By:
Funcom

The real-time strategy genre is a peculiar one. Ever since it was pioneered by Westwood's Dune II back in the early 90's we've seen a predominant number of well thought out titles. From Warcraft to Command & Conquer to Starcraft, games within the genre are particulary fresh, soundly designed and plain old enjoyable. Sure there have been a few bad eggs here and there, but for the most part RTS titles have enjoyed relative success. Even titles on the fringe, like Bullfrog's Syndicate had a strong following.

One thing never before done by RTS developers however, was the use of the player's environment to affect both tactical and strategic situations during gameplay. Technology simply didn't allow it. Sure, 2D maps did employ the use of rivers, lakes and rough terrain to alter the playing field, however this usually done so to prevent monotony. Total Annihilation offered the next step in environmental interactivity, with the maps having a direct effect on the 3D modeled vehicles. But the environment always took a backseat to the actual strategy.

Enter Funcom's Steel Rebellion. Originally developed with a 2D terrain engine, Funcom opted to head in a new direction and adopt a full 3D engine. Doing so will allow for more engrossing gameplay and an increased dependency on the use of surrounding environments. We were given an early look at the game, and were impressed with Funcom's focus on not only the graphics, but sound, unit development and story as well.