Metareview: Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC)

Universe at War: Earth Assault enters the market during a time we're calling: "Publishers at War: Wallet Assault." UaW probably benefits from there not being a plethora of high-profile sci-fi RTS games entering the market at the same time. The reviews don't have a lot of negative things to say about the game, so if you're looking for a solid sci-fi RTS during the holiday season, UaW seems like a good choice. We're still curious to see how the Xbox 360 version plays when it releases early next year.

• Game Informer (83/100): "Like Blizzard's RTSs or Command & Conquer, Universe at War requires a hands-on approach to command. Adept focus-firing, forcing enemies into bad unit matchups, resource harassment, and the like will carry the day more often than out-gathering your opponent – especially given the particularly binding population cap."

• Games Radar (80/100): "Universe at War takes a lot of chances, and most of them pay off in the form of a unique real-time strategy experience. Just grin and bear the campy story and you'll find plenty to love here."

• 1UP (70/100): "Each side handles resources differently, too, which will likely wind up separating the UAW lovers from the haters. Both the Hierarchy and Novus simply send out harvesting units to automatically appropriate junk far-flung across the map, while the Masari simply construct structures anywhere, which generate resources indefinitely. That means multiplayer battles focus more on breaking main bases and less on the localized miniskirmishes that are some other RTS games' hallmark."

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