Act of War: High Treason

It Wasn't Your average strategy game. Act Of War: Direct Action looked like the bizarre lovechild of Command & Conquer mixed with a rubbish, late-night Channel Five film, but somehow we loved it. It wasn't a revolution in the RTS genre, but it sported an excellent Campaign mode combined with a strong (if ridiculous) plot and Communist Russians - a crucial addition for RTS fans everywhere.

Imagine our horror then, when the expansion turns out to have less quality craftsmanship than a Formula One car made out of wet cardboard. Major additions include -and are sadly limited to - a bunch of sneaky Mercenary units, brand new naval combat and all the obligatory (and slight) balances and unit tweaks you'd expect from your average RTS expansion.

The Mercenary units are a welcome addition to the unit roster; they cost a pretty penny to deploy on the battlefield but they're fast, powerful and add a whole new element to multiplayer skirmishes. The naval combat, on the other hand, is far less enthralling. While there's a healthy variety of subs and boats to get wet with, they all move around like Pavarotti on a pushbike, failing to navigate even the simplest of sea routes laid out for them.

If you're still feverishly playing Act of War: Direct Action online, then High Treason could be worth your careful consideration. Otherwise, avoid it like a poo-covered insurance salesman. With SARS.