PC REVIEW; Myth (Eidos Interactive) cd-rom

In a mythical land, a battle rages between the forces of good and evil. The Dark Army, led by the Fallen Lords, are hell bent on conquering the city of Madrigal, and it is up to you to stop them. However, you are not alone in this fight; you have a hardy band of swordsmen, archers and flame-throwing dwarfs at your command who will lay down their lives for the cause. Welcome to the world of Myth.

Myth is a real-time military strategy game which takes place on 3D battlefields furnished with trees, hills and even entire villages. Battle is conducted over a series of missions, each requiring the completion of a specified task before allowing you to progress. Alternatively, you can play against a friend in a network game or a complete stranger over the Internet.

In an attempt to separate Myth from the countless other military strategy games on the market, the developers have tried to give it the feel of an adventure game. Unfortunately, it falls between two stools; neither the story nor the characterisation are strong enough for it to exist as a fully-fledged adventure game, but its lack of tactical options means it doesn't work as a strategy game either. The player's involvement in proceedings is largely a matter of choosing the appropriate formation for the troops and pointing them in the direction of the enemy. There's no need to collect or manage resources, or even build up your army. It's fun to watch, but not to play.

A nice idea, which didn't quite come off.

On release, pounds 39.99