Strategy First
www.strategyfirst.com

Strategy First was showing a large assortment of games this year including a few surprises from their normal "strategy" offerings. The next year is going to see some great RTS and RPG games headed our way including titles like; Disciples III, Galactic Civilizations: Altarian Prophecy, Golden Land, Jagged Alliance 3, Relic, and Vendetta Online, their first MMORPG.

Here's a closer look at a few titles they had on display.

Chaos League (PC)
Chaos League brings together sports, fantasy and brutal, chaotic action on a playing field where the primary objectives are typical but the gameplay is anything but.

Players must score points, win games, advance to championship rounds, and of course play for the ultimate trophy, but Chaos League serves up some extra excitement with its absence of rules, corrupt referees and mythical, powerful opponents from a very different type of league. As with any good RTS, players have to adapt their strategies to win but it will be worth the reward for any hard-core gamer looking for a new, original, fierce experience that will have them sweating until the final score hits the board.

Game Features:

  • 10 races covering 70 different types of players, including monsters and star players. Each race has its own style of play and its own strategy for moving up the championship ladder. Each match takes place on different pitches with their own special atmosphere.
  • 170 spells and skills to improve your players or to unsettle the opposing team during a match. Some skills are active and others are passive. Many depend on the experience level of the creature. Players must strategically manage their magic energy for spells.
  • A slightly unusual atmosphere with doping, corruption, pre-match hooliganism, trap-setting and working the spectators during a match.
  • A solo mode with tutorials and a Quick Match mode with 80 teams.
  • A career mode which implies, over and above playing matches, the creation and management of a team during a championship or a cup.
  • Beyond the classic game-play of trading players, hiring star players, pom-pom girls or a physio, the successful management of a team hinges on the individual progress of a player through the aggregation of his various experiences.
  • A multi-player mode via LAN or Internet. Possibility for one-off matches, knock-out competitions or League Tables.
  • A replay mode that allows you to go over your matches whenever you want to analyze the relative strengths and weaknesses of your opponents.
Chaos League is something I would have thought would have been done a long time ago, but just hasn’t been. Take football and make it a fantasy RTS game, and you have the basic concept. You have plenty of teams to choose from, all with their own unique units, spells and tactics. The individual arenas are also nice looking, the one I saw having an awesome water effect.

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Alfa Antiterror (PC)
Alfa: Antiterror is a turn based strategy game where you control Alfa Squad, the Russian Special Forces unit. The missions in the game were based on historical missions undertaken by Alfa Squad, and members of the actual squad were consulted in development. The game is squad based, and could take upwards of three hours to complete one mission, depending on how detailed you want to handle the action. The graphics are very detailed, and though most missions are exterior, buildings play a big part in the game, and instead of the good old transparent structure technique each building has a floor plan, which you can add or subtract as necessary.

Game Features:

  • Take command of Alfa team; Russia’s premiere Special Operations force and Anti Terrorist squad.
  • Tactical squad based combat simulator with temporal controls that allow the player to pause, rewind and replay action in slow motion as needed.
  • Conduct missions leading squads of from 1 to 16 operatives comprised of the world’s most highly trained and deadly soldiers.
  • Each operative gains experience as they are fielded that dramatically affects their composure under fire as the game progresses.
  • Plan out a squad’s actions during the strategic phase and then watch how they are played out in real time as your units react to potential danger as it is uncovered.
  • Exceptionally realistic 3D environments crammed with tactical terrain elements that provide the player with endless strategic possibilities and mission replayability.
  • Tactical elements like true line of sight, line of hearing (earshot distance) and realistic camouflage provide the basis for a rich and immersive gaming experience.
  • Global Operations in Chechnya, Afghanistan, the Middle East and other international locations.
  • Distinct unit specializations oblige the player to select suitable team members to field for any mission and use them appropriately.
  • Arm operatives with weapons selected form a huge international arsenal comprised of the world’s finest weapons and equipment.
  • 17 diverse danger filled missions broken down into a 4 episode Campaign that follows the exploits of Alfa team through historically based operations.
  • Multi-player offers the choice of other special forces to be played as opposing teams or allied forces. Field teams of S.A.S (British), Delta Force (US), GSG-9 (German), GIGN (French).
  • This game has been developed under the direction of former Speznas Alfa Squad members; the names and faces of the people involved have been changed to protect the individuals and their family members.
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