 From the creators of the hit game Rainbow Six, comes Dominant
Species. Dominant Species is the first game of its type to implement a true 3D
environment for both objects and interface. We've all seen our share of Command
& Conquer clones emerge over the past couple of years, but don't expect Dominant
Species to be any such clone. While the concept and gameplay might be familar, the
3D environment combined with the imaginative units sets this game apart.
You, a young Mindlord, are part of an ancient race of sentient telepaths. With your
mental powers, you, along with other members of your race, control "Hives" of
creatures on the planet Mur in a never-ending battle for the valuable "Anima"
(an-ih-mah). You battle with other Hives for control of various sources of the
life-giving Anima. Everything seems pretty routine on Mur, but a new force is about
to enter the conflict... Humans.
 Expect
the need to actually open the manual on this game. There is an arsenal of commands
and unfamiliar units at your disposal, which creates a bit of a learning curve, even for
those who have played this type of game before. You can't tell a units function just
by looking at it, and camera movements in the 3D environment take a little getting used
to. Please note there's no "fog of war" in this release. You can fly
around and look wherever you please. Once you get past your first couple missions,
you should have your keys configured for optimal play and familiar with the basic units.
 The 3D engine and character animations are superb. For the
first game of it's type to fully implement 3D, I was impressed. Red Storm did it right the
first time and deserves a pat on the back. I noticed that mouse movement got a bit
sluggish during heavy battles with lots of units. It caused difficulties in nasty
situations, but I'm unsure if this will occur on all systems. Selecting and
controlling units can be tricky as well, especially while grouped together.
Sometimes it's easier to highlight and area to get that one unit that's in a bad spot.
The AI is decent, but could use improvement. Watch your base guards closely.
As soon as they make contact with an enemy, they will chase and attack it until it has
been killed. Units have some trouble finding paths around objects at times, but only
in tight spots.
Overall, this game rates pretty high, but don't expect to see it as the hit at the next
lanparty. While the design and implementation are great, the game doesn't have a
very high replay value. Because of it's learning curve, it might be difficult to get
your friends to sit down and learn the game. For those of you who love the real-time
strategy games, you may want to check out this title. You'll get a kick out of the
3D engine, and the 3D environment adds a new level of strategy.
10/29 dune
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