PC REVIEW; Soldiers At War (SSI) PC CD-Rom

SSI has done it again. The master of war strategy titles, such as Panzer General II, has completed the game that everyone wanted to see, Soldiers At War. If you have ever fantasised about living out some of the most dangerous commando missions of the Second World War, then your time has come.

Soldiers At War is military history at your fingertips. Select a crack team of eight men, equip them with major weapons, such as a panzerfaust, a bazooka, or even a flame-thrower, and take them into such scenarios as the assault on Monte Cassino, D-Day, or even taking out a V-2 rocket.

As you make your way around the carefully plotted maps there are enemy tanks round some corners and machine-gun-bearing Nazis round others. As role-playing games go, this is one of the most inventive yet.

The graphics are a lot like those of Fallout. Each character has its own weight, height and stamina, as well as different uniforms, facial hair and voice. The only downfall is the slow response time, but as the game is turn-based, this is not a huge problem. If all this isn't enough, you can design your own mission, then play it against up to four of your friends via network or up to four strangers on the Internet.

With this little piece of history, everyone can enjoy battling the enemy until the cows come home. Soldiers at War is yet another smash hit from SSI - let's hope it's not the last.

Released 19 Jun, pounds 29.99