The Wargamer

Introduction

Welcome to The Wargamer's feature article series, "The Raw Recruit." This weekly feature offers release dates for upcoming computer and board games. The list doesn't include every computer or board game being released, however it does include almost all of the games we believe The Wargamer's audience will enjoy. The release dates presented in this article are for North American releases only and indicate "shipping" dates, not necessarily guaranteed in-store dates. Most major PC titles are released on Tuesday or Wednesday and are widely available across the country by Friday. These release dates are provided in association with The Wargamer's affiliate merchant partner, GoGamer.  Please send any new game release announcements to news@wargamer.com.

The Raw Recruits for the Week of November 6th

For the week of November 6th, there are a "mere" three titles being released: Legion Arena, Earth 2160, and UFO: Aftershock.  I say "mere" because after October's avalanche of titles, I sincerely doubt most of you have had a chance to play all the games you'd wanted to pick up. Adding three more solid games to the mix won't make things easier, either.

Up first is the latest game from a favorite developer of The Wargamer, Slitherine Studios.  This independent British game developer previously released Legion, Chariots of War, and Spartan, and has now finished work on Legion Arena, their latest 3D wargame set during the growth of the Roman Republic.  Our own Sean Drummy previewed the title just a few months ago, noting the game's customization features, 3D engine, strategic gameplay, and attention-to-detail.  While it might be somewhat dismissive to compare the Legion series to Rome: Total War, the similarities are there: the game features strategic planning, a similar setting, and a tactical mode not unlike the Total War series.  However, we draw a distinction by emphasizing the challenge Legion Arena presents.  Like previous Slitherine titles, we expect that this title will be much more of a challenging wargame than the mainstream title Rome: Total War.  While it may not be for everyone, Slitherine's many fans will be sweeping up the title upon its retail release, priced at $39.99.

For those tired with ancient history or World War II battles, the next three titles will satisfy the need for brand new theaters of war.  Earth 2160 begins with the premise that the Earth has been destroyed, UFO: Aftershock focuses on saving the blue planet against an alien invasion, and Starships Unlimited puts the human race far, far into the future, exploring space.  Midway's Earth 2160 is a classic RTS, complete with flashy graphics and an emphasis on real-time combat and quick action.  While base building and resource gathering play a role, this game is much better suited towards fans of the RTS genre.  For those wanting something slower paced, we recommend UFO: Aftershock, a turn-based tactical game based on the popular X-Com series.  Aftershock follows 2003's Aftermath and is priced at $39.99.  Finally, Starships Unlimited allows players greater strategic freedom, playing out as a 4X game across a vast galaxy.  The open-ended nature of the game allows players to create and customize their own ships, explore hundreds of star systems, play the diplomat, or trade up neighbors to buy their territory.  Starships Unlimited is the sequel to Divided Galaxies, and is now available exclusively through Matrix Games' web store, priced at $24.99.

The Volunteer Recruits

Here's the current crop of game demos released in the past few weeks (some links may expire over time):

• Call of Duty 2 [655 MB] - Hollywood-meets-video games, scene: World War II.  Take 2!
• Dangerous Waters [257 MB] - The naval sim is hitting retail stores for the first time, so play it again for the first time.
• Diplomacy [94 MB] - Stab your friends in the back in Paradox's PC interpretation of this classic board game.
• Earth 2160 [357 MB] - Sci-fi RTS'ing for the fall is here.
• Legion Arena [235 MB] - Slitherine says, "Eat your heart out, RTW."
• UFO: Aftershock [282 MB] - X-Com's second cousin, so to speak.
• Vietcong 2 [440 MB] - Relive the Tet Offensive in this FPS sequel.

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