UrbanWire

History speaks of the ancient Greek nation, Sparta, which in the face of stiff opposition from rivals, managed not only to survive but also flourish.

Slitherine Strategies could not have exhibited this fighting spirit better than with Spartan, their latest addition to the constantly overshadowed turn-based strategy game genre.

Forget about the heavy weights like Doom 3 and Half Life 2, not to mention their stolen source codes and inexhaustible thirst for video card memory. Instead, look pass the simple graphics and non-existent storyline, and immerse yourself in the sophisticated game play experience that Spartan has to offer.

After the success of their titles such as Legion and Chariots of War, it may not surprise many that Slitherine, drawing from their vast historical knowledge, have come up with yet another game relating to ancient Greek history.

Spartan transports you 20 centuries back to the Classical Era, where you can choose from over 100 comprehensively researched nations to play as. The whole game follows the timeline of ancient European conquest and even includes nice little snippets of information about important people during that particular period, such as the Great Persian King Xerxes and Plato, along the way.

However, you'll be disappointed to note that there is practically no storyline, and that you can't really progress in the game. Success or failure with any nation in a particular scenario doesn't carry forward to the next; you'll simply start the next scenario as though nothing ever happened. In fact, the 100 odd nations are pretty much identical except for minor differences in their national colours and standards, which might interest only the most ardent historical enthusiasts.

From the get go, Spartan engages you in a lengthy and slightly dull tutorial. However your patience will be rewarded as you find out that this isn't your regular strategy game, and instead of just building and attacking, there are many other tasks which require your attention. But rather than being turned off by the complexity of the game, Spartan actually makes this work for the gamers. Aided by a very clean and efficient game interface, Spartan has successfully combined the finer aspects of classics such as Heroes Of Might And Magic and Sim City into a neat package.

Military logistics in Spartan is fairly similar to that of Heroes of Might And Magic. Set in a 2D landscape, you train armies in your towns before sending them out to battle rival armies and conquer land, or fight off barbarian hordes and pirate fleets which randomly appear on the map to threaten your nation. After you're done positioning your armies or exhausted their movement limits, you'll have to end your turn and wait while your opponents, AI or human, take theirs. The similarities end there as once you engage in combat with your opponent, the game play switches to 3D real time.

While having said that, don't expect to be thrown back into the frantic sort of combat that is associated with conventional real times strategy games. Rather, before your armies do battle, you'll be prompted to position them to use the terrain to your advantage, utilize formations which best suit your units or are most effective against the enemy, and issue orders to charge, flank the enemy or hang back. Once you're satisfied with the strategy you've orchestrated, just hit the start button and watch the battle play out in its full 3D splendour from a 360-degree camera perspective. Naval engagements, on the other hand, are lacklustre. The game play sticks to 2D and all you see are two vessels side by side jigging around before one sinks into the water.

As with most strategy game, you'll need to gather and manage your resources to effectively wage war. If you thought harvesting Tiberium in Command & Conquer was a hassle, try juggling between the 9 different types of resources in Spartan. From silver, the game's main currency, to bricks for building and construction, to even horses for training cavalry. Thankfully, other than the 3 most essential resources of the game which are bricks, grain and silver, you'll only need certain types of resources in your conquest of Europe, depending on what kind of army unit you wish to specialize in: horses for cavalry, wood for ranged units, and copper for melee units.

Undoubtedly, the most unique and intriguing aspect of Spartan's game play has to be the management of your nation. Not only do you have to handle external threats, you also have to keep your population happy or they may revolt against your rule. You'll also have to devote a significant amount of silver and grain to maintain your armies aboard, hence the challenge of not taxing your population too much while trading with other nations to be able to afford to go to war.

Spartan's 2D graphics, though not quite mind blowing, is actually still quite aesthetically pleasing. There is much less clutter to distract you, compared to Heroes.

However, the same can't be said for the when the game play switches to 3D during combat. Even with a close up view from the 360 degree camera, battling contingents appear more like squabbling ants. You'll be tempted to fast forward to the outcome of the engagements because there's just really nothing visually interesting to grab your attention.

Audio in Spartan is not fantastic but does add to the overall experience of the game. Armies respond in Greek when you click on them, and the instrumental theme in the background reinforces the epic campaign which you are embarking on.

Even with flaws in its storyline and graphics, Spartan's extensive and in-depth game play experience manages to save the day. It should please veterans and new-comers of the genre alike, as well as gamers who love to analyze and think. Be warned, as it could contribute to many sleepless nights spent in front of the computer.