Z: Steel Soldiers is a 3D action/arcade-RTS game, the sequel to Bitmap Brothers' previous 2D action-RTS game Z released in 1996. The story behind the game is based on robotic life forms that have been at war with each other and have only now come to a peace agreement. However, because of the comic nature of the entire game story and a trigger happy commanding officer, the war looks as if it will continue. Alike to original Z, in Z: Steel Soldiers you take charge of a various army of robots fighting for a corporation, controlling individual units, building units and structures, and eventually wiping the enemy off the map. Each mission in the game is started off with a cartoon cutscenes, rendered in a deliberately old-fashioned comic book style that gives enough insight as to why you're doing what you're doing in each mission. The game features six realistic 3D environment - each world type that battle takes place upon has own unique 3D landscape including desert, volcanic, forest, arctic, wasteland, and archipelago worlds. In addition Z: Steel Soldiers includes full naval and air force to command as well as the robotic infantry and armored fighting vehicles from the first game, in total there are 30 unit types (infantry, technicians, snipers, construction robots etc) and 20 building types (also unique facilities include Teleport and Shield Generator) for the player to experiment with. The multiplayer gives you the chance to enter into a Skirmish game with up to 7 simulated opponents or a choice of human and simulated opponents. Z: Steel Soldiers can be played online or on a LAN with up to a maximum of 8 players, certainly with various types of multiplayer game (including timed, resource based, unit based and objective based game play environments). So how you can see, the biggest difference compared to Z is 3D graphics. The game utilizes an impressive fully 3D graphics engine which features a fully controllable rotating, zooming, panning camera and crap like that :) . Also weapons look cool with lighting effects, as well as explosions and buildings, vehicles and units, which are nicely detailed and articulated. The bullets scar the sand and water accurately reflects the surroundings, just candies for your eyes... But if you own anything less than a PIII 800 with 128MB RAM and a 32MB 3D card you'll have to turn off some advanced graphics features and not enjoy the full visual glory of the game :( Although the game is not an evolutionary jump, Z: Steel Soldiers manages to offer up an enjoyable, and fast-paced tactical game for all RTS' fans. Certainly some players rather prefers the complex micromanagement and careful planning (like Cossacks), but I'm sure those that liked the original Z will certainly want this game as will many other strategy fans :) You can try this playable demo (30.2MB).