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Title Battle Isle
Game Type Strategy
Company Blue Byte
Players 1 or 2
HD Installable Yes
Compatibillity All (Disable AGA)
Submission Tom Waddington (tom@waddie.org.uk)

Review
The hex-based wargame for people who hate hex-based wargames, Battle Isle
was clearly designed to bring a bit of thought and strategy into a game
that looks like a shoot `em up and would appeal to those gamers who never
touch a mouse on principle.

The whole thing is joystick controlled, using a split-screen display and a
turn-based game engine. Players take it in turns to either move or attack
with their units and attempt to either completely destroy the enemy army
or move a unit of soldiers into the enemy headquarters.

Except for a few half-screen animations that herald important moments, the
graphics are detailed but unspectacular. The variety of units allows you
to play in the way that suits you and makes for maps with plenty of replay
potential.

There are only two real problems with this game. The first is that on
later levels the computer can take over an hour to move all its units,
even on an accelerated machine, which seems excessive for a game with such
an arcade feel.

Secondly, and vastly more importantly, the combat can sometimes make a
mockery of all your careful planning. On occasion a squadron of
experienced heavy tanks at full strength can be reduced to one unit by a
squadron of unexperienced infantryman, even when you have the advantage of
terrain.

I'm willing to accept that a few casualties might be caused, above and
beyond the call of duty and all that, but what exactly are those soldiers
armed with? When it happens you feel like your whole strategy is based on
a roll of the dice, and loaded dice at that.

Real-time strategy games like Command and Conquer and its clones have
rendered games like this obsolete, but it still has plenty to offer. The
problems can cause a fair bit of hair-pulling, but overall this is an
accessible and challenging wargame that should appeal to hardened strategy
fans and arcade blasters alike.