Out of Eight have thrown up a review of Stronghold Crusader Extreme. Here's a slab of text:

If you are not familiar with the Stronghold series, here is how the games work. First, you need to collect resources: wood at huts for buildings things, iron and stone at mines for building more things, and pitch for boiling oil traps (ouch!). You will also need to feed your population by producing apples, meat, cheese, and manufacturing bread from wheat and flour. There is precious little space for farms (thanks to the arid climate), so maximizing your space is important. Plenty of rations will keep your population happy (and recruit new workers), in addition to low taxes, religion, beer at inns, and, of course, dancing bears. Once you get your economy working and population happy, it’s time for the military focus of the game. Weapons are manufactured from raw materials (for example, two wood for a pike) and then you recruit people from the barracks. If you don’t have the resources (or don’t want to wait for weapons to get made), you can also recruit mercenaries for a high fee. There is a good variety of units, from ranged to melee to mounted troops. You will also have access to defensive structures (walls, gates, turrets, towards, maots, boiling oil) and siege equipment (battering rams, catapults, trebuchets) to protect or storm castles. As you can see, the basic gameplay of Stronghold Crusader Extreme is identical to previous games in the series, as the enhancements are made in other areas.

Anyway, what's new in Extreme, you ask? Well, sadly, not much. The whole “Extreme” thing in Stronghold Crusader Extreme comes from the extremely difficult 20-level campaign that features an extreme quantity of units. This campaign is very difficult and should only be attempted by people who have successfully completed the original game (which, by the way, is included). The new additions made in Stronghold Crusader Extreme are not outlined in a tutorial and are given a lonely page in the PDF manual. In addition to the campaign, you can play custom games against the AI or online. There are a lot of maps to choose from and you can customize the teams, so there is definitely some replay value here.

In the end, they give it a bad verdict and a measly 4/8. 

BattleGoat's Supreme Ruler 2020 has shipped out to stores and is now available on Gamer's Gate. For early impressions, head over to Play This Thing!

When I began playing Supreme Ruler, my expectation was that I would like it less than other grand strategic games because of its near-future setting; the connection to history is, for me, one of the main appeals of games like Making History or Crusader Kings -- even if I'm pushing for an ahistorical outcome (the survival of Byzantium, or Argentina's conquest of South America), there's still the feeling that I'm doing it within some well-defined historical parameters. Supreme Ruler feels more "game-y," that is, less tied to reality; and yet I discovered it had another appeal I hadn't quite expected, which is, in essence, rooting for the home team. Playing as Ohio, you start to care about the Buckeye State, and there's a certain glee in smashing those jerks in Indiana. Realistic? Not so much, but entertaining.

And don't forget to grab the demo.

With the launch of Stardock's digital distribution platform Impulse just a day or so away, Brad Wardell let Next Generation know how Stardock isn't just aiming for the small time.

So far, Epic Games, 2K Games and THQ are definitely on board with Impulse. Activision is holding out on such deals until the completion of its merger with Vivendi, according to Wardell, and Ubisoft is taking a "wait and see" approach.

"Most of the major game publishers will be signed by Tuesday or by Christmas. It just depends on their legal review," he said.

While I hope they make some decent money by distributing AAA titles from the big publishers, I'm much more interested in seeing how (or if) they try to break worthy indie titles to bigger audiences.

Edit:

Impulse launched today.

Impulse addresses these issues; once a user purchases a program, it is automatically associated with their Impulse account. Users can update or re-download a given program when they set up a new machine or as needed. In addition, Impulse allows users to associate programs with their Impulse accounts even if those programs weren't purchased through Impulse. For example, a user who purchases a game from their local retailer or a different digital distribution service would be able to associate their purchase with Impulse if the program's publisher takes advantage of the free option. Additionally, Impulse supports refunds for users who have technical issues with a game or application.

Solar Vengeance 5 is yet another space strategy game that I've never heard of, at least until Derek Yu's TIGSource shined a little light on it.

Like many good strategy games, the basic rules are relatively simple, but open up complex gameplay. The goal of the game is to take over the Capital StarSystems of your opponents while protecting your own. To do this, you must create StarShips and expand your empire by conquering neighboring StarSystems, which will then develop resources and allow you to create more StarShips.

So if you're in the mood for an old school space strategy title and don't mind graphics that make Space Empires IV look next-gen, head here to download a free copy of Solar Vengeance 5.

Out of Eight took a look at Europa Universalis III: In Nomine, giving it a 7 out of 8 despite some flaws.

This is a pretty long review for an expansion pack, so that alone should tell you the amount of game-enhancing content contained in Europa Universalis III: In Nomine. While nothing here drastically alters the gameplay like Twilight of the Arnor for Galactic Civilzations II (the best expansion I've ever reviewed), almost of the improvements are quality additions. Let’s get the disappointments out of the way first: combat missions can be weird, the tutorials are not functional, new ideas are bland, and the graphics remain the same. But look at all these wonderful, pretty things: missions, rebels, religion, colonization, decisions, combat, AI! Oh my! All of this for $20 is quite a steal, I think. You do have to get the much less impressive Napoleon’s Ambition to enjoy In Nomine, but $60 for the all three games (the original, plus the two expansions) is still a good price point (I forsee an EU3 bundle pack in the near future). Simply put, if you play enough Europa Universalis III, you need to get In Nomine.

Read on for the full review.

Speaking of Colonization, there's a new indie game out inspired by that game and Civilization. Here's the rundown on Invasion:

Invasion: The Strategy Game will give you the power and a simple tribe a second chance to re-write history. Become the leader of your people and make decisions that will affect their future. Decide where to build cities, what types of soldiers to produce, which scientific discoveries to pursue, what goods to harvest and choose which civilizations stand between you and victory. History can repeat itself so don't make the same mistakes you predecessors made.

Collect taxes from your people and sell goods you harvest and produce. Earn gold and use it to expand your territory, build new cities, roads, buildings, and of course do some research into military and scientific knowledge. Remember not all civilization is not built upon war. Peaceful relations with your neighbours and more importantly the natives of these lands can help you achieve your ultimate goals.

Could be interesting but the $18 price tag might be pushing it. Check the screenshots and then grab the demo to decide for yourself.

There's an interview up on Gamespot with Sid Meier. Half of the interview is a waste of space (about the console Civ) but there are a few questions about the new Colonization.

GS: What improvements over Civ IV are you introducing in the game?

SM: The biggest upgrades are the major enhancements to the interface and the graphics. We're completely redesigning the in-game interfaces from the city screen to the main screen, which will result in a completely new look and improved functionality. We've also increased game performance by removing some code from the Civ IV engine that wasn't being used, since Colonization is a very different game than Civilization. Colonization delivers completely new graphics, along with enhanced water, new unit shadows, updated terrain and city buildings, and a higher resolution on all assets to give them a more crisp and defined look. In fact, we're making so many enhancements to the graphics that the game will require video cards that support Shader 1.1.

Read the full article here.

BattleGoat has pumped out the demo for upcoming grand strategy title Supreme Ruler 2020. The 352 mb download will net you two singleplayer scenarios:

Italy Votes - There is also a walk-through document included with the Demo to explain some of the subtleties of the game particularly relating to a scenario that expects a peaceful resolution.

Preemptive Strike - This scenario showcases the military aspect of Supreme Ruler 2020 with Israel invading Syria.

"Italy Votes" has to be the most uninspiring scenario name of all time. But back to the topic at hand, find the demo download link of your choice right here.

Big news for Sid Meier fans: Firaxis is developing a new Colonization game using the Civ4 engine.

New York, NY – June 9, 2008 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization™, the next offering in the award-winning Civilization IV® universe, is currently in development at 2K's world-renowned Firaxis Games development studio. Conceived from the ground up to take advantage of the Civilization IV engine, Colonization will be available fall 2008 exclusively for Games for Windows®.

"We've received many requests from fans over the years to bring back Colonization and now seemed to be the perfect time to do that," said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. "The Civilization IV engine provided a fantastic foundation for a new Colonization experience and allowed us to create something great for both new players and long time fans of the game."

In Colonization, players lead one of four European nations on a quest to conquer and rule the New World. Players will be challenged to guide their people from the oppressive motherland, discover the New World, and negotiate, trade and fight with both the natives and other nations as they acquire power and fight for freedom and independence.

As a complete reimagining of the 1994 classic, Colonization is a total conversion of Civilization IV that combines Civilization's addictive "just one more turn" gameplay with all-new graphics and features that add more depth to the franchise. New features, such as a brand-new interface, improved diplomacy options and the included modding tools ensure that Colonization will be the next great title from gaming's premier strategy game developer.

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization for Games for Windows will be available fall 2008 and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.civilization.com

* Colonization does not require the original Civilization IV product in order to be played.

There's recent footage of Warhammer 40,00: Dawn of War 2 available in one bloody, bite-sized trailer. Relic followed this up by previewing the game for all comers, including TVG, Gamespy, Games Radar, IGN, and Gamespot. From Gamespy:

Ebbert was quick to quash the question of whether taking a page from the RPG/MMO world might water down the strategic component of the game. "This enhances the strategy," Ebbert said. "Players will use the loot system to equip and customize their squads before every battle in order to maximize their abilities." He offers the example of a Space Marine squad fighting a group of Orks using plasma rifles, powerful guns with a fairly slow firing rate. "Plasma guns are overkill for Orks," Ebbert said. "Bolters are better. Not as much damage but they fire faster and you need to kill as many Orks as you can as fast as you can." He also emphasized that players will never be able to cripple themselves for want of specific gear but choosing the wrong weapons can make missions and fights against certain enemies much harder than they have to be.

Thanks to Hellraiser for the tip.

Cryptic Comet, the folks (well, just one folk) behind Armageddon Empires, announced last week a new satanic turn-based game called Solium Infernum coming in Winter of 2009. Show me the features:

-Customize your Archfiend avatar by selecting your starting attributes, infernal rank, public objective and special perks.

-Level up your Archfiend in 5 different spheres of evil: Wrath, Deception, Prophecy, Destruction and Diabolism.

- Battle for the control of hell across a landscape of beautifully painted hexes on 3 different map sizes.

- Over 50 different unique legions await your orders.

-Legions gain experience and can be augmented with powerful heroes and artifacts

-Over 30 unique Places of Power dot the endless tracks of hell. Capture them and use them to secure your claim on the Infernal Throne

-Retire to your sinister ritual chamber and call on dark arcane powers and over 30 unholy relics to damage, cripple or hinder your enemies… and allies of convenience.

-Over 30 unique event cards keep the game unpredictable. Challenge your rivals in the infernal games of Pandemonium, send your finest legion on an expedition against Heaven’s ramparts or call an ill-timed cessation of all vendettas and blood feuds.

-Compete against up to 5 other humans or AI’s in a PBEM battle royal.

-Games last anywhere from 25 to 50 turns. A small single player game can be completed in just a few hours.

-Over 150 beautifully painted images can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven, what matter where if I still be the same.

Pickup a little background on the game and a Create Avatar screenshot at Vic Davis' blog.

And by the way, there's a new free mini expansion for Armageddon Empires on the way.

The first installment of GameSetWatch's The Game Anthropologist column digs into the community surrounding Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients.

Over at the DOTA Allstars community, the highly loyal players suggest many, many changes and ideas. “Eul, Guinsoo or IceFrog alone did not make the map. The DOTA community…makes the map”, one player said. Loadscreen art is drawn by fans. Some bugs are found and some items and heroes are made, erased, and changed almost entirely because of community outreach. Seven mirrors on getdota.com are responsible for its dissemination. Once a new hero, the fairie dragon, was found by the community to be too powerful. Icefrog must have agreed—the fairie dragon was changed in less than two weeks.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 leads the week's clip cavalcade with a nearly 15 minute gameplay video, which also features one of the developers droning on over top of it.

The trailer for World in Conflict: Soviet Assault goes in a more meditative direction with snowy landscapes and sensitive guy indie rock in the background.

And Matrix has a video showing off the features for Gary Grigsby's War Between the States.

Thanks to Hellraiser for the giant novelty pencil.

The patches keep coming for Dominions 3 with the release of v3.17.

* Three new nations! Hinnom, giants of primordial times. Ashdod, descendents of the Nephililim. Gath, humans led by the last of the giants.

* New spell: Manifest vitriol. Summon the green lion of alchemy! Warning, if the green lion remains erect for more than four hours please contact--oh wait, that's Manifest Viagra, which isn't in this patch.

* Shattered Souls: Tartarians are insane and might act randomly (and probably won't be doing any random acts of kindness).

* Some new longdead graphics.

* New modcommands: #specialllok, #hero6

* New events!

Get the details and the download right here.

Thanks to puppyonastik for the donuts.