Strategy/Sim

Ah, Future Tactics … currently a red-headed stepchild of the videogame review world. Saddled with poor cover art and positioned as a budget release, nearly every write-up I've read takes delight in putting it down, many of them aggressively. Not being independently wealthy, I held off on a purchase myself until I saw a demo running.

Game Description: The future looks grim for humans unless you've got what it takes to save the world. In Future Tactics: The Uprising you can lead your team of rag-tag human survivors against the multi-dimensional creature overlords who have taken over Earth. Game focuses on action, not stats, and the terrain is reformed as you attack blasting holes in walls, making craters out of meadows and sending boulders flying like toys. Customizable 2-player battle mode lets you modify handicaps, power-ups and victory conditions. Or play 19-level story mode and earn points to upgrade to more powerful weapons.

Mike did his usual great job covering the nuts and bolts of Gladius, and I agree with most of his observations. However, there was one line of his that caught my attention: "While Gladius doesn't do anything to redefine the strategy RPG subgenre, it does do just enough things well to keep players interested for the duration."

Game Description: In Goblin Commander: Unleash The Horde, you lead your goblin clans through ceaseless battle in the war-torn land of Ogriss, a world ruled by goblins. Advancing through dark subterranean caves, lush woodland cities and towering storm-swept castles; you wage war with an army of specialized goblin warriors and fearsome monsters.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence

Along comes Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde. A real-time strategy game that's been scaled back and specially designed for consoles by former Blizzard-ers, I was quite eager to explore this style of game a little further.

I love the escapism and adventure that comes with today's videogames, yet there's still much appeal in the original definition's approach to chance, skill, and competition. Eschewing practically all pretense and current trends, Omiyasoft's Culdcept is a new member of a rare species—an offering that combines both types by acknowledging the video but emphasizing the game.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity

Game Description: Culdcept, the book of creation and destruction made by the absolute Goddess, Culdra. Those who control the power can acquire the power of God. Cepters, individuals with the capability to summon from within the book, fight for total control over Culdcept. Those who control the book become Gods, and many worlds were created or destroyed by those who took over this power. But, Culdra has forseen the future... There would be one Cepter who will stop this chain and use the power to destroy the entire universe. Now... the fight for the fate of the universe is about to begin.

The previous games in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series have been based on the collectable card game. Players collect virtual cards, make decks, and enter tournaments to advance the plot. This formula has been pretty successful, as the games have appeared on a multitude of platforms in the past few years.