Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power

Galactic assault is based on an unheard-of 70s Russian sci-fi novel with the outrageously gripping title of Inhabited Island. This book isn't even carried by Amazon, which sets up the quality of 'plot' you can expect from the game rather nicely. Everything else follows suit - from the opening text scroll which whips past so fast you'll have trouble making any sense of the brutally complicated backstory whatsoever, to the hammy dialogue and stomach-churningly boring story.

What we have here is one of those hex-based wait-your-turn-while-I-shoot-you strategy games set on a distant planet in which warring factions are blasting the crap out of each other under the pretence of a narrative.

Actually it's a nice enough example of hexagonal strategy antics with the usual bog-standard units bolstered by an interesting morale system' through which you can depress enemy units into submission. And who can blame them? While the tactics are meaty enough and there are stacks of multiplayer options, the whole package falls short due to ball-achingly bland battles and a particularly userunfriendly learning curve.

So while those of you who simply can't get enough turn-based jollies these days will probably forgive the insanely drab low-res visuals, bummy storyline and dreary stand-offs between squads of soldiers 10 feet apart and failing to shoot straight, everyone else would probably be well advised to steer clear.