DESCRIPTION

Little did the Lunar Corporation know the impact they made by the time their space research facility's goals after 2002 would allow human space travel, space exploration monopoly and even the exploitation of space itself! NASA's technology was then absorbed by them during the 2012 to 2014 crisis. Orbital City 1 attracted a company employee flight for safety away from Earth's economic chaos. After failed attempts of a second city in 2036 and the company's first permanent base on the moon in 2037, all of the residents of Orbital City 1 were evacuated to the moon called Luna 1 when the Great War broke out on Earth. As a result, the Lunar Corporation severed ties with its mother planet to follow an independent development path, with a second city finally completed years later (Luna 2).

Earth laid in ruins after several more years of war which led to anarchy. America's 12 previous states were later reorganized into the United Civilized States (UCS). Eastern Europe and Asia's representatives — the Kahn Clan — built a new country called the Eurasian Dynasty (ED). As respective territorial neighbors, no other power on Earth could match them. However, in the year 2147, it was inevitable that war was the only choice they had in order to feed the power-hungry rulers of each empire, and thus the ED and UCS staged an act of war against each other. The solar orbit was then adversely affected as Lunar Corporation's scientists correctly interpreted that the future disaster by 2150 would lead to the further shrinking distance between the Sun and the Earth by about 17 percent.

No one cooperated for a mass migration to Mars, which was the only hope for the survival of mankind. And thus, without resources available to pour into the project due to the war forcing all scientific activity toward weaponry, the Lunar Corporation had to join the war in order to fight over the remaining resources left on Earth.

Previously, real-time strategy (RTS) had been in its infancy within the 3D realm, but with the all-terrain and subterranean Earth 2150 from SSI, North America gets to have a taste of what Germany already enjoyed: real-time lighting, true 3D terrain deformation, realistic fog-of-war, and particle effects. In addition, some other goodies include: over 45 CG cut-scenes; a non-linear mission system (with 75 missions in all); real-time weather and day/night influences on strategy and tactics; over eight-player participation with the multiplayer feature, using TCP/IP, IPX or a modem; a unique 3D Map Editor; a simultaneous multiple-camera interface (three window views with zooming and rotating capability); and last but not least, customizable units from various chassis, weapon systems and upgrades.

The Troop Management System and Platoon Base Control allow you to create your own troop formations, change squads and patrol areas, as well as enlist the aid of computer generals in perfecting your campaign. You have a choice of three completely different sides, meaning three separate strategies, interface looks, and music soundtracks — essentially three games in one!

From scaling mountains and digging out bulwarks to creating tunnel systems and detonating entire regions, Earth 2150 comes at you with story, eye candy, and a new outlook on the future of the strategy genre. Can you save Earth from destruction? Can you save mankind from itself? Which side will you be on, the ED, UCS, or Lunar Corporation? War is ugly — but unavoidable! ~ Cal Nguyen, All Game Guide