PC REVIEW; I-War (Ocean) cd-rom

How would you like to take control of one of Earth's finest spaceships and go in search of space pirates? Well, now's your chance with the release of the new space flight simulator, I-War.

Starting off as a rookie officer in the Commonwealth Navy, the player is in charge of a corvette battleship in a war against the Indies, a bizarre group of political terrorists.

What really makes this game compelling is the stunning graphics, the most impressive of which can be seen in the intro, which is a mini sci- fi film in its own right. Within the game itself, beautifully rendered spaceships, utterly believable navigation and control panels, and realistic 3D co-pilots are just some of the visual delights on offer. Another pleasing aspect of the game is the wide variety of mission objectives you have to perform; the outcome of which will determine the overall shape of the war. Within each of these missions, the player assumes control of one of four different characters - the commander, navigator, weapons officer or engineer - each of which requires a very different set of skills.

There is only one problem with this game; it's incredibly complicated. Reading the manual is an absolute necessity and even just getting through the training session is tough. I-War will not give you instant satisfaction, but if you are prepared to persevere you will be handsomely rewarded.

On release, pounds 39.99