So it is with pleasing surprise to discover that Star Wars Empire at War is so wonderfully good. The developer Petroglyph is staffed by mostly ex-Westwood people, the C&C people and the Dune 2 people. That explains that, then.

Empire takes a fresh new approach to how RTS games are played. Instead of a sequence of land-based missions, your side (Rebels or Empire) dukes it out on a galactic scale, you’re calling the strategy by commanding space and land forces, deploying them across the galaxy as you see fit.

Taking certain planets gives access to special units or economic advantages. The main screen shows all stars in the empire. Dispatch some ships to a weakly defended system and a few more to a more stoutly defended planet. Combat in space is 2D RTS set against a starfield, while on the planet’s surface there’s no base building per se, though there are existing buildings that produce research or weapons, and can be upgraded.

Your resource is power which comes from capturing and holding generators on the planet. Reinforcement landing points and fixed defenses are other key spots to be taken and held for victory. It makes for an often thrilling ebb and flow battle as these points on the map are fought over.

This is an exceptionally well designed and extremely enjoyable game. It feels Star Warsey and is a gold class RTS to boot.