Strategy First was showing a large assortment of games this year including a few surprises from their normal "strategy" offerings. Nexagon, a new arena combat game was in its final gold master state, and a new FPS game, Chrome blew me away with it's graphics and gameplay that easily rival that of Halo. Perhaps the most ambitious title was Supreme Ruler 2010, a massive RTS game that combines elements from Civilization and Panzer General.

Chrome (PC)
Chrome, a Tactical First Person Shooter, is a dramatic story of heroism, friendship and betrayal; a story full of sudden twists and turns mixed into tons of Sci-Fi action. Players assume the role of Logan, a veteran mercenary turned bounty hunter who is out to make it rich. Using a system of implants, the player is able to manipulate Logan’s personality and abilities in order to accomplish all of the 14 enormous and varied missions.

During the course of the missions, Logan takes part in breathtaking chases using six futuristic vehicles, becomes a silent assassin to strike at unwitting enemies, or grabs his heavy plasma gun and implants enhanced muscles to storm through enemy lines. And if all this isn’t enough, Logan’s past starts to catch up with him at the most inappropriate of moments.

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Etherlords II (PC)
Etherlords II is the sequel to the innovative turn-based strategy game originally released in November 2001. Similar to Etherlords I, which was highly praised for its tactical depth and stunning graphics, Etherlords II promises to be even more spectacular, changing the emphasis of the game from simple exploration and resource gathering to a more enriching story-driven adventure.

Players control one of four races in a lavish 3D fantasy world, in which they will explore, and conquer territory, solve puzzles, and seek out enemies. Combat takes place in wonderfully detailed and expansive arenas and is based upon fantasy collectable card games in which the player must make tactical decisions on the types and combinations of spells and creatures to cast against their foes.

The sequel is based upon a new and enhanced narrative that lends itself to exploration and adventure. 4 new campaigns will offer 16 new creatures and over 30 new spells, including spells and creatures that can be wielded by all of the races. A simplified interface and a thorough tutorial system enhances gameplay as well as new abilities, such as sailing, tunneling, teleporting, and an artifact editor for creating customized spells. As Heroes develop their skills they will change in appearance, giving the game more of a role-playing aspect.

In addition, players will find a map editor that allows anyone to create their own maps and combine them into entire campaigns. Added modes for one-on-one and team-based multiplayer duels on a new game server featuring auto-rating and recording will make on-line tournaments more captivating than ever before.

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World War II: Frontline Command (PC)
The year is 1944 and as Allied forces prepare for the D-Day invasion, your squads of elite paratroopers land in occupied France to disrupt the entrenched Axis forces. Utilizing a fully realized 3D engine, this action strategy title offers gamers incredibly realistic visuals, coupled with a highly advanced AI system, which allows for intelligent and adaptive game play.

Such is the level of depth and detail, the game features a ‘Hearing’ system, where units not in ‘Line of Sight’ can be detected if they are within hearing range. It also features an advanced ‘Morale’ system, where units’ confidence in battle is varied by the situations and decision of the commanding officer – YOU!

With over 23 historically accurate units per side and 25 single player missions, the war effort does not end there, as all 25 missions, plus 10 unique missions are available for multiplayer via LAN and the Internet using GameSpy. Using real World War II archive footage and a professionally orchestrated audio score and effects, players are immersed into the heart of the action, as machine gun bullets ricochet off stone walls and the thunderous explosions of mortar fire echoes across the battlefield.

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