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Fantasy Wars is a turn-based strategy game from developer Ino-co and French publisher Nobilis that owes an awful lot to two things: the traditional fantasy world of orcs, elves, dwarves and goblins, as crafted by J.R.R Tolkien, and Russian. There are subtitles in the preview version, but the opening scenes of the game are narrated by possibly the angriest sounding vodka-toting gentleman I've ever encountered, and any in-game dialogue is also communicated through the language. Thankfully, though, the version that makes it to retail will be fully localised with (I hope) just as angry-sounding English speakers.

Gameplay-wise, it's a pretty orthodox turn-based strategy affair with the occasional spark of ingenuity to perk your interest. The maps are divided into the traditional hexes, and you direct your various units around them, clicking on enemies to wage from either near or far. Elvish units can toss magic around the hexagonal portions of territory like Frisbees, and archers and ranged characters can launch attacks if they get within a predefined number of hexes of their prey.

Your units will level up with more battle experience, and you can choose one of three 'perks' every time this occurs in order to boost a particular statistic with a new skill or spell. It's also advantageous that you can take up a turn to rest your weary troops and replenish your health; otherwise they'll all be falling orc-wardly to the floor sooner than you can give them a slap with your sword.

Graphically, it's a style of exaggerated features and cartoon-style graphics to both enthral and amuse. The maps are extremely small, limiting you tactically - if you try and outflank a rival, or just retreat to what you think is a 'safe' area, you'll normally find another hostile lurking - but crammed with detail and potential for adventure. Towns are represented by either a single hex or a cluster of them, packed with cartoon-Tudor buildings that are colourful and resplendent with incidental detail. The environments are solid and, even though not full of the wildlife and minute detail, are pretty and evocative, especially the cheerful woodland areas that are full of bright, happy green shades.

Your troops are the typical fantasy warriors - Dwarves are stocky and seem to be made of beard; Elves are expert marksman and magicians; Orcs are sneaky, crafty little fellas; and Men are Knights in Shining Armour who excel with swords.

On the battlefield, they're portrayed in one of two ways - zoom out far enough and you'll see a gigantic image of one warrior, towering above the trees, like the figurines you'd play with in the classic role-playing board games Fantasy Wars takes inspiration from. Move the camera in, closer, though, and you get to see your troops: squads of them, marching around in time, and launching into battle individually. This is hugely satisfying, especially when you've used your tactical nous to flank and surround an enemy; watching them slain by your swords and comically pirouetting to the floor makes victory even sweeter.

Sword swipes sound hefty and you can almost feel the skulls cracking under Dwarven hammers and axes. Musically, it's cheerful and generically fantasy, and the various magical spells fizz and crackle with all the sparkly sound you'd expect.

Fantasy Wars is, unlike some other turn-based and real-time strategy games, actually playable for those of us not related to Rommell and benefiting from his cavernous tactical brain. It's not a hugely difficult title, concentrating instead of decent rock-paper-scissors balancing between the various units and factions and encouraging you to think tactically without making your head hurt. It's by no means a walkover, especially when you crank up the difficulty - but it's not going to tax you if you're new to the genre, either.

In many ways, even from the preview code that only allows you four single-scenario levels, it's easy to see that Fantasy Wars is an ideal introduction to an oft-neglected genre. The graphics, reminiscent of the classic, real-time Settlers series, are cute and good-looking, endearing you to the game even before you've set a foot in its world of absorbing and tactical adept battling. It's fun to play, despite - or because of - the generic fantasy setting. And though the plot's been seen a thousand times before, it breeds familiarity that'll reassure new players and galvanise old ones into the new universe that's been hastily assembled for this title. Worth picking up when it's released later this year if you want some lightweight turn-based strategy action.