The Entente: Battlefields WWI Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 9.0 Graphics 8.5 Sound 8.4 Value 8.9 The Entente: Battlefields WWI - reviewed by Andrew B Review Date: December 2003 Review Score: 8.9 Distributed by Red Ant

"The original war!" The Entente: World War I Battlefields is a real-time strategy game that is based in World War I and is created by a relatively unknown developer called Buka Entertainment. Unlike the current real-time strategy (RTS) games on the market at the moment, The Entente isn't based in some mythical Tolkein world or on an alien planet in the distant future or World War II and III, unlike its competitors the game is firmly based in the first war. The game revolves around World War I and is based on the military events from 1914 to 1918 that accurately portraits this turbulent time. The developers have given gamers a choice of five countries that they may play that include Russia, France, Germany, Austria and Britain. With 5 campaigns that are all uniquely different, the game also boasts a variety of specialised units that is specific of each country of the era. The Entente is a pure RTS game that revolves around a variety of non-linear missions and historical accurate battles that have players engaging in either the artificial intelligence of the game or other gamers. The primary objective of this title is a hunt and gather type scenario where players must gather various  resources that include wood, iron, gold, oil, food and electricity that must be used to create and feed their powerful armies of World War I. Novice gamers will be pleased to know that the game also contains various military and economic advisors that help control certain aspects of the game without it becoming too complicated. By collecting resources, gamers can create powerful units such as tanks and planes to engage the enemy of the time in some extremely powerful battles that really help show you how brutal the first world war really was. One of the most disturbing aspects of the game is the creation of chemical weapons such as mustard gas that really decimates enemy troops. As with all good RTS games, The Entente also supports various units and buildings that are upgradeable which help create more powerful structures and battle systems. One of the most impressive features of this title is the realistic artificial intelligence that really gave this veteran gamer a run for his money. The artificial intelligence doesn't just send troops after troops into your area but rather they are methodically placed on the maps and actually hide in various structures in the game. The game also contains a variety of units that include artillery, aviation, buildings, cavalry, fleet, infantry and vehicles. From the Renault FT17 Tank to the deadly Hussars of the Austrian/Hungarians empire, this game has it all!