DESCRIPTION

Players return to the mystical, Asian-influenced Battle Realms in this prequel add-on set seven years before the events of the first game. Players take the role of Grayback, an unproven chieftain of the scattered Wolf Clan, who must reunite his people and release them from oppression. Grayback must make wise use of his limited assets, overcoming the superior numbers of his powerful enemies with cunning tactics.

Like many good RTS expansion packages, Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf adds new missions, weapons, and units. Along with the many warriors available through the game's distinctive "Unit Alchemy" system, advanced settlements can now produce new Zen Master characters, with special abilities that may prove crucial in the Wolf Clan's campaign for freedom. Previously established unit powers also find new functionality, in puzzle-solving scenario elements that test brains as well as brawn. Winter of the Wolf also brings a new winter setting to the game, in which rice grows more slowly and units may be tracked by the footprints they leave in the snow.

The expansion pack was developed by Liquid Entertainment, the same firm that crafted the first game. As the original Battle Realms was more successful with critics than sales numbers, this expansion pack comes as a stand-alone release and includes a full copy of the main game. Gamers who already own the original and also purchase Winter of the Wolf are eligible for a rebate from the publishers. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide