Warhammer 40K: Squad Command

Star Wars is for kids and Star Trek for trekkies; the best, and perhaps most frequently overlooked, science-fiction universe belongs to the folks at Games Workshop. Titled Warhammer 40K, it's a creation rich in species, such as Orks, Eldar (Elves by another name), vampires and cyborgs. It's a galaxy rife with war and ruled by a century old, god-like human. In short, it's a universe that begs to be fictionalized, as it has in scores of novels, and played, as it has in tens of games.

Warhammer 40K: Squad Command is the latest title that thrusts players into the Games Workshop's galaxy. In Warhammer 40K: Squad Command gamers are tasked with retaking planet Rhur III from the Word Bearer Legion of Chaos. The retaking is done in an 15-mission campaign. Unlike most games on today's market, Warhammer 40K: Squad Command is neither a first-person shooter, nor real-time strategy, but rather a turn-based endeavor that allows gamers to pause and consider each move, target and tactic.

You'll control up to six units as you fight the enemy on battlefields as diverse as rubbled industrial city streets and desert wastes. These units can be Space Marine scouts, armored infantry, Predator tanks, Grey Wolf Terminators, and more. The units can be armed with several weapons, from lascannons to chainswords. Moving and firing is a simple point and click affair, each unit spending its finite action points to move and shoot.

Three multiplayer modes reside on the UMD: Global, Local and Game Sharing. Each use the same mechanics as the single-player game to either pit online adversaries against each other, or enable cooperative play.

Fun, but limited

Warhammer 40K: Squad Command is a good game. For turn-based gaming aficionados it is close to a great game. The milieu is just right... dark and foreboding and the visuals are a treat. Plasma cannons hurl blue-light balls against gothic structures, crumbling sections of wall. Warhammer 40K: Squad Command is well-animated and heavily armored Space Marines dash to engage the enemy, felling them with slashing chain swords, and Predator tanks explode and burn fiercely when destroyed.

The battles are satisfyingly rich. In today's gaming world bloated with speed, action and cinematics, it's refreshing to plan carefully, move thoughtfully, and then blast the hell out of anything that stands in your way. Furthermore, the weapon choices provided before each mission provide just enough tactical wiggle room to allow players to attack the missions in a manner that fits their style without burdening him (or her) with an endless stream of choices.

On the flip side of the coin, the missions in Warhammer 40K: Squad Command are repetitive. All of them can be won by killing every enemy on the board. Additionally, the game ignores some of Warhammer 40K's most colorful denizens, such as Space Marine Apocatharies, who could have been used to heal their injured brethren, and Librarians, whose magic would have added an interesting element to the battles.

Despite its flaws this is a game well worth playing. The combination of tactical choices, coupled with the dynamic and beautiful battlefields make this a great game for Warhammer 40K and turn-based gaming fans alike.

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