[Moggy_Lloyd]

My first impression of Mecho Wars is that it is a very good game. In fact, it's slightly more than a first impression as I was playing it for several hours last night and found it hard to stop!

I was a little worried before playing that this would be a case of style over substance - something pretty to look at that wouldn't have much under the hood. But that fear was well and truly allayed. This is a very strategic, tactical and absorbing game. There is a lot of depth to it and it's been great fun to play so far.

Uniwar was alright for me but I found it to be a bit too clinical and lacking in any personality. This game however has plenty of life and character in it. It's hard to describe the graphics - words like cosmic and surreal spring to mind. I love all the colours and big explosions. The game is a visual treat - certainly someone with a vivid imagination was behind the design! It's a bit like being at a Jean Michel Jarre concert - ambient music playing while this crazy light show takes place around you.

The game is slightly weird - but in a good way. I love having units like Elpho, Mage and Cannon. I'm not much of a hardcore strategy game player so I can't really judge whether it ticks all the boxes of an TBS. But from my personal point of war it seems to have about the right level of complexity and options during battle. For example, I love how the environment/terrain changes during the day and night - I keep having to remember to make sure I don't have any units on the water when it thaws!

With Defender Chronicles, Quantum Collapse and Mecho Wars, it's been a fantastic week for new games.