Supreme Commander 2

In the long hiatus between Command & Conquer games, Supreme Commander was a worthy diversion – a massive three-way tussle fought out across vast maps. This year, however, it's another three-way that RTS fans are waiting for and SP2 is in danger of being lost in the melee. Is it as good as Starcraft 2? We'll have to wait and see about that. The bigger problem is it's not as good as its own prequel.

On the plus side, SC2's interface and basic gameplay remain unchanged. This time you cannot play the three factions as standalone campaign; instead, the backstory links them together in more a satisfying fashion. Of course, there are new units, focussing on the bigger Experimentals that must be unlocked from the research tree to unleash massive firepower on the enemy. Experimentals provide the game's most satisfying and visually impressive moments, far more than the original where you only had three to choose from. As a result, the game is less dependent on amassing vast armies than the prequel with the subsequent improvement in frame rate and performance. After all, why go into all that bother churning out tanks when you can wait a bit and unleash a robot dinosaur or orbital airship on your enemy?

The trouble begins when you consider all that has been lost in pursuing this more popcorn-friendly approach. The maps are smaller, making each much more linear than before. And although there are more in the way of mission objectives (taking or defending targets, researching a peculiar technology, etc) each level feels like a one-trick pony – depending on the research item that the developers deign to unlock for you. Given the size of the research tree, you can't help but feel cheated by this. It's also true that SC2 feel more like a console RTS than a PC one – hardly surprising, given the imminent launch on the Xbox 360. So yes, I'm definitely among the purists who feel this dumbing down has been to the detriment of the game's unique scale and ambition.

SC2's saving grace comes online. Thanks to the bigger research tree, there are three very different strategies to employ – each of them perfectly balanced. You can concentrate on defensive units such as the new Loyalty Canon, that can instantly turn your opponent's Experimentals against them. Then again you can beef up your base with nukes and go for a more destructive final solution. Or, of course, you can go for the all-out offensive route – concentrating on air or naval forces to wear down the enemy bit by bit. Either way, thanks to a simpler server solution, it makes for a far better online experience.

I was a big fan of Supreme Commander and its Forged Alliance add-on pack. The sequel is still visually impressive and fun to play, but it's lost the epic feel that made it stand out. Pity.