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Sometimes it seems as if it's the flip of a coin as to whether a title based upon a film/tv show will succeed (more often than not, it's actually quality of the game), but science fiction as a whole has generally survived the translation. Perhaps it's the fantastical storylines, the often beautiful backdrops or, it could be that only those that are truly successful get made into games. It's been 11 years since the original Stargate movie was released; Stargate: SG-1 is now in its 9th season and has spawned a successful offshoot in Stargate: Atlantis. And, currently in production is the game Stargate SG-1: The Alliance. Convenient that it's the game I'm about to preview…

For those who don't follow the show (and it's not terribly important to enjoy the game, but it helps), the basis of the story is that the ancient Egyptian civilization is actually that of an alien culture known as the Goa'uld. They subjugated humans for many years but, unlike most worlds, humans rose up and ousted their oppressors. The Goa'uld traveled through trans-dimensional Stargates - big circles that allowed one to "dial in" to places within the galaxy and visit the other worlds the Goa'uld had either subjugated or tried to. OK, enough TV show history.

After 9 seasons, the show has grown rich with history, lore, depth and a very "comfortable" cast. This works to the advantage of the game as they've gotten the entire cast to do the voiceovers for the game. Anyone who remembers Richard Dean Anderson from his days of "MacGyver" will remember that's he somewhat sarcastic - some things only ripen with age. Working closely with the cast, they also modeled the characters closely upon them, so that those who are playing for the "geek" factor (like me) will feel right at home.

Those who don't know (or care) about the show -- don't worry. They've produced enough material here to make most any tactical shooter fan happy. There are 17 levels, each corresponding to a different world visited by SG-1. You'll play as one of the four main characters of the show - each having different talents: tactician, scientist, archaeologist, intimate knowledge of the enemy - and lead them through a level of up to four missions. This can be done in either single player or multiplayer mode.

This is not a game you can simply run and gun through. The demonstrator wanted to show me an example of the use of the "other" abilities of the characters and tried, unsuccessfully, 7 times to run to that area. You must use small unit tactics and the abilities of your units to make it. He knew the demo well enough to complete it in his sleep, it's simply not designed to be run and gun. You are SG-1 and as such would never simply blast through an area.

You'll have the use of standard military issue weapons as well as some rather unique items from the show. There will be the staff that Teal'c uses - wielded at the hip it shoots a lethal energy burst. There is a hand unit that only Dr. Carter can use (for arcane show reasons I'll not go into) that works as a sort of force weapon that can push a body back or, in the hands of the wrong person suck out their life force. The team has the ability to cloak itself, but doing so will drain stamina. Also, unless it's the team leader, you won't actually die but be knocked down. The rest of the team can heal you and you'll regain full health over time.

SG-1 is a tactical shooter but due to the history of its characters you'll find yourself solving puzzles. At times, you'll even split off in different directions to do so (very fun in multiplayer!). Its roots definitely lie in multiplayer co-op tactical play. The added map editor should give it some good longevity as well.

Finally, the developers have taken time to recreate the worlds in painstaking detail. Viewing the world in 360 degrees in the optional first or third person mode, really shows that they did their research down to the minutest detail. Using an altar to Ra for cover or running into a forest to avoid detection should ring true to even those who've never heard of the show.

Stargate SG-1: The Alliance will absolutely find a core audience with the fans of the show. Given time, word of mouth and continued development along the lines of what I viewed at E3, SG-1 is going to appeal to tactician in any gamer. Where else can you visit 17 worlds, shoot aliens, decipher hieroglyphs, and still listen to MacGyver quip?