Nexagon: Deathmatch: The Next Step for Sports Company: Strategy First Amazing enough as it is, Nexagon may yet see the light of day, and all for the better. After making a lackluster appearance last summer, this game has come through some tough hardships, including company restructuring, to grow into what has the potential to be a great game. The developers, both old and new, have worked diligently to bring us this preview build of the game, another amazing feat that is a testament to this game's survivability. The developers are pushing Nexagon as a futuristic sports genre that pits vicious prisoners against each other in epic fights, to the death, if necessary. As the manager of one of these rag tag crews, it will be the player's job to recruit new team members, book sports venues, and customize the team's sanctum, a home base that they take with them to every match up. There will be a number of different prisoner 'races' to choose from, including robots and what appear to be evil sewer dwellers. Each of these races contains different player types, from fast sprinters to lumbering giants. It will be the player's job to hire the talent and deploy them effectively in the game. There is a large need for star players to excite the crowd and catch the media's attention, but the manager must also create a balanced team, being careful not to let his players suffer too many injuries, lest they fall victim to the ultimate referee, Death. The actual gameplay is pretty smooth, as you are allowed to pause mid-game, survey the field, give orders to your players, and then resume the carnage. Playing fields will span all manner of locales, from technological structures to burning hot waste lands. This strange combination of sports and violence is just what made the board game BloodBowl a success, and we'll soon find out if the same tactics work for Nexagon. -Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz Related Links: Strategy First's Official Site