In recent years, real-time strategy games for the PC have been fairly hit or miss. The genre hasn't seen an overabundance of titles -- compared to other categories, only a small number of RTS games are even released each year. When you look at what is released, most new real-time strategy titles either innovate or simply regurgitate.

Thankfully, "Battle Realms," Liquid Entertainment's debut release, succeeds on many levels, bringing a few new things to the table while mixing in many aspects of past classics. It's an addictive and thorough RTS title that is quite stylish yet familiar.

"Battle Realms" takes place in a fictional section of the Far East and tells the story of four factions at war. Leading either the Dragon or Serpent clan, you take on the Lotus and Wolf clans, following the game's branching story line through a variety of battle campaigns. With multiple outcomes possible, the game allows you to choose your missions, while in-game cut scenes move the story line along. Mixing resource management with combat, the basic approach is that of a classic real-time strategy title with a few interesting twists.

Resource gathering and unit training
Like most real-time strategy games, a key component of "Battle Realms" is harvesting -- namely rice and water, which are required to keep things in your village running smoothly and your peasants happy. Once you get a feel for it, the gathering becomes automatic, though it is quite important to grasp in the early stages, while you develop your surroundings.

Thankfully, the game provides a streamlined interface and an isometric viewpoint that makes keeping track of your progress simple. The real key to long-term success, however, lies in managing your human resources.

To spawn proud fighters, training facilities must be built to teach your peasants various forms of combat. Progressing through training is quite entertaining -- almost like sending your citizens off to take classes. You can build a varied and powerful clan including Samurai, Ronin, and even Necromancers once you develop their talents. As your units evolve and your army gets more powerful, you gain battle points, which allow you to upgrade their gear.

The gaming experience is quite varied when you play as a different clan, because each has a unique scale of evolving skill sets. The game has a surprising amount of overall depth as you discover the clans' inherent strengths and weaknesses.

Control
Controlling your units in battle, pointing them toward whatever you want them to attack, is quite simple. While there is a reliance on management, the game assists you with a shrewd AI that eliminates much of the guesswork but lets you control the overall strategy.

Battles can take a while to play out, and they can be quite chaotic -- to the point that at times it's hard to keep track of all the on-screen action. The game is never mundane. It always has you balancing your focus between managing your village and attacking another clan.

Some battles can feel brutal at times, and bringing down a village of evolved enemy structures can be tedious, especially while defending your own. Though it may test some players' patience, most serious RTS fans will appreciate the challenges presented in the game's longer missions, especially as units and structures become more advanced.

Graphics
The game relies on a basic top-down camera angle, which works rather well for observing the on-screen action. From start to finish, everything in "Battle Realms" has a wonderful look and feel, and it's in line with classic martial arts and samurai films. The terrain is both colorful and lush, and the 3D units are nicely animated against each backdrop, moving in a lifelike and entertaining fashion.

Every aspect of the game is detailed. There's a lot of interesting eye candy to enjoy when you stop and pay attention, from the warriors, to the trees, to the occasional blood-stained battlefield. Each of the four clans also possesses a distinct look, feel, and sound, truly coming to life within the game's fictional world, making you want to play through the entire game.

Mulitplayer games
Compared to the lengthy single-player game, the multiplayer mode can make for a welcome change of pace. Online play supports up to 8 players at once via GameSpy, and players can compete as any of the game's four clans in a variety of modes. These faster-paced skirmishes are a good way to develop your strategy. There are also plenty of larger maps, which add a lot of potential for epic online battles and seemingly infinite replay value.

"Battle Realms" is a well-designed and executed game with many strong points and a unique visual style, making it a must-buy for real-time strategy fans. While it doesn't completely reinvent the genre, it strikes a nice balance between familiar territory and innovation. The intense strategic gameplay alone makes it one of the better RTS titles released in recent years. Even though some fans may not have the patience for the game's lengthy single-player campaign, most will appreciate the fully realized world the game presents.