Sahr Johnny In a gaming world awash with first-person-perspective action titles and sport simulations, Microsoft Outwars is a welcome distraction.
The game, developed by Singletrac and published by Microsoft, is an intriguing combination of elements from titles such as Quake 2, Jedi Knight and MDK. Factor in an excellent soundtrack and challenging gameplay, and you'll see why Outwars is sure to win many followers.
Outwars' strong storyline is one of its major assets. Humanity has been striving for years to colonise other planets for their much-needed resources. But something has gone horribly wrong. Our colonies are being wiped out by hordes of exoskeletal aliens.
You're a member of the elite Colonial Jump Force (Dreadnauts), and your job is to endure harrowing physical training and then lead a team of space troopers on an interplanetary mission to quash the enemy.
As a space trooper, you have the run of vast 3-D landscapes in which stealth is as important as firepower. Your weapons range from flame throwers, repeat-fire lasers and frag grenades to cluster bombs and time mines, and you and your fellow troopers are protected by battlesuits that make you walking tanks.
An excellent cinematic soundtrack that changes to suit the mood of the game, and multiple camera views of the action make Outwars really shine. While on the battlefield, with rockets whizzing past and bombs exploding all over the place, other troopers constantly inform you of their plight using witty one-liners that will make you laugh even at the height of battle.