Emperor: Battle for Dune Critic Reviews

It is with out a doubt the best real-time strategy game on the market today. The multifaceted game play and shear volume of missions should keep you battling for spice until your eyes turn blue.

This is an incredible program, and could well be the RTS that will push the genre into new heights of graphic design.

An extremely fun game setting new standards in 3D technology and good Westwood-like gameplay.

This is not quite a classic RTS, but a brave attempt by Westwood to consolidate their strategy finesse - and it's in 3D, to boot.

Those familiar with Westwood's prior strategy games will be very familiar with the game's controls.

The interface and environment are familiar, the locations interesting, the controls easy to learn, and the challenge good.

The universe feels fully fleshed out and not just slapped together for a game. You understand the houses, the units, the motivations, and the raison d' etre. And of course, harvesting finally feels right.

In borrowing conventions from earlier games, Westwood managed to make its latest project interesting enough and enjoyable enough to be worthwhile for virtually anyone who's ever liked another game of its type.

A limited camera, slightly wonky unit A.I., and a few absent unit-handling features seem like a retreat from ground already covered by other, older 2D RTS games.

It lacks the polish of other Westwood games, however seeing as this is their first foray into three dimensions we can forgive the slightly rough feel and lack of overall refinement.

It’s solid and balanced, visually spectacular, offers a fairly easy though engaging single player campaign and skirmish mode, and is true (perhaps too true) to the common conventions of the genre.

Dune nuts'll dig it, and strategy gamers will dig it too. And if you're a Dune nut who likes strategy games...you get the idea...Overall, while I think Emperor is a lot of fun, "Red Alert 2" offers a lot more fun for a much lower system investment.

Not superb gaming, but plenty good enough to satisfy most RTS and Dune fans.

Problems aside, the game is still a joy to behold.

Overall I enjoyed the game, though the campaign is a bit lackluster and the game doesn't offer anything new to the RTS scene.

For those looking to move beyond standard RTS gameplay, this is not the place to look. While E: BD has no glaring problems, it also has no standout features to separate it from every other RTS game out there.

Good points aside, E:BD is a tired game based on a limited concept that was beaten to death in 1998.

This is not a bad game, but Westwood's real-time strategy titles are beginning to suffer the curse of Lara Croft -- they're getting old. There's nothing new here except for the gorgeous visuals.

Easily playable but just as easily forgettable.