Publisher: Wastelands Interactive
Developer: Wastelands Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1.5 Ghz AMD 2000+ or better CPU, 1 GB RAM, 256 MB DirectX 9-compatible graphics card, DirectX 9-compatible sound device, 600 MB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

Some strategy gamers these days forget there was a time when the only complicated RTSs available were board games made by companies such as Avalon Hill. They would take forever to set up and play, and the rule books were the size of small novels, but if you wanted to fight World War II at the divisional level, then it was your only option. Video games have alleviated most of that by automating the rules and making games with your friends a lot easier to organize. They’ve also gotten even more complicated in the past 10 years. But Polish developer Wastelands Interactive wants to take us back to the golden age of strategy games with its new title, Strategic War in Europe. They claim that it’s “A board game on your screen. Strategic War in Europe allows you to play a computer game [that] looks and plays as a board game, but you don’t have to look for a human opponent anymore.” In a market saturated with newer games and fancy graphics, SWE is a nostalgic throwback to the good ol’ days that almost, but not quite, lives up to expectations.

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Publisher: Membranos Interactive Media Studio
Developer: Membranos Interactive Media Studio
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 2.0 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, 512 MB graphics card with Pixel Shader 2.0 support, DirectX-compatible sound device, DirectX 9.0c, 300 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

DeadEnd: Cerebral Vortex is a casual game that advertises itself as a “first-person surreal labyrinth game.” That’s a fancy way of saying it’s a maze game. In these mazes, you’re tasked with navigating your own subconscious in an attempt to find the pieces of your shattered soul. This would be a lot easier if the “surreal” part of the game didn’t include illusory walls or open spaces. You’re navigating a maze, all right, but it’s the kind of maze David Lynch or Rod Serling might create to make you question your sanity.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Development Studios
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OSX 6.8, 2.4 GHz Pentium IV/AMD 3500+ CPU (2.0 GHz Core Duo for Mac), 2 GB RAM, GeForce 8800/Radeon X1900 graphics card (GeForce 320/Radeon HD 6750 for Mac), DirectX-compatible sound device, 2 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Crusader Kings II is easily one of my favorite strategy games so far this year, and part of its excellence involves its limited design. When it was released, you could only play Christian rulers because developer Paradox made it clear they didn’t want to make playable Islamic rulers who were just carbon copies of their medieval Christian counterparts. Paradox has made good on their promise to provide quality gameplay for Islam in the Middle Ages with the release of their expansion/DLC The Sword of Islam. It has completely different game mechanics for Islamic characters and provides a radically new gaming experience, one that even surprised me after reading pre-release press.

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Publisher: Cateia Games
Developer: Cateia Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OSX 10.5, 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 64 MB graphics card, DirectX 9.0, 350 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

Red Crow Mysteries: Legion is a puzzle/hidden-object game from Cateia Games that tells the story of a gifted girl on a quest to discover the hidden secrets needed to defeat Legion. In a setting filled with mystery and atmosphere, you guide your avatar through the game’s challenges to reveal its secrets. It’s too bad that so little is revealed.

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Publisher: Shovsoft
Developer: Shovsoft
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1.8 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, 512 MB GeForce 8800/Radeon X1900 graphics card, DirectX-compatible sound device, 900 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Simulation
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

Once upon a time, there was an old Atari game called Lunar Lander. It was fairly difficult (for me, at least, when I was a very young lad), and it epitomized the simplicity of early videogame mechanics. Using the thrust engine of your space ship, you were tasked with landing on the moon, without crashing.

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I feel like it’s five years ago, but I feel the need to bring up DLC because of stupid stuff I’ve been reading. Normally, stupid comments on Internet forums are nothing I care about. Let’s face it: for any given community in any medium, there’s going to be some percentage of individuals who forsake logic, reason, and their own self interest to indulge in faux outrage over perceived injustices that are, in fact, nothing of the sort. But after reading through comments in various game communities (which shall remain nameless to protect everyone involved), to say nothing of conversations with good friends, I have come to the conclusion that some people just have no idea what they are complaining about.

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Publisher: xii Games
Developer: Wadjet Eye Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1.8 GHz Pentium IV or better CPU, 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Vista/Win 7), 256 MB graphics card, 1GB hard-drive space
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

Resonance is a puzzle/adventure game that revolves around a murder mystery, dangerous technology, and the memories and motivations of its four characters. When a scientist is murdered in his lab after making paranoid ramblings, it’s up to you to figure out who did it, why, and what’s in the secret vault. Utilizing some innovating game elements, Resonance is more interesting than its modest price tag implies.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Ino-Co
System requirements: Windows Vista/Win 7, dual-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, 512 MB GeForce GT240 or better graphics card, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound device, DirectX 9.0c, 4 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

Warlock: Master of the Arcane is a turn-based strategy game that asks a simple question: if the King of Ardania disappeared and multiple powerful wizards were left behind to rule, what would happen? The answer is lots of warfare, spellcasting, and the triumph of one warlock to rule them all. Set in the same universe as Majesty 2 and featuring fantasy 4X gameplay, Warlock strives to give players a strategy-gaming experience with the kind of flavor you’d expect from the Majesty franchise, and all the fantasy elements you could possibly want.

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Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Cyanide Studio
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista SP2/Win 7, 2.0 GHz dual-core CPU, 256 MB GeForce 7900 GTX/Radeon HD 2600 XT or better graphics card with Shader Model 3.0 support, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 9-compatible sound device, 4 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

“Foretold by many prophecies, the Rag’narok is the war of the age of darkness, the battle during which the gods will choose their champions before putting Aarklash to fire and sword.” Yes, the setting of Cyanide Studio’s Confrontation is grim. A strategy RPG with a rather detailed fantasy setting, Confrontation sees you gathering your group of heroes and going deep into the heart of the enemy’s territory, fighting innumerable battles to overcome your foes, using swords, spells and cunning strategies, emphasizing strategy over RPG elements.

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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz Core2Duo/Athlon 64 X2 4000+ or better CPU, 1.5 GB RAM (XP)/2 GB RAM (Vista/Win 7), 256 MB Nvidia 7800/ATI X1800 or better graphics card with Shader 3.0 support, Internet connection
Genre: MMORPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

When it comes to MMOs, it’s absolutely vital to do your homework, doubly so if the game is based on a beloved franchise. With the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Star Wars MMOs have entered their ninth consecutive year, even as servers for Star Wars Galaxies were closed down last December. If you’re a fan of Star Wars or BioWare, then you’ve been bombarded with hype for months regarding this game. It’s not just a question of whether SWTOR can replace SWG, or whether BioWare can lend its roleplaying touch to a genre renowned for grind. The question plaguing anyone who cares is whether it’s worth the subscription. In an answer that will no doubt lead to accusations of favoritism and bias, I have to say yes. BioWare has created something special with SWTOR. Why it’s so special will take some explaining, but believe me when I say I haven’t lost my mind.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Neocore Games
System requirements: Windows XP (SP3)/Vista (SP2)/Win 7, 2 GHz Core 2 Duo or equivalent CPU, 1.5 GB RAM (XP)/2 GB (Vista, Win7), 512 MB Nvidia 8800 GT/ATI 3850 or better graphics card, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound device, DirectX 9.0c or better, 16 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Neocore Games has returned to their flagship title with a sequel. It’s time to return to Britannia and continue the adventures of King Arthur and his knights. This time, the player doesn’t rule as Arthur, but as Arthur’s son, desperately trying to heal the land and his father, and save the realm from demonic hordes. With plenty of combat to go around, and plenty of story with which to engage, Neocore is very ambitious with their new offering, attempting to capture and meld both strategy and role-playing genres.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2.4 GHz Pentium IV/AMD 3500+ CPU, GeForce 8800/ATI Radeon X1900 graphics card, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB hard-drive space, Direct X-compatible sound card, DirectX 9, Internet connection for multiplayer, retail copy of Victoria II
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

It’s been almost 18 months since Victoria II was released, and Paradox Interactive has decided that an expansion is in order: Victoria II: A House Divided. The expansion doesn’t add any additional time to the original game, which is still set from 1836 to 1936. Instead, it focuses on additional game mechanics and a scenario that starts at the beginning of the American Civil War. Rather than giving more of the same, AHD aims to add even more nuanced gameplay to a franchise that’s already very complicated. It’s a more ambitious expansion than its simple name belies, and, even moreso than the base game, it rewards strategy players for patient and thoughtful gameplay.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2.4 GHz Pentium IV/AMD 3500+ CPU, 2 GB RAM, GeForce 8800/Radeon X1900 graphics card, DirectX-compatible sound card,
2 GB free hard-drive space, DirectX 9, Internet connection for multiplayer
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: February 14, 2012

It’s hard to find something new when it comes to strategy games. Part of the reason so many of them are formulaic is because those formulas work. An examination of sales for games such as Total War: Shogun II reveals that no matter what strategy gamers say they want, they really want the ability to drive their virtual enemies before them in gameplay that is difficult, but not too difficult. They want big battles, economic things to manage, and special perks that are unlocked through strategic choices of some sort. Crusader Kings II is not that kind of strategy game. Yes, it has armies, an economy to manage, wars to fight, and all the other elements you might expect, but it’s really about building up your dynasty and interacting with people. To play Crusader Kings II is to spend time pondering potential marriages for your children, worrying about your in-laws fighting you about claims to your titles, plotting against your liege, ingratiating yourself with the church, making sure your spouse isn’t trying to kill off your older children, and, when all that is accomplished, maybe going on a campaign to conquer your neighbors.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Kerberos Productions
System requirements: Windows Vista/XP, Core2Duo or better CPU, 512 MB graphics card with DirectX 10 support, DirectX 10 (February 2011 or newer), 2 GB RAM, Vista-compatible sound device, 2 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Fans of 4X games spent last summer waiting in anticipation for the release of Kerberos’s Sword of the Stars II. Given the excellence of the previous installment in the series and its expansions, expectations were high as trailers were released and the developers teased their fans with tidbits about the game. After wrestling with it for hours on end, it’s clear that SOTS II doesn’t live up to the hype. In fact, it doesn’t even live up to the basic promises to be expected of any game that had an original release price of $39.95.

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Alright, strategy gamers. I finally got the chance to build a video of me playing Crusader Kings 2. Luckily, the video displays the game as it appeared on my monitor, and not what I looked like while playing it (which would be disturbing and not as much fun).

I spend a lot of time blabbing in voice-overs in these videos, but before you start watching, you should keep some things in mind. First, this was played on version 0.78 of the game engine. It’s still in beta; the current version floating around in press copies is 0.80. The game has already changed in some slight ways since I encoded this video and posted it. Second, it did have a glaring bug at the beginning, which has since been fixed. You see William the Conqueror ask Harold Godwinson of England for a white peace a few seconds after the start of the video. This kind of changes things, since the famous conqueror doesn’t even try to make good on his claims to the English throne. Aside from that, things proceed in a plausible way, but I don’t want to hear any complaints relating to William. I know he should have invaded England, the designers know it, and everyone with a high-school education in either the US or the former British Empire should know it. The AI just didn’t know it, but that has been fixed.

Oh, and don’t bother asking me why certain troop types do certain things, or why certain buildings cost a certain amount. These things are still changing, so don’t sweat that stuff. Instead, sit back, listen, watch, and then ask me intelligent things, such as “Why did the AI just send the entire Holy Roman Empire into the oblivion of a civil war?” or “Holy Machiavellian politics Batman, why did you just spend 10 years crushing your own vassals?”

The video is broken up into three separate chunks. They can be found here, here and here.