the U.S. in World War 2, and found this game to be very helpful, although I could still tell which historical aspects were true, and which were inaccuracies due to the game itself.
I read a review that described that, in the beach landings, there weren't enough bullets whizzing in the air and that it basically seemed too tame.But this game focuses on Utah Beach, not Omaha.Utah WAS much tamer, and had much fewer casualties, so don't expect a slaughter.Besides that, the "Atlantic Wall" that the reviewer talked about being climbed was not the Atlantic Wall, but a simple sea wall.This game is much more realistic than you may have been led to believe.And, yes, sometimes the aim of the soldiers was horrible and humorous at the same time, but the cons are outweighed by the pros.Strategy is definitely the way to go in this game.Don't expect to win battles by charging the enemy head on.

close combat : normandy
I think that C.C.I.N is great unlike C.C. 1 & 2 This one has better graphics,experiance and fun! i would say anyone who liked C.C. the russian front would like this A+++++ 5 star class!

Ironically, the name shows where the game fails most.
I loved the series when it debuted - primitive, yeah, but fun nonetheless. CC2 moved the series a step in the right direction - music to the ears of fans of the genre. Fast forward to Invasion Normandy, and it's honestly hard to see what's worth playing anymore.

Gameplay: terrible. For a series which prides itself heavily on AI, this game has little, if none. Units will often hold their fire, even if an inferior enemy unit is cleary charging right at them. Line-of-sight problems plague the entire game, with areas of identical elevation and free of obstacles sometimes being impossible to fire at - it's sometimes even impossible to fire at an elevated position, which is otherwise visible.

Another thing - unit worth and accuracy. Units such as snipers, mortar teams, etc. are basically useless. You would think a sniper could easily pick off a stationary target, not hidden behind cover, at a distance of 50 metres - not so. Mortars seem to land in random locations, and, even if it graphically appears as though it would have taken out a whole squad, they're left miraculously unharmed. There are many instances where I will have an enemy scout unit surrounded by an entire platoon, and, although the maximum distance will be 30 metres, the enemy will be on an area of no cover (i.e. middle of the road), the nearly one hundred bullets per second raining down on them will fail to hit - and this pathetic little squad will STILL manage to take out enemies while under massive suppression. Not only that, but AT squads are nearly useless as well, since they have a tendency to miss 99% of the time, and the 1% where the round would hit, it will instead land on the other side of the tank - which is physically impossible, since in reality, rockets go in straight lines, and this isn't duplicated properly. The tedious 20-metre engagements between whole platoons for 10 minutes is so ridiculous, I feel like I'm fighting on a battlefield full of Gomer Pyles.

Still, passing the game is incredibly simple, ... and, somehow, inferior German forces. I found it hilarious in the invasion scenarios that there wasn't even any gunfire raining down on the beach, and that the Atlantic Wall could easily be climbed by the average person - STRAIGHT OUT CLIMBED.

I'm getting pissed off at this game just thinking about it. The last thing I need is to play a game where everyone's aim is about as good as an extra in a Schwartzenegger movie...

Storm The Beach!
I have always been a close combat fan since the series came out. The game is fun overall, but can get dragging at times. I do like how the game is focused more on the infantry, rahter than heavy armor. Sounds are great, graphics are great, game play is great, but my only complaint is that there is no zoom in button. I know other CC games had them and I don't know why this one shouldn't have one. But that is ok. The planning feature of the game is intersting too. You are in control of what forces you are sending in as back up. The game is fun, especially if you are a hard core CC fan. There isn't much of a huge improvement over any of the other CC games, but like I said it is still fun to play. I hope they come out with more theaters of combat in future installments.

Invasion Normandy returns to Close Combat's roots
Close Combat: Invasion Normandy is probably the best recent title in the Close Combat series.It returns to Normandy, the battle ground for the first CC title.You are commanding either the US divsions invading at Utah Beach or the Germans trying to stop them.No Tommies in this one!Personally, I would have liked to have been able to control British troops as well.Invasion Normandy puts the emphasis back on infantry and returns the armor to its support role.For those of you who thought that The Russian Front had way too much armor in it, then you will be happy to know that in Invasion Normandy most of the missions have no more than two armored vehicles to each side.Of course at times there are more, but for the most part this is an infantry strategy game.In some of the battles between the airborne divisions there isn't any armor at all!

Game play is still pretty much same as compared to previous CC titles.During campaigns, you can now control your different battalions movements on the overall strategic map.This lets you move your battalions forward to take a new section of the Cotentin Peninsula and assign your mortar barrages, naval bombardments, and air strikes to battalions that you think will need them the most.It adds another dimension to the game and makes you think a little more. And sit back and enjoy the show when your naval bombardment comes from the 13in guns on a battle ship!!!

The graphics have been improved slightly since The Russian Front.I haven't played Battle of the Bulge, so I don't know how the graphics compare there.The AI is still...well the usual CC AI.The infantry AI has never been that all that bad.The armor AI has improved some in this game, but you still end up wondering, as you watch tank after tank get destroyed by some stupid blunder, if maybe the tank commanders aren't really Nazis at heart!

There are a few minor bugs in the program, but nothing catastrophic that I have seen. All in all this is a well rounded, real time strategy game, that is historically accurate and a whole lot of fun to play.This game ranks right up there with Age of Empires II as one of my favorite strategy games.It is definitely one of if not the best WWII strategy game out there right now.SSI made a smart move in aquiring the rights to the series as it fits right into the genre of games they produce. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Europa 1400 Gold - Much Better
I played the original Europa 1400 "The Guild" which was a bit buggy, and really wasn't fun to play because of the game crashing every 10 minutes or so.I've been playing Gold for awhile now, and it seems to be a little less buggy.It actually runs pretty good for me, online play still doesn't work worth a crap, but people say playing it on lan works O.K.I'm not sure because I haven't beenable to test it myself.With gold there are plenty of new items that will help you politicaly and revenge, or for your own well being.Also new professions, like the Traveling Entertainer, Tailor, and Graveyard Keeper.Which bring in good money from the start, especailly Graveyard Keeper and Traveling Entertainers. New building types, like the Magnificant palace with cannon tower, so on.Where you can make wizards potions that you can't sell, but come in handy.I'd say it's worth every penny.It's the best game to play when you have nothing to do basically, sit back kidnap some people, rob people, whatever. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Despite the immense amount of attention directed toward violence in media and games, computer game developers continue to push the proverbial envelope, particularly in the first-person shooter genre, where each game seems more violent than the last. The latest envelope pusher is Kingpin: Life of Crime, a "gang simulation" created by Interplay and Xatrix Entertainment, developers of the infamous Redneck Rampage action game.

Players assume the role of the appropriately named Thug, a relative lowlife in the large crime world that comprises the Kingpin universe. Similar to other games in the shooter genre, the player views the world from a first-person perspective and carries a diverse arsenal of weaponry: pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers, and a visually impressive flamethrower.Game play consistently retains the player's interest, despite Kingpin's rather bland environments (yet another warehouse?) and dialogue that consists mostly of profanity. Levels include objectives that aren't always "kill everything at first sight." In fact, often you need to befriend rather than destroy; offer money (collected from corpses) to other gang members and they'll assist in combat. Pawn shops scattered around the levels offer another twist to the genre by allowing players to buy whatever weapons they want, limited only by the depth of their wallets.

Once you've completed Kingpin's single-player game, you can hop online and compete against other human players in death-match and Bag Man (similar to capture the flag, but you capture the money instead) games; however, Kingpin's multiplayer network code isn't as smooth as the latest first-person action games. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros:

• Interesting "gang-oriented" missions not normally found in the genre
• Effective gangland atmosphere
• Diverse selection of weaponry with nice sound and visual effects

• Too much reliance on profanity
• Sluggish multiplayer without the latest patch

Reviews (21)

Welcome to the Pawn-O-Matic
Waking, beaten and blood-spattered.Still alive.The one oversight by the Kingpin's henchmen.Retribution.Focus.Alleyway, multihued graffiti scrawled on the bricks.Flames licking the inner wall of a trash barrel, popping, rustling; shadows and patterns flick and crawl on the buildings.Shimmering.Cobalt and gray in seemingly stationary swirl overhead: the city's nighttime sky.A broken fence.A pipe.Senses returning, the tendrils of perception emerge from the haze.Vengeance, vengeance a million miles away, begins with one step.

Kingpin: Life of Crime is a first-person shooter for the PC that dates back to 1999.For a game of such age, the visuals are still surprisingly sharp, deep and detailed--given certain allowances.No one will mistake this for Doom 3, Far Cry or Half-Life 2, but for '99, this must have been near the apex for PC game graphics.The gang-infested urban inner-city settings the player must navigate are gloomy and cold, full of murky dimness, shady characters and city architecture somewhere between the mundane and the dreamlike.The city streets and back alleys, the tunnels and railways, the industrial zones and commercial districts all feel tangible and genuine, as if you could step right into them--or are, in fact, already there on the other side of the mirror, a fully-engrossed participant in that world.Some segments stand in stark relief in the memory, are darkly, hypnotically fascinating: a tenement rooftop excursion over ghost buildings, windows like eyes, the midnight sky and moon bathing the whole scene in otherworldly light.Or the sprawling industrial monster that is Steel Town: the sky arcing from a panorama of midnight sapphire to goldenrod to churning crimson, the steel mills a snorting, belching hydra with heads sprouting in myriad directions, the residents, shops and city buildings toiling grimly in the shadows.Or on the treacherous railways with the surreal cityscape looming hauntingly in the distance.Or the dock areas.Or that first, long-awaited glimpse of Radio City.The threats and the seemingly infinite wonder and possibilities of the city encroach upon you with mounting realism.Players familiar with the PC game Deus Ex will find many similarities in theme and implementation between the environments here and the inner-city locales in Deus Ex.

Also reminiscent of Deus Ex are the character models themselves: dark, thickset male and female street figures in gang-related garb and tattered miscellany, emotion and meaning conveyed more through body language and voice acting than facial animation.The band Cypress Hill does much of the voiceover work, along with the game's sinister hip-hop background music.The language and themes of the game are adult in the most acute sense, as brutal as any R-rated film on the market, yet don't usually come across as mere gratuitous exercises in profanity.The voice acting, as in all the best games, is as authentic and legitimate as any film.Game-engine cut scenes spliced between level transitions progress the storyline, mostly from the Kingpin's point of view.The main character's speech patterns and occasional narration combined with these settings makes for an almost film noir gangland experience at times.NPC characters populate these mean streets, all of them street-wise toughs, yet most are not inherently hostile to the player.NPCs are, for the most part, mission-givers and sources of information and recruitment: you'll usually find them loitering somewhere on the sidewalks or in alleys or hanging out in the local bars.And in discovering the better part of valor, recruiting one or two of these armed thugs to ally themselves with you in combat situations is a far more effective tactic than spending all your accumulated cash on personal weapons and upgrades. These hired guns are relatively expensive, but well worth the price.

NPCs react to you in various ways depending on your conduct and approach.If you confront them with a weapon drawn, hostilities will shortly ensue unless the weapon is quickly withdrawn.You can address and respond to NPCs with either positive or negative comments, effectively keeping the peace or edging on friction and discontent pursuant to a combat scenario.Monetary rewards, the catalyst of the game as you work your way up the food chain of gangs to the Kingpin himself, are acquired by the means of looting the bodies of fallen NPCs and gang members.There are shops called the Pawn-O-Matic where you do all your purchasing and upgrading: a handful of standard weaponry ranging from the pistol to machine gun to flame thrower, head, torso and leg body armor, ammunition, health replenishments, and a few scant weapon upgrades.

Kingpin: Life of Crime plays, for the most part, like a typical first-person shooter, albeit one with the option of rudimentary squad-based combat.The gameplay isn't particularly deep, but the game is stylish enough and the environments absorbing enough to keep you involved.When I first played this game in 2000, it chilled and captivated me with its bleakness and harsh brutality.Five years later, I'm somewhat less chilled and less captivated, but still found the experience rewarding on many levels.Although originally designed for Windows 98, I found that the game does run fine on Windows XP.Any FPS fan that missed this title in 1999 or thereafter could do worse than to dig a copy out of a bargain bin somewhere and spend a few hours putting their own footprint down on these mean streets.

Help
Can anyone tell me if this game works on Windows/XP. E-mail at:Atan5@netscape.net.

Fun
OK, i bought this game thinking that it would be dumb, and after i played it for a while it became, a lot of fun, so yes i do recommend this game!!!!!!!!

Awesome Game - Even in 2003
I only recently discovered this game and it is a lot of fun - graphics are OK and you get great framerates.

Higly recommended.

GOD ITS SO GOOD
YO its the best damn game i have ever played its really good n all i need now are just a few people to find n play online with any1 outhere wiling to play? ... Read more

Product Description

Mission Barbarossa marks the thrilling sequel to the globally successful Blitzkrieg series. Strategists can look forward to an exciting campaign with 9 missions as well as two additional missions. The developers of the add-on have given historical correctness a high priority. You will start with a few tank formations and re-enact the first confrontations in Mission Barbarossa. ... Read more

Features

• Covers the entire war on the Eastern Front from the commencement of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 to the fall of Berlin in May 1945
• Travel from Finland to the Black Sea, with accurate modeling of terrain, forces and weather
• Take cahrge of multiple forces -- command a deplted platoon or several reinforced battalions
• Create your own maps, save them and re-use them in different battles using the new Map Import Feature

Amazon.com Product Description

Stand at the threshold of history and take command of the greatest military conflict ever--World War 2. From the opening shots of Germany's blitzkrieg to the events leading up to the dramatic beach assaults by Allied troops, the fate of the world is in your hands. Find your enemy's weakness, order your naval forces into position, deploy your ground troops, achieve air dominance, and wage a campaign never attempted in World War 2. Dare to create new alliances, play out fascinating what-if scenarios, and get ready to experience military history on a new level. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Nice interface, poor AI
I've owned this game for several years, and the previous installment from Hasbro.The interface in the game is intuitive and vivid.It's a blast watching territories change colors as you march across your enemy's nation.Whoever designed this part of the game deserves kudos, and I'm sure they've gone on to bigger and better things.

It's a shame, then, that this brilliant interface goes to waste on such a poorly designed game.If you have cats or small children, you'll find this game useful for when you have friends over to play and do not want to set up the pieces.This game will help you speed through the game.And, since you all know the rules, you won't have to worry about anyone placing or moving units in ways that violate the rules.

If only the same could be said of the AI.Bugs plague this game, and the AI constantly does things it should not be able to do, such as land planes in territories it just captured.The sad part is, the AI cannot even take advantage of it's cheating ways.If you've played this game at least once against a decent human opponent, you'll crush the AI.If you're an advanced player, challenge yourself by removing all the units of one of your countries from the board, or adjusting the price of all the AI's units to 1 I.P.C. - not that it matters, the poor AI still purchases units as if the normal I.P.C. values applied, buying tons of infantry instead of deeply discounted power units.The only difference between Iron Blitz and Hasbro's first release of A&A is that I.B. includes the last patch Hasbro ever put out for this game, a few scenarios which are relatively un-fun (especially since the A.I. still plays the scenarios like it was playing standard A&A), and a pretty extensive mod tools, if you like playing around with the map, yourself.

I've not been able to get the online multiplayer connection to work consistently, so I can't report on the quality of this part of the game.

Hasbro stopped supporting this game as soon as they released it, as best I can tell.So don't expect any improvements.

The best of "light" wargaming
It would be easy to berate this game for it's oversimplified handling of WWII.However, I think that's it's biggest charm.Even for the novice, I think it would be relatively easy to learn the ins and outs of this wonderful game.I 've had this one for a long time, and it's one game that I always come back to when I can't find anything else to play.It's followed me from Windows 95 to ME to 2000 and finally XP (yes, it does work in XP; just use compatibility mode).The only real drawbacks I see with this game are that the AI is a bit predictable, and the game does crash once in a great while.Other than that, I highly recommend it!An oldie, but a goodie...

OOOO Boy
This game really pissed me off.While its true that A&A is the best strategy board game since chess, this game still managed to aggravate me. Whenever I would try to play, the game would slow down after a while.It would run great for a while, but after about 10 minutes there was a 1 or 2 second delay on every click that I made. And after 45 minutes it would just crash.If anyone has any suggestions on how to stop the slowing, then e-mail me at StubbsMcGriff@yahoo.com

Until I get this fixed, I won't be playing much Axis and Allies on PC.

Hasbro?
OK, new name, but Hasbro is Hasbro & that means wiennie games!Computer can't win, it stops playing, takes it's baseball & bat & goes home crying.Over $100 for Hasbro (now Microprose)?Yeah, sure!

great game, hard to find
This game is sweet, although it is imposible to find.....Well unless you want to pay the current rate of $129 for a used game that cost $19 new.My old copy was played so many times I wore it out.Since then it has been discontinued when there was somuch potential for improvement.If I could buy the rights and new enough about programing I would make this game even better, adding atomic bombs and other upgrades to the pc game.I cant find were to contact Micropose or Infogames to get this game back out on the market.Seeing how hard it is to buy I know it would be wise for them to release it or another version. I need help please contact me at mheard@goamb.com ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

When a stray Freedom Guard transport stumbles upon a secret Imperium research base in a remote system at the edge of the galaxy, crew members find a possible genetic cure for the mark that controls their lives. But the Freedom Guard must master a new species of semi-intelligent animals and battle a force of the Imperium's secret intelligence organization to succeed.

Enter a warring galaxy as either the Freedom Guard commander or the Imperium Shadowhand admiral. Engage in the epic battle for control of a newly discovered technology that could forever change the course of the war. ... Read more

Features

• Be there as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft unveil their latest and greatest products
• Watch the daily 'Floored' show -- with plenty of fast, furious fun with developer and celebrity interviews
• Over 200 game previews -Footage for the newest Xbox, PS2, PSP, Gamecube, GBA and PC games, with play-by-play commentary
• Fun behind-the-scenes featurettes as you meet the Booth Babes and see what goes on when the interview crew is lost & late
• Full Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack for clear digital audio

Reviews (1)

Get the thrills of E3 for $19.99
If you have never experienced the thrill of the E3 game show, this product will give you the heart throbbing experience!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Panzer General III: Scorched Earth combines war strategy with a 3-D combat simulator to put the gamer in an engrossing World War II environment. There are eight western-front campaigns--five Allied and three German. Twenty single-player and multiplayer scenarios are included. Battle up to three other players over the Internet. Fine-tune your armies before heading off into battle. Plot with the Soviets as they try to take Berlin, or march with the Germans toward Moscow, all in 16-bit color with 3-D animations of more than 300 units. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Achtung panzers!Forward to battle.
I have been playing this game for about 5 years now and still do enjoy it.It gives a realistic feeling to the battles on the eastern front from a strategic point of view.
The only problems I had was the Rostov scenario was not operational.In the scenario builder versions, the Russians seem to run out of steam as to quality fighting units as they are destroyed by the Germans.This was not the case in real life.The T-34's just kept on coming.I also wish that the player had more control over what weaponsry he could choose from in the scenario builder much like in PGII.This is a dated review.I would hope that SSI would update and make a new game.

A waste of time and money
As an avid fan of PG2 and still love to play the game, even with the advent of x-box and the other console games. I was hoping that this game would live up to my much beloved PG2.

I was sadly mistaken, this game SUCKS! I even upgraded my video card to handle it and what a waste. I played it once and yeah the graphics are cool, but the game is slow and has nothing of the depth and features of PG2.

Im staying with PG2 and thinking of selling my game to some sucker on EBAY.

Different taste of PG
Pnzer General series are the best wargames for years. Every PG is better than the previous one. PG2 was fantastic and still it is. But I don't know I am playing PG3 for months and still I couldn't find the taste of PG2. Graphics, animations and sound is very good, they are 3D. The battles are from eastern front. But I didn't like the slot thing. I would like to see good old prestige points instead of slots. In PG3 we can't build a large army as we did in PG2. Only 10-12 units including 2 bomber and 1 fighter is not enough. Of course your enemy has the same number of units. It doesn't give me the taste of PG2's huge battlefields. We can't have numbers of same unit. Like we can only have 1 king tiger or 2 panther in a scenario. I used to have tens of tanks and artillery in PG2 and in PG3 it is like small tactical combats and also the maps are smaller than PG2. Of course game has many good points. As I said 3D graphics and animations are really good. Watching our tanks rolling down the hills or our bombers diving for attack is well done. And it is harder than the previous PG's. This time we can move our units more than once and we can attack to enemy units more than once in one turn. I remember in one turn I opened fire for six times with my Panther. We can move our artillery and infantry with trucks, disembark them, attack, and embark again and move in one turn. There are 3 different scenario types, the classic one capture enemy cities, second one get your units out of map which you are trying to move your units out from the map from designated places and the third one is the search and destroy missions which we are trying to destroy some specific enemy units. Those are the good stuff. I liked it but not as much as PG2. But if you are a Panzer General fan like me, you'll play it till you like it.

No hot seat multiplayer!!!
The game has great graphics and sound, but too many bugs that can't be corrected by patches. And no hot seat multiplayer, it REALLY needs that option. Another thing that bugs me (ha ha) is that in the battle maker you can't change the placement of victory locations also it can be disappointing to not be able to play your 3 player game except on the internet. Still PGIII is a big improvement over Panzer General 2 in that in PGII the only way to win is to take over all the victory locations or destroy all the enemy's units. In PGIII there are 4 ways to win, which really adds to the flavor of the game.

No hot seat mutiplayer!
The game has great graphics and sound, but too many bugs that can't be corrected by patches. And no hot seat multiplayer, it REALLY needs that option. Another thing that bugs me (ha ha) is that in the battle maker you can't change the placement of victory locations. Also it can be disappointing to not be able to play your 3 player game except on the internet. Still PGIII is a big improvement over Panzer General 2 in that in PGII the only way to win is to take over all the victory locations or destroy all the enemy's units. In PGIII there are 4 ways to win, which really adds to the flavor of the game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Dark experiments have permanently altered time. Or have they? Now, Soviet tanks crush city after city while Allied cruisers shell bases. Spies lurk, land mines wait, and strange new technologies aid both sides in their struggle for ultimate control.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert gives you the opportunity to be more devious, cunning, and ruthless than ever before. Easy to play and highly addictive, Red Alert puts the fate of the world in your hands. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

BEST FREAKIN GAME EVER!
IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS XP AND WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME, THEN GOOD LUCK, CUZ YOUR GOING TO NEED IT! I SPENT 41 HOURS INSTALLING AND REINSTALLING AND CONFIGURING AND UPDATING AND PATCHING AND REINSTALLING AND CHANGING INTERNET PROTOCOLS ALL BECAUSE WESTWOOD CANT SUPPORT A QUALITY PRODUCT FOR 8 YEARS! THIS GAME IS BASED OFF OF WINDOWS 95, AND WINDOWS XP IS BASED OFF OF WINDOWS NT, HENCE THE CONFLICT! INSTALLING IS A BREEZE, BUT DONT THINK ABOUT PLAYING LAN WITHOUT INSTALLING ANCIENT IPX PROTOCOLS, BECAUSE THATS ALL WESTWOOD USES!

But if you do happen to install the game and configure your IPX Protocols properly then you will have access to THE GREATEST GAME EVER INVENTED!!!

And yes.. I just got my copy of Red Alert running a lan game on a XP machine and an ME machine.. No please, no applauss.

The Best Red Alert Ever!!
-This is the best version of Red Alert. The Expansion version of this one (Red Alert Counterstrike) is even better!! I have tried many other strategy game by this same company, but the original Red Alert and its expansion is by far the best!!

the best
This game is the best game just like gameslice pc gamer and computer life think it is. Great levels,buildings and war trucks/men.A little bad picture great sound.

This game is moderately strategic
I played this game for a bit and found it was ok. It was very violent and futuristic, but i guess thats what teenagers want these days. I found the campaigns very easy, as I beat them in a week. The game isnt very strategic, but it has it's strategy points.This game should not be rated 5 stars. The graphics are mediocre, the music is annoying, and the gameplay is slightly boring after a while. As you go through the world as either the Russians or the English, you face many campaigns that you must beat. It was clever of them to put them together, but they are very easy. You can go along several paths, another plus, but the paths all end the same way if you win.

This game is also not very strategic. You are either allied or soviet, and each team has completely different units. That maybe strategic, but there are only 2 points of views to master. In Age of Empires or Age of Kings, there are many different civilizations each with bonuses and special units. Also, the terrain has no affect on how damage is dealt. It will just deal the same amount every time. No matter to what kind of unit. In AOK, each unit has a different amount of armor, some have attack bonuses against certain units, and units have the advantage in battle when they are uphill.

This game is also very violent and bloody with futuristic weapons. Not the kind of game i would like my kids playing. In AOK, the units use bows, arrows, and swords, with not much blood and historical features. It also has a whole history book of all the tribes that you can be and their history.

Oh. What the point of the game is. Blow the other team to bits with guns as big as you can.

I didnt like this game much, and from my review, you can see that I would reccommend Age of Empires or Age of Kings. See my review of Age of Empires Collecter's Edition. Before you even consider buying this game.

The Best game ever
This is by far the best game I have ever played. I've owned it for a long long time and still I am not bored of it. If you like real time stragety games you will love this. ... Read more

Book Description

The Magic: The Gathering trading card game has pitted millions of players against each other in tabletop duels of wits and hits. Now, Magic: The Gathering Online gives players a virtual table that stretches from their homes to anywhere on the planet. There is no monthly fee to play this online-only game, but you do need a stable Internet connection. Additional cards can be purchased online for an additional fee.

This box contains everything you need to start playing the best game going.

• Magic Online CD-ROM
• Magic Online Manual
• Magic Rulebook
• $9.99 credit for a ready-to-play online Magic theme deck

Reviews (29)

Perfect for the lonely player
This is not a game for just anyone, you have to purchase your product as if it were regular MTG. If thats not a problem, or you already play MTG this is pretty close to the real thing. The really great thing besides various types of MTG is that there are tournies, drafts, leagues etc... You can trade cards, chat, post cards for sale. Collecting a whole online set, you can trade it in for a physical set. The gaming options are are endless. Plus if you get home say 3am and want to play, there's always someone to play.

Appalled.Read on to know why.
I want to make it clear right now that I have not played this game and never will.This isn't because I believe it to be a bad game.In fact, I have been waiting for a game with an interface as I've seen described.Right after I heard of it I searched around.YOU HAVE TO PAY TO USE THE CARDS YOU WANT!!!!YOU have to pay to use DIGITAL cards!!!!!!!!
I immediately left the web site after seeing that in search of a SENSIBLE Magic online game.I found the incredible Magic the Gathering Interactive Encyclopedia, which lets you use any of the thousands of Magic cards in existance at your will to battle opponents online.It even had a deckbuilding judge that gave you an analasis of your deck.Alas, this game is no longer on sale, but I urge anyone who reads this review to get the message to Wizards that we just want an updated version of that game!And if you agree or disagree with me, please voice your opinion by voting on whether this review was useful to you or not.

What an INCOMPLETE CD
Now normaly when you buy an online game thats supposed to be a full version, you have expectations of playing that game soon after installing it. Well i must say that i installed this game in the late morning and I am STILL DOWNLOADING files and updates that are an apparent requirement FIVE HOURS later! For all of us that still are in the unfortunate dark age of dial up modems, the phone bill is going to be more expensive then the game is! And i havent even played it yet! If they plan on so many updates for a game that KNOWS it will require them, WotC should constantly send out new UPDATED CD's so that an entire day doesnt have to go by just to start playing a game. So to all those people out there that have dial up like myself, either switch to DSL or cable now or just dont bother with Magic Online. People are complaining about spending money on online cards, im complaining about spending more money on the game itself than i have to!

Magic Online too Expensive? No - Its Cheap!
Many here say that magic Online is a great game, but unfortunatly its too expensive. How ca that be? Finally you can make a living playing magic. Drafting in Boosterdrafts cost you appx. 12$ to get started but if you are anything but a newbie to Magic, you can go a long way by selling the drafted cards, getting you to next booster draft and setting some of the cards aside from every draft. Id say that in comparision to playing Magic in real life, you can come VERY far with an investment of say... 25 $. For my 12$ I still play drafts, you only need to get used to selling the Rares that only takes unwanted space in your collection... GG Magic... Good Game Wizards of the Coast!

Great!
I play magic, but i never really had anyone to play with other than a couple of my friends. I got this, and i can play whenever i want to! It doesnt matter that you have to pay for the cards, because you can sell the virtual ones on ebay for more money than the cardboard ones! ... Read more

Features

• Real-time strategy game set in WWI
• Real-time interaction with the key actors of WWI
• Receive expert advice from military and economic advisers to main key strategic advantages
• Over 60 painstakingly researched historical campaigns
• For 1 to 8 players using LAN or Internet

Reviews (7)

Has ANYONE bothered to read a history book?
Once again we have a game that has the title of a subject but ha