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I've always been a little weary of playing turned-based strategy games; something about them just makes me roll my eyes and yawn a little. My biggest complaint about turn-based games are that each turn seems a task with almost no real life or movement in the game world. Weird thing is ... Galactic Assault Prisoner of Power didn't make me yawn — or ever make things seem like each turn was a chore.

Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power is a tactical turn-based strategy game. It throws out the heavy colony management system of so many other turn-based games and focuses on a more simple, action-packed management system — one that heavily relies on tactical strategy. Galactic Assault has a few modes of gameplay, from campaign, to individual scenarios, death matches and multiplayer.

The campaign provides a good tutorial and slowly introduces you to units, features and new strategies as you play. The missions range from basic combat to recon/espionage type, panic-filled defensive situations, tactical retreats, escorts, time-limited scenarios, precision attacks and full frontal assaults. The missions will definitely keep you entertained; they never feel like the same old thing over and over and can create some nail biting experiences. On the other hand, the story for the campaign ... absolutely stinks.

The game seems to try and make a big deal that this universe you inhabit has been created in a book. With that said, you'd think the story would be at least detailed and well-developed; however, it just isn't. Each mission is always the same: You are out-manned, out-gunned, and the fate of everything depends on you. There is never a moment that someone isn't killing someone else for no reason other than they seem bored. It is just constant war.

The mission briefings are narrated to you in a book format that seems written for grade-schoolers — an endless stream of he said, he said, he saids. Whatever it is, the story just doesn't fit into a game format, so this part left me scratching my head. If someone "gets" this book, I need to hear from them! Despite that, I really did enjoy the missions of the campaign; they were a ton of fun. Though often I wish they'd let you finish your job instead of just ending the mission.

Other modes of play include individual scenarios, which have about as much continuity and story as the campaign. It is a bit surprising they didn't just shove them in the campaign somewhere. Similar to the campaign, the individual scenarios are set up to be intense and unique. The death-match option pits each of the four teams against each other in scenarios that allow for their tactical uniqueness to be used.

Multiplayer is just an online version of death-match play and is extremely limiting in terms of playing options. Unfortunately, the lack of scenario editor, map maker or ability to include more than just two players will seriously limit the longevity of the game. There is a very finite amount of situations you can play. Even though the game artificial intelligence is very good, making a wrong move on the hard level can be very unforgiving and doesn't make up for the lack of diversity. One more note, Galactic Assault also features a replay feature, recording all the moves you've made and replaying your battle in a more real-time speed without the fog of war. It is pretty interesting to watch.

The game play in Galactic Assault, like I've said, is a load of fun. In most turn-based games, I tend to get bored with either the complete lack of threat and slow-moving universe or the ability to just get wiped out from nowhere; Galactic Assault strikes a very nice balance between the two. This is accomplished by a good balance of attack distances, view range, movement range and attack powers/defenses, allowing for threats but never a blow-out situation.

The reason why you won't see a massive blowout in Galactic Assault is because of the way the base system is set up. In many turn-based games your base provides a continual source of revenue so you can repair, defend, upgrade and replace lost units, in this game, each base location (a base can go mobile and relocate if needed) will deal out only so much cash in a turn for a limited number of turns. Your base provides a defensive structure that can be surrounded by unit garages — for building and repairing your units. You can customize the number and type of garages. Your initial cash amount, plus your income, will allow you to customize your fleet of units to your strengths, as you see fit. That limited amount of resources, for me at least, is one of those things that makes me not want to keep playing. Personally, I've always been a huge, well, massive fan of empire-building. Somewhat oddly, scenarios often refer to "resources" you have to build units, but other than cash, you can't control resources in any way; they just seem to be an imaginary number.

Since there are four factions that fight against each other, you will need to learn each one and figure out how they are best used.

• The Land of the Unknown Fathers is the faction to which you are first introduced. They boast a very robust line up of tank and infantry units, with a moderate force of artillery. They have a unique technology, which boosts the morale of all friendly troops in its range, allowing for even stronger concentrations of firepower.
• The Khonties are air specialists, having heavy attack bombers, copter and very efficient blanket bombers with a long range, causing massive area damage. On the downside, their infantry is very weak, and their tank and artillery divisions are both a bit unbalanced with some very weak units and some strong units.
• The Insular Empire is the only faction that specializes in naval assault to any degree. Its wide range of naval and combination of land/water attack vehicles provide distinct advantages in defense and attack. Most naval vessels have long ranges, high attack powers and often multiple attacks, making them superior to most other units around; the downside is generally cost. Its infantry is somewhat limited to light armor attacks, and its tanks are very unique being amphibious — however, not particular strong. Artillery and air power are lacking, so they are quite handicapped assaulting deep inland locations.
• Finally, The Barbarians are a specialist in infantry units, having the ability to produce a good range of quick and absolutely lethal short ranged infantry killers, or tank killers, or great defensive units. The Barbarians tanks are very weak, and the most of their artillery suffer from this as well except one key powerful unit. Unfortunately for them, a hypnotransmitter absolutely decimates them if they enter the range of its effects, rending their army quite weak.

With all these units, the more important factors are not so plainly laid out. Each unit does have a rating for soft/armored damage, number of attacks, attack range, hit points, movement range, visual range and experience points/morale levels. Each factor is modified by your environment. For example, visual range is affected greatly at night versus day, and units set on a cliff will be able to see and fire farther than those at ground level. A unit on the road will be able to move much quicker than through a forest or marsh, but that same unit in the forest might have better defensive abilities. While a forest provides a better defense, a building or fortification can make some units very difficult to damage from all but elite units or artillery. And even if no structure is available, many units can dig in and set up defensive positions to increase their durability. Additionally, units can also take up stealth positions, able to only be discovered by something in a point-blank range. There is a lot to take into consideration for precision attacks. One spot is definitely better than another depending on your goals, and I often spent a good length of time just staring and analyzing the battlefield. (I love to analyze tactics.)

So taking into consideration time of day, enemy statistics and position, height advantages and terrain changes, you have to look at the units that are going to be in range of you. Since an enemies' attack power is related directly to the amount of hit points it has left, softening ranged units and letting your defenses take the lower damage is generally a good idea, another piece to add in. When you are attacked, or attack a unit, that unit (if in range) will counterattack — but will attack back with the reduced statistics after you inflicted damage. Artillery units are special; and though weak and unable to take direct fire, their ability to provide support fire is lethal when they are well-placed. Support fire allows artillery units to counterattack a unit that is firing on your forces; it is like a free attack turn.

With all these little factors adding up, you might be able to see what makes Galactic Assault so tactically nail-biting. The combination units weak and strong to specific attack types, with varying ranges and abilities to counterattack, certainly can make a good plan or defense into one with a giant hole in the center. You can spend hours planning every movement and even order you want units to attack and retreat or advance to. Oddly, even though it can seem slow-paced, when you start to make moves, the whole game comes to life: Your units animate, move and fire on your enemies; they counterattack; and they draw on support fire. By the time that is finished, you might have two other units making their moves. It simply doesn't seem like a turn-based game a lot of the time.

The combination of infantry, air attack, naval, tank, recon, transporters, artillery and anti-air fire leaves a good balance in the game. There is an incredible number of ways to attack or defend in your game, depending on your faction and location. From slower and cheaper infantry rushes or air-dropped troops to speed things up, to long-range sea or air attacks, to quick tank shock waves, or using artillery support fire to boost your attack power, there is just way too much good stuff here to pass up. I'm not an expert on turn-based games or highly tactically games — most of them I find way too simplistic — but Galactic Assault I enjoyed immensely.

The game runs smoothly with a beautiful 3D environment. The units have good models and show the damage they take: They smoke and burn in real time and animate well all-around. Attack sequences vary continuously, with different styles and types of attacks being used. The game camera is excellent and will let you see just about any angle easily. However, there also is automated scenic camera that kicks in while playing and gives you a neat view on the game at times. Unfortunately, that camera can't be modified or controlled at all while the scenic sequence takes place. Even with that, the 3D world you combat in is still quite striking and definitely sticks out, making Galactic Assault more striking and forceful each time you lay down a good bomb — or missile. Sound-wise, some of the effects and music can be a little basic and get repetitive; there is nothing shining there.

I really enjoyed Galactic Assault, the gameplay is just plain old fun. Tactical games can be something I enjoy playing, as I love to calculate and layer my attack and defenses and then rain hell on enemies, surgically removing them. I was able to do this throughout Galactic Assault, but I guess the only real problem of the game is simply the lack of scenarios and levels. With no ability to expand or create new maps, the game will stale somewhat quickly. I want to be able to set up my enemy, have longer, more money/resource filled games, larger maps, custom unit locations ... but it is always just the same thing. Once you are through with the campaigns and scenario, there isn't much left, but it did manage to keep me occupied for a good amount of time.