Having recently acquired a copy of Final Liberation, I felt it would be a worth while task to share some of my impressions, especially after the debacle of the last Games Workshop software effort.

Technical issues aside, my overall impression of the game is quite good, with a few small reservations. Being an Epic fan and having both an Orc and Chaos army under paint may well have affected this opinion somewhat. My joy at seeing well-rendered computer units blast away at opponents--similar to the ones on my miniatures shelf--is definitely part of that enjoyment.

Upside

I feel that game play is well crafted--a sort of Sci-Fi Steel Panthers. Some of the upside points fall under movement, indirect fire, concealment, interaction with terrain, and the scenario game.

Movement is ether turn based with each side moving all their units, or alternating side moving one formation. The units that have not fired have the chance for opportunity fire. A unit also has the option of firing twice, moving half and firing one, or moving full and not firing. Flying units have an altitude setting that the you adjust as the unit maneuvers, and the computer handles the line of sight for opportunity fire.

For example, I was thunderstruck the first time I sent a Thunderhawk Gunship into a climb to clear a building. Suddenly, a force of Orks behind a massive pipeline becomes visable. As they lashed the gunship with Bolter Fire, I gave them a dose of fire in return. Like other computer games, a big advantage of the computer version over the tabletop version is hidden movement and 'fog of war.' You just can't see everything.

Of course, the other good reason for computer gaming is an electronic opponent is always available, while a human counterpart may not be.

Indirect Fire

Another Point I like is the indirect fire, which drifts and has an area affect just like the Epic rules provide. I never once argued with the computer over the angle of barrage drift, or the spot where it finded landed. This is especially useful with some of the strange Orky weapons that become involved, like Pulsa Missels. In the same fold, the game does a nice job of tracking morale.

The attractive terrain impacts play just as you'd expect. The first time I collapsed a building full of enemy troops, if found it entertaining. The first time I hit a pipeline, it exploded and inflicted heavy caualties on the enemy unit behind--impressive.

I also enjoyed the campaign that was included. This provided the twist of force preservation, and counter attack. I particularly enjoyed the cut sequence after I had halted my assult for a few turns to rebuild--the impudent game reminded me that field commanders had been replaced in the past!

Downside

The major downside is that the game crashes regularly. The good news is that it has an autosave. The bad news is that when it crashes, the game takes the operating system with it! It will require many upgrades before this game approaches stability.

The other complaint I have--and quite an annoying one--is that not all the units are represnted. Ork-wise, I miss my Shokk Attack Gun Team, Hop-Splat Battery, Traktor Kannon, Dreadnoughts, Braincrushas, BoarBoy's, Squiggoths, and Squig Katapults. And yet, some of the new ork units like Fighta-bommerz are represneted. Go figure.

My last and final comment is that you can only play the campaign game from the Imperial side, a shocking shortcoming for all us greenskins at heart.

Summary

In summation, the SSI-Games Workshop combo still face shortcomings, even though this game is better than the previous ones. If they can fix the bug-infested crashing problems, and if they add other units to the mix, I would certainly purchase new games. In some ways, Final Liberation redeems some of my faith in the series, but in other cases, it needs some dramatic help.

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