The second major change to gameplay is the controversial shift to more general commands for the rest of the team from you, the leader. Now, the main commands are now fairly basic and general, with the AI of allied NPCs improved to take care of themselves a bit more. While the team does a better job of taking care of themselves, you are only allowed to play as one team member throughout the mission, and more precisely controlled tactical approaches are a bit tricky. So, love it or hate it, the commands are simpler, making for a faster-paced game.

There is at least the sense of fighting alongside others. Hearing some of my friends' old war stories - particularly those who served under the Allied Assault - you'd think the whole war was fought by one man, but I'm under no illusions just how important my squad-mates, and the whole damn army in fact, have been to our success to date. As we raced across snowy fields to recapture Foy from the Germans, looking right and seeing an endless stream of soldiers charging to the strains of an officer's whistle, even as shells blew frozen haystacks apart and the Germans threw everything they had at us, alleviated any sense of loneliness I might have been fostering inside.

Full Spectrum Warrior is good for a number of reasons, the biggest of which are polish and presentation. From a superficial perspective, a view that I'm intimately familiar with, FSW has a nice face and lovely body. It isn't going to stand toe to toe with any of the giants like DOOM 3 or the upcoming Half-Life 2, but it's impossible to say this game looks bad. You can kinda tell that the game was built with the Xbox in mind, but it transfers well, thanks in part to the lighting bloom effect that's become so popular as of late. It definitely adds a quality to the light that makes the area look a tiny bit more realistic.

In the most essential sense, this boils down to keeping your men behind cover at all times. Conveniently, the razed cityscape of Zekistan is littered with all kinds of objects that can be used in this manner, ranging from derelict cars and dumpsters, to rickety shacks and empty wooden crates. The latter gradually degrade over time, so it ain't too smart to rely on them for extended periods of heavy fire. In any case, you'll quickly train yourself to keep your teams behind cover at all times, in many cases plotting out several moves in advance. Since you always have a clear waypoint marking the direction of your next objective, discerning a sequence of cover spots leading to it is never a problem.

Set across nine missions in France, Africa and Sicily, Sabre Squadron is another against the odds squad-based sneaker where silent manoeuvres are encouraged over run and gun - although how you approach each mission very much depends on how you like to play. In terms of changes, there are very little to report on; it's still very much a case of picking off enemies one by one, being careful to watch your cover, and making sure your squad-mates aren't doing anything really stupid.

Silver Star -- Mekong Delta, Vietnam,1969

Signup today - Free Trial - to receive 20 Kuma\War missions including JOHN KERRY and the men of SWIFT BOAT PCF-94, an amazing re-creation of the actions in 1969 that earned Kerry the Navy's second highest honor. Re-create the events for yourself! Built using advanced game tools, this simulation puts you in Kerry's boots, in command of a Swift Boat on the Mekong Delta in 1969. Includes broadband video news show, real-world intel, satellite images and the background you need to understand a key issue in this year's presidential election.

To be released September 30, 2004 (estimated date.)

For the majority of the game's missions, you're accompanied by a squad of indestructible computer-controlled grunts (though they'll sometimes die--usually horribly--as part of a cutscene). The presence of teammates makes many of the firefights feel like an actual battle between two groups of soldiers. But your squad also provides constant cover, making it easy to fall back and heal, which often robs the game of much challenge.

Xequted: Can you tell us about the game play? What makes Close Combat different to other styles of Military based games?

Peter: With First to Fight, you get the advantage of using authentic military tactics in an action-oriented first-person perspective. Your fire team follows Marine doctrine called ‘Ready-Team-Fire-Assist’ which gives your team 360-degree security when moving down streets, crossing intersections, ascending staircases, taking down rooms, etc. Ready-Team-Fire-Assist makes your team incredibly effective, and it makes First to Fight play very differently to other tactical shooters.

The conflict in Indonesia has spilled over to other parts of Asia where rebel troops have gained support in the war against the newly reinforced Joint Ops forces. Set against a backdrop of South East Asia that includes Airports, Radar Tracking Stations and Rocket launch facilities, players enlist once more to take part in intense large scale modern FPS combat, in games of up to 150 players online.

As the battles shift to different locations, new vehicles enter the fray: Attack Choppers and Battle Tanks make their debut, along with Mobile SAM Launchers and Dirt Bikes. Players will also be able to make airborne insertions into hot zones via Parachute.

Joint Ops: Escalation will also feature:
• Ceramic Body Armor.
• Optional 3rd Person weapon view for select vehicles.
• New emplaced weaponry for enhanced base defense.
• Over 25 new maps, including new Co-Op and Training missions.