Ring of Red's scenario is this: Japan didn't surrender to end World War II, and instead finds itself fighting a civil war that divides the country by pitting Soviet- and American-backed troops against each other. By the '60s, gas-powered Armored Fighting Walkers (read: giant mechs) do much of the damage across the country. You, as a half-Japanese, half-German pilot named Masami Weizegger, have the task of leading your American-backed squad into a long, explosive campaign that brings with it a gripping story.

Combat is split between maps for moving and placing mechs on the battleground and a real-time mode for actual fighting. Though the game is deep, with many commands to learn, Ring of Red feels just right for the Dual Shock 2 controller. The tense, swift battles are enough to make even hardened gamers sweat, and once you learn to survive them, you're rewarded with a sense of accomplishment.

Aesthetically, Ring of Red is a great-looking (and sounding) game that makes mech combat look real. Despite its somewhat boring dialogue and repetitive battle cutscenes, most gamers will play this title for a good long while. It won't make a lot of new converts to strategy gaming, but for many patient gamers, it's a great title that is different from the pack. Just be prepared for a long--yet fun--war over the future of Japan. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Very good graphics and sound bring atmosphere to the battles
• Easy-to-use control scheme
• Deep yet fun strategy gameplay

Cons:

• Very long battles will turn off gamers looking for a quick fix
• Repetitive in-battle cutscenes cannot be skipped
• Sloppy script makes most characters seem somewhat dull