Perimeter - PC Games

The game is set in the future, with numerous civilisations looking for new homes in a freshly uncovered galaxy. And this does, at heart, mean that it takes the standard form of resource management and a fair few battles. Yet there are new tricks at work here. For instance, if you have enough energy, when you're being attacked you can activate a perimeter defensive shield, instantly pulverising any opponents within it. Terraforming is also important; you need to alter the landscape of your environment not just so you can build structures onto it, but also for strategic means. Then there's nano-technology, where your robotic warriors can, assuming your technology is in place, morph en masse into something a little more powerful. It really adds a more flexible strategic edge to the gameplay, knowing that you can, for instance, combine forces into a tank or an aerial assault. What's more, picking the right technology for the right battle, which takes a little learning, only enhances the gameplay.

It's all, to be fair, a lot to take in, and the learning curve in Perimeter is perhaps a little steeper than your conventional real-time strategy game. But if you're one of the increasing number who grows frustrated at the increasing staleness of the genre, then this is very much the tonic you need. It's a bit different, extremely addictive, and deserves your attention. --Simon Brew