Dec 12, 2007

We're not alone in the universe... in fact, it's getting kind of crowded in here. In Universe at War: Earth Assault, a hokey science fiction storyline has Earth invaded by not one, not two, but three alien races intent on settling their ancient interstellar war once and for all. Only in the prelude to this real-time strategy game's mediocre campaign do you command the badly out-gunned humans, who can do little but run from the enormous radioactive Hierarchy walkers that are ravaging the planet. At least, until the robotic life forms known as Novus step out of a portal to save the day.

The first third of the game is played from the Novus perspective, fighting alongside human allies to repel the Hierarchy invaders. Then you switch sides and control the Hierarchy's armies before finally moving over to the long-dormant Masari. Each faction is led by three hero units with special abilities, though some are frustratingly fragile and should be kept out of combat as much as possible (because their death fails the mission).

Strangely, it is only in the last third of the campaign that a complex, global, turn-based territory conquest mode comes into play, letting you choose which territory to attack in your next real-time battle and carry persistent armies from one fight to the next. Sticking it in the end of the campaign like this makes the entire thing feel tacked on and superfluous. Thankfully, the scenario game mode puts it to much greater effect as you conquer the globe without a storyline to get in your way.