There's only one thing better than getting something for nothing. However, since it's unlikely that someone is going to deliver us a life-size Toblerone, we'll settle for Paradox Interactive's news that the Swedish game company is releasing its game engine into the wild as a free download over GamersGate.

via joystiq.com

Stranger certainly lives up to its name. This role-playing/real-time strategy hybrid is decidedly strange in every respect, from its bizarre setting to its unusual game mechanics and its gawky interface. Russian developer Fireglow Games seems to have set out to make something rather offbeat, but then followed this philosophy so far off the beaten path that the end product turned into a surreal, inept jumble of half-baked ideas. Despite a couple of interesting innovations and some traditional hacking-and-slashing that sticks close to a familiar formula, the game is simply too odd and too clumsily made to appeal to either RPG or RTS gamers.

via gamespot.com

EVE is a big place, a really big place. Going from one end of the galaxy to the other not only takes an incredible amount of time, but it is also filled with numerous dangers. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself lost, surrounded, and a frozen testament to the power of missiles. Sure, there is that little in game map that you have to zoom into, plan your route, and then hope all is peachy along the way. However, it is confusing trying to navigate an escape route in three dimensions when it's you, your ore, and some angry rebel outlaws who just decided to say hello.

via massively.com

Worms is one of the only franchises out there that has seen more than a decade of success, and is still just as charming in its simple design as it was when the series got its start. True, the franchise had a brief stint in the world of 3D, but it proved to be disastrous, and so Team17 has gone back to its 2D roots time and time again, and that same engaging, turn-based experience has held up extremely well over the years. No matter what console or handheld you own, you will see Worms make an appearance. That's just the way things work.

On Wii and DS, the Worms series has seen a serious push. Worms: Open Warfare 2 on Nitnendo's handheld was one of the top games on the system last year, teaming online with traditional control, a level and team editor, and all the options you could hope for. On Wii, Team17 is keeping the same core design, but bringing the worms into space, adding in gravity on top of the traditional wind conditions for outside combat, a level editor, a half dozen mini-games, and unique motion controls for the new (and returning, but modified) items in the Worms world.

via wii.ign.com

After numerous expansions to its Relic-founded Dawn of War license, THQ has confirmed that a medic has braved the field of battle and returned with the franchise's treasured gene seed, officially announcing Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II for the PC. While the game is not expected to drop until Spring 2009, THQ notes that players who pick up the current game's latest expansion, Soulstorm, will score themselves an invite to the sequel's upcoming multiplayer beta.

According to THQ, Dawn of War II will be built upon the Relic's proprietary Essence Engine 2.0, and will feature a fully co-operative multiplayer campaign. As for what races this latest chapter in the RTS series will offer up, we're left guessing, though the publisher has confirmed that the Space Marines and the Orkish green tides will be included. More information is promised in the near future, and as we get word from the Emperor, we'll let you know.

via joystiq.com

Dawn of War was an excellent real-time strategy game that brought the ultraviolent Warhammer 40,000 universe to life, and since then, the game has been supported by numerous excellent expansion packs. The latest expansion will be the soon-to-be-released Soulstorm, which will feature new playable factions, as well as new units to the game's existing factions. In our last preview for the game, we'll cover new units for the Eldar, Imperial Guard, and Necron factions.

via gamespot.com

Before the ink even had time to dry on the game's announcement for Japan, NIS America this afternoon confirmed plans to bring the Nintendo DS version of its popular turn-based strategy series Disgaea to North America this summer. While lacking a colorful title beyond the presumably tentative Disgaea DS, the game is nonetheless described as simply "a new edition" of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.

NIS America promises "several key improvements" over 2003's PlayStation 2 original. However, the announcement also confirms our grumblings from earlier this week regarding the game being just another pass at the first game rather than a wholly new tactical strategy adventure, much like last year's Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP. Even so, given that the DS is practically tailor made for games of this type, Disgaea in any form feels like a natural fit for Nintendo's portable. We just hope the battery can hold out while we grind to level 9999.

via joystiq.com

Well, no, not really. But when a strategy game called Emblem of Gundam comes along, we're pretty much required to make that joke. The latest Gundam game on the DS explores the history of the Gundam universe while simulating strategic ground battles.

Emblem of Gundam is, at its core, a turn-based strategy game. It also includes a heavy character-driven adventure component, based around conversations between characters. At certain points in the game, you'll be given a choice about which scenario to follow, or, as the game puts it, which "history button" to press.

Expect a lot of story in Emblem of Gundam: the game is designed to add extra perspective to the storylines in Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: A War in the Pocket, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, and Mobile Suit Gundam Z.

via dsfanboy.com

4X strategy games are usually doing good just to get noticed. The titles are by their very nature an acquired taste usually appreciated only by a select few, reason enough why we imagine that the devs at Ironclad Games are breaking out the good glasses this evening, patting themselves on the back for a job well done while finally uncorking that bottle of 1995 Chteau Margaux that's been gathering dust in the cellar.

The reason for the celebration? It turns out that the studio's debut 4X game, Sins of a Solar Empire, has sold more than 100,000 units since its release on February 4, making it the top selling PC game in North America for the week based on sales data compiled by Gamasutra. It's anyone's guess how long PC gamers' love affair with Ironclad's space epic will last, but for now at least it appears that in the kingdom of the keyboard and mouse number crunching and micromanagement are king.

via joystiq.com

With a healthy collection of casual DS favorites to its credit, the once financially gridlocked publisher Majesco has much thanks to lay at the feet of Nintendo's touchable portable. Now the company has announced that it plans to give players an early taste of its latest project, a tree-hugging RTS for the DS, by releasing a demo for Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest over nearly 10,000 Nintendo DS Download Stations across the U.S.

via joystiq.com

Over the last two days, we've been digging deep into Nintendo's upcoming turn-based strategy sequel, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, with looks at the game's new aesthetics and darker storyline and the tweaks and additions to gameplay that longtime series developer Intelligent Systems has made. Now we're back to look at what we're sure will be the most exciting new feature for diehard Advance Wars fans: online play...

via gamespot.com

Today, the Japanese RPG-centric publisher announced it would be bolstering the Nintendo DS's turn-based strategy library with Drone Tactics. Dealing heavy in what Atlus calls "mecha insecta," the game will offer more than 100 weapons and augmentations to outfit players' armies of giant insect robots...

via gamespot.com

The next big Gundam title to come to the PSP is Mobile Suit Gundam: Giren no Yabou - Axis no Kyoui, the strategy game is very popular here in Asia and Bandai Namco knows it. They have just announced a special edition red & black PSP that will goes on sale February 7th in Japan, the same day as the game’s official release date...

via psphyper.com

Russian studio Vogster Entertainment hasn't yet formally announced Kaboom Kaboom, its comedy-filled RTS title set in "a world of wise-cracking robots," but what we've picked up about the game so far sounds spectacular!...

via dsfanboy.com

When looking for games, the web browser is the sort of place we expect to find casual knock offs or children's MMOs. It's certainly not the first place (or even the twelfth place) we'd expect to play the next big strategy release from Ubisoft...

via joystiq.com