Rising Sun

Rising Sun is the third in Talonsoft's revolutionary Campaign series of World War II wargames, following on from East Front anti West Front It uses the same tried-and-tested game system as the other titles, but this time it deals with the war in the Pacific against Japan.

There are no major new features in this sequel, although Rising Sun does give you a completely different wargaming flavour, characterised by amphibious tanks and landing craft, paratroop drops and naval gun support as well as special rules for the Japanese side. These include Banzai attacks and the use of caves as fortifications.

More than 30 ready-made scenarios are included in the game, ranging from the beaches of Tarawa, Guadalcanal and Okinawa to the jungles of Burma. Four linked campaign games are also included. New terrain types on offer include kunai (elephant grass), palm orchards, light and dense jungle, paddy fields and coral reefs.

The Allied side includes US and Commonwealth forces - encompassing British, Australian, Indian and New Zealand units - plus a complete listing of all the vehicles, artillery and armour types used in the Pacific theatre by both sides.

The Campaign series is undoubtedly at the top of the wargaming tree as far as WWII games are concerned and Rising Sun is a welcome addition. It makes full use of high-resolution displays and, although it demands 16-bit colour, the results are well worth it. You can even switch between traditional 2D and 3D views of the battlefield and the game features authentic video footage, ambient battle noise and full sound effects.

Rising Sun supports multiplayer mode where up to eight players per side can battle it out over the Internet or a LAN. However, wargames stand or fall on the quality of the artificial intelligence involved and, like the earlier titles, Rising Sun is a challenging if occasionally predictable opponent.