Arena Wars is a fast, addictive, action-packed real-time strategy game which combines the RTS genre with some elements of shooter games. The actual gameplay does not compare directly with other RTS games, in that Arena Wars is not all about building bases, harvesting resources and building up vast armies. Unlike other strategy games, in Arena Wars you can instantly start building all available units and send them to attack the enemy and achieve your mission goal. Each player continuously has $1000 in the game, which can be invested in units and upgrades. However, how each player spends their cash on these units is entirely up to them. If a unit gets destroyed, the player receives all the money back in their account that it cost to build the unit in the first place.

Each player has access to the same six unit types - buggy, spider, walker, destroyer, beserker and mobile launcher (artillery). These units are well balanced. For instance, the Buggy causes minor damage but is pretty effective against the Artillery due to its fast speed and ability to get in close very quickly. Units can also be upgraded. This requires you to send the desired unit into an upgrade building, along with a $200 upgrade cost. Upgraded units are generally faster, better armored, do more damage and have enhanced Specials.

The goal is not simply to destroy the enemy's base or units. To score points in the various scenarios you must complete objectives that range from stealing the enemy flag, carrying a bomb into your enemy's base or seize and hold Domination zones for a period of time. The winner is the player who satisfies that particular game's objectives. For example, in a Capture the Flag game with a "capture limit" of 5, the winner is the first player to capture 5 enemy flags. Of course, the missions will get tougher and tougher, with a whole range of victory conditions to be met.

The game features 6 single player tournaments with over 60 individual missions, 3 different terrain sets (grassland, desert, and volcano), intuitive map editor, Multiplayer via LAN and Internet for up to 8 players and 4 observers per game with Advanced Chat Server, Dedicated Arena Wars Server for online gaming, and even real-time voice communication (via headset), and video (via webcam).

There're three modes of play in total, Capture The Flag (CTF), Bombing Run (BR) and Double Domination (DD). Capture the flag is pretty much the same as it is in games like Unreal Tournament, you must capture the enemy teams flag and get it back to your base while preventing the enemy from getting your flag. In Bombing Run, you have to drop a bomb in your opponent's bomb dropzone, then ensure it ticks down and explodes without it getting salvaged by your enemy and taken to your own dropzone! Finally, the main goal in the Double Domination mode is to gain possession of two points and hold them both for 20 seconds to score.

Overall, Arena Wars is pretty addictive game. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for an action & innovative real-time strategy game. There's no doubt that the LAN modes alone are worth the $30.

Related links: MP demo (87.5MB), gameplay video.

System requirements:
Minimum: Pentium III (or compatible) 700MHz, 128MB RAM (256MB for Win2k/XP), DirectX8 Graphic Card with 32MB (GeForce 2MX or Radeon 7500), DirectX Sound Card, CDROM 4x, 56K Modem (or higher) or Network Card (for multiplayer), 250MB free HDD space
Recommended: Pentium IV (or compatible) 1.4GHz+, 256MB RAM (512 Win2k/XP), DirectX8 Graphic Card with 128MB (GeForce 4 Ti or Radeon 9600XT), DirectX Sound Card. CDROM 4x, 56K Modem (or higher) or Network Card, (for multiplayer), Headset and Webcam for Voice and Video transmission