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India: land of spices and sumptuous wealth. So full of riches that greedy nations, such as the British and the French, have been tempted to grab the spoils. Champion of the Raj is about this historical struggle for power and possession. To complicate matters, the Thugs are on the rampage, sacrificing many victims to their voracious goddess, Kali. The plot thickens, and so does the brain. Now read on...
Champion of the Raj is fundamentally a strategy game with a few arcade sequences added to pull in the punters. Choose one of the six leaders which include Sikh, Mogul or European, to fight over strife ridden India. Why not carry on the colonies and select the role of Viceroy of the British East India Company. Nothing wrong with plundering is there, pip, pip!!?
And so to the heart of the action. The Headquarters Screen has a map of India. Clicking on a territory will summon up details concerning army size, wealth, and weaponry; useful for weighing up the pros and cons of a quick skirmish. Depending on your mood, attack if you're feeling grumpy, or talk in order to negotiate. It may still come to a savage arcade contest, such as the tiger hunt or elephant race, to prove that you mean business. Or rest easy on your laurels and give the natives a taste of pomp and ceremony. Hold a Durbah (you've got to be ethnic and trendy, haven't you?). This parade of elephants will have the tourists flipping their lids with gratification. You'll just love it if you have a yen for the Lord Mayor's show or a royal wedding. Beware, though, some of the 'graphic' sections take far too long to load and to run.

So much for your efforts to keep the unwashed happy. There are traitors amongst your disloyal soldiers. You can quietly oust them, but you'll have to dismiss about 4,000 troops to be sure of avoiding an armed insurrection. But if you take on the insurgents head-to head you'll have to swordfight with a loin-clothed rascal. A sorry end awaits the loser, who is forced into the dear blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

You'll have to keep your wits about you, as the advice from the so called gurus can be very unhelpful - here's a gem: An expert is someone brought in at the last moment to take the blame'. Taking advice of this sort of calibre will make you as popular with your fellow politicians as Adolf Hitler!
Champion of the Raj is excellent trainingground for budding evil despots of the world. The crops have been destroyed and famine is rampant. What will you do? Either let the people starve or save them by giving a donation of money. Another interesting problem concerns ancient temple treasures. The national museum wants them but it's oh so tempting to melt them down for your treasury! Champion of the Raj is full of developed ideas and has a very entertaining storyline. However, the main drawback is the huge amount of disk swapping that is required and it's strongly advisable to have a second disk drive. Another tiresome feature is the time that it takes to load. Patience is something you'll need by the truckload if you're going to get into this game. The graphics aren't bad, but one of the greatest shortcomings is in the sound department. For a game of this potential, melodies consisting of what sounds like an elaborate police siren just aren't enough. An enjoyable game to play nevertheless, although Mahatma Ghandi is probably spinning in his grave.
Fiona Keating