Mankind has unleashed ecological destruction and eradicated a large proportion of Earth’s population as a result. The Remnants are all that remains of the army, and are locked in full-scale war with mega-corporation The Ascension (think Microsoft with advanced robotic death machines) over the resources that remain. The premise is not exactly new for a Real Time Strategy game, so what makes Maelstrom worthwhile?

Well, Codemasters have excelled in creating three factions that are totally different but at the same time very well balanced; quite an achievement in an RTS and one that certainly makes it stand out against the other big release, Supreme Commander.

To begin with you play as the Remnants, before moving on to play the Ascension, experts in robotic manipulation with a fun array of machines, from small forward attack vehicles such as the Viper to the impressive looking Colossus.