Empire Earth is the first game from Stainless Steel Studios and Age of Empires co-creator Rick Goodman, and is everything that hard-core fans who conquered the Age of Empires games could want. Stainless Steel Studios managed to pack more sheer gameplay, units, options, and replayability into Empire Earth than any other real-time strategy game had before it. Best of all, the game is very much based on the interface and gameplay concepts that made Age of Empires and its sequel so much fun, so players of the earlier games can jump right in.

The core concept should be familiar to any real-time-strategy fan. Empire Earth has your citizens (called peasants in Age of Empires) gather resources so you can build various buildings and units. You have to gather wood, gold, stone, and food, as in the earlier game, but Empire Earth adds iron to the mix. Food is gathered from various colorful animals dotting the map, wood from forests, and the minerals from deposits scattered around. Gather enough stuff and you can advance through the ages; there are 16 of them here, from humankind's prehistoric past all the way to the future some 200 years hence. At the beginning, you'll be fielding club warriors, and at the end, massive robot tanks. In the middle you'll build archers, knights, infantry, tanks, etc. All told, the game features 20 buildings and some 200 units.

One major innovation is the full 3-D graphics engine. The engine lets you rotate and zoom in anywhere, which yields some impressive visuals. More strikingly, the game engine can showcase huge numbers of units in full conflict, and you will see massive battles throughout the ages. The game offers full multiplayer, several historical scenarios, a campaign mode, and a random map generator that can be tweaked to play in any age against any number of opponents, which is a great option.

There are other key differences that set Empire Earth apart from the pack. You can build prophets, who can then summon mighty calamities on your enemy. Think of them as divine spells. You can start a plague, call a rain of fire, or summon a massive earthquake, for example. Artillery, aircraft, and naval powers are also represented. You can staff your outposts with citizens to make them grow into more efficient town centers, thus increasing your power over the map and control of resources.

This complexity is the game's greatest strength, but also its biggest weakness. This isn't a game for the timid, the new, or the slow. If you thought Age of Empires was complicated when compared to other real-time fare such as WarCraft, you haven't seen anything yet. This sophistication can be a bad thing for new gamers, but Age of Empires players looking for a new challenge are in for a treat. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Plenty of units and ages to explore
• Impressive new 3-D graphics

• Too complex for casual gamers
• High difficulty

In Empire Earth, you'll command history's best-known civilizations, such as those of the Greeks, English, French, and Germans, or evolve your own as you choose from more than 100 unique attributes. You'll colonize or conquer surrounding territories and establish new settlements; plan and build walled towns and city-states; and construct temples and hospitals to protect and enhance your growing empire. Your town centers inspire defenders to fight harder, and can be transformed into powerful capitals. Wood, coal, oil, and other natural resources provide raw materials for expansion. More than a dozen technology tracks offer numerous opportunities for further advancement.

Train more than 200 types of combat units from every era in history, including the future on earth. Instantly improve the combat abilities of your troops with specific upgrades. Lead your armies to glorious victory with the help of Charlemagne, Churchill, and other great heroes from not only yesterday but also today and tomorrow. Fight in good weather during the day on an open plain, or carry out surprise assaults in the black of night or the dead of winter. Attack unsuspecting enemies with stealthy submarines and aircraft. Soften up an enemy position with artillery fire, carpet-bombing, or offshore shelling, or launch ballistic missiles. Wage epic sky battles with more than 30 types of aircraft, such as Sopwith Camels, Spitfires, F-15s, Apache gunships, and B-2 bombers. Fight massive naval engagements with more than 40 different ships, from 16th-century ships of the line to modern aircraft carriers. Board and capture enemy vessels. Train colossal and intelligent mechs to fight the battles of the future.