Online action that will have you hooked

Playing against a computer can never replicate the thrill of defeating a real human on the field of cyber-conflict.

Unfortunately, on-line gaming isn't without a cost. If you don't have a broadband connection, be prepared for horrendous lag (the time delay between your computer and your opponent) and even the most basic of on-line titles requires a pretty hefty machine these days.

For most gamers, the pleasure of going on-line had to remain just a costly extravagance. At least, that's what I thought until a new game from Just Play arrived in the office.

Laser Squad Nemesis looks a bit like an isometric Command and Conquer; a strategy game that pits three different races against each other in a sci-fi setting. But it isn't any old rip-off. For starters, it's programmed by the same guys who were responsible for the much loved X-Com series, arguably the precursor of many a science fiction strategy game that came afterwards.

And what makes Laser Squad truly unique is the method of play.

You don't log on and do battle in real-time. Instead, you plot your next move in a game, issue your orders and send them to a central game server via e-mail. These are then downloaded on your opponent's machine and translated into on-screen action.

After watching your orders played out in real-time, your opponent responds in the same way. It's called in-box action and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than playing something like Unreal Tournament or Quake on-line.

The game comes with three months' free subscription to the Laser Squad e-mail service (remember, someone has to make certain those e-mails get to the right place and adjudicate over long-running battles). After that time, you either call it a day or pay a fee to keep on gaming.

You can play a scenario against a non-subscriber (such as a mate) but only in a limited number of ways. Alternatively, play against a fellow Laser Squad member or let the game seek out a worthy opponent who could be from almost anywhere in the world.

The game engine is a blend of turn-based strategy and real-time action because it lets you replay the battle so far in a video-style window.

If you have a 3-D card, these gaming movie moments are indeed impressive. If your machine is getting on a bit, you can turn down the texture detail or switch to a 2-D viewing mode.

Because e-mail gaming doesn't place such a demand on processing power, Laser Squad has pretty modest requirements for a new game. If your PC is a Pentium II with enough hard disk space, then you're pretty much set.

After a couple of goes, I pretty much guarantee you'll be hooked. Laser Squad is a whole new way of game playing and, until Net access is much cheaper in this country, I think it's probably the best way to play over an Internet connection.

KORSUN POCKET. Publisher: Just Play. Format: PC CD-ROM. Price: £29.99.

BY January 1944, the game was pretty much up for the Nazis in Eastern Europe. The Soviet Army had forced the Germans into a humiliating retreat, pushing their once-feared enemy back to the river Dnieper in every area - apart from one.

A bulge in the German line between Kanev and Cherkassy, south of Kiev, presented the Red Army with a rare opportunity. As they had managed a year earlier at Stalingrad, Russian generals figured they could encircle the Germans and starve them into surrender.

On January 25, 1944, the Soviets attacked and, despite desperate resistance from German soldiers who knew what would happen if they gave up, some 80,000 men were soon trapped. This was known as the Korsun Pocket.

Unable to accept another defeat and order a breakout, Hitler instead told his beleaguered Panzer divisions to attack the Soviets.

Although the weather was against them and their supplies were limited, the tank commanders did as they were asked.

When this failed, the troops still alive decided to take matters into their own hands and began to fight their way out.

This game recreates that atrocious battle for the first time on a PC.

It's a hex-based war game that's designed for veteran strategists and students of military history. If you think strategy began with Command and Conquer, then Korsun Pocket probably isn't your sort of game.

If, however, you relish a challenge and are prepared to give up the time and patience to engage the enemy, then Korsun represents another terrific strategy title from the experts at Just Play.

As a bonus, you also get a game that recreates the infamous Battle of the Bulge - the last great tank battle of the Second World War. Hitler believed it could have turned the tide of the war. See if he was right.

Published: 12/09/2003