Nov 7, 2007

A year before the Strugatsky brothers penned the novel that inspired S.T.A.L.K.E.R., they churned out the sixth installment of their “Noon Universe” series. Prisoners of Power was a subversive tale of totalitarianism and revolt set on a planet with an atmosphere so refractive the locals had to look straight up to see the horizon.

We’re telling you all this because you won’t learn it from playing the game allegedly based on the book. Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power is a slick hex war game that wears its theme like a chimpanzee wears a top hat (reluctantly and unconvincingly). Besides the names of the factions, units and characters, there’s almost nothing here of the dark, distinctive, source material.

This is a disappointment, but it’s not catastrophic. Realising that one of the reasons their last turn-based SF creation (Massive Assault) didn’t win more fans was its lack of luck, Wargaming.net have wisely added a random element to combat calculations. Now when you order one of your dinky space tanks, space armoured cars or space howitzers to fire on a foe, you don’t know exactly how many points of damage will be dealt. Instead of trying to think 20 moves ahead like some chess grandmaster, you’re encouraged to play more instinctively.