Iron Storm: World War One ... in 1964? Company: DreamCatcher Interactive Imagine a world where World War II or Vietnam never occurred... because WWI was still raging on into the '60s! 4X Studio's Iron Storm will invite players into an alternate history, combining elements from reality's past wars and fantasy's strange future, as a lone soldier struggles to end WWI after 50 long years. Aiming for a different take on the first-person genre, 4X has gone a few steps further with realistic environments and the ability to switch to third-person view at any time. Iron Storm's action plays out like a History Channel reenactment; every dangerous element from actual war is present in the game. Players must constantly duck enemy fire, crawl through trenches to avoid incoming missiles, tiptoe around minefields and methodically eliminate Russo-Mongol snipers without getting a bullet between the eyes. Judging from the beta alone, patience will be absolutely essential if you want to survive longer than five minutes. Multiplayer modes in Iron Storm should turn a few heads, especially with fans of similarly themed titles from recent times (Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Battlefield 1942). It might be difficult for some players to get a handle on each gun's shaky controls - again, going for realism - but perhaps weapon aiming will be steadied for online play in the retail version. Twitch gamers will be happy with loads of sniping capabilities and high-powered explosives, while more strategic folks might stick with deadly gas grenades and proximity mines. Heavy artillery will include modified shotguns, machine guns with zoom abilities, and powerful grenade launchers. If the cinematics featured in the beta are any indication, there should be plenty of plot to fuel an engrossing single player experience. Remember, the fate of a war-torn fantasy world depends solely on your actions, so players should be in store for an interesting little game this fall. Iron Storm is due out October 22 in the US. -Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications AKA Ben Lewis Related Links: Visit DreamCatcher's Iron Storm site!