This real-time strategy game is spoilt by the programmers saving all the best bits until last.
The first half of its single-player campaign steals clumsily from a dozen similar titles, without introducing a single new idea of its own. This is largely due to the faction that takes centre stage: a guerrilla group called The Remnant. The plot around this group is uninteresting and stereotyped, and the cut scenes are responsible for some truly terrible dialogue. The gameplay's not much better, following the tired old cycle of build base, collect resources and construct tanks.
It would be a shame if you gave up here, though, because inventiveness rears its head in the second half of the campaign mode. The two other races, the transforming Ascension and the amphibious alien Hai-Genti, are much more interesting. Flooding huge swathes of the earth, hatching monsters from eggs and turning planes into robots are all great fun.
We'd recommend skipping the campaigns entirely and jumping straight into a skirmish match against AI opponents or online players instead. That way, you can play as the interesting factions straightaway and you won't be forced to sit through endless, awkward cut scenes as you do so.
Other problems make Maelstrom frustrating to play, though. Unit path-finding is all over the place and you'll often have to steer a stuck tank manually away from a small wall. The interface is a bit of a mess, too. It restricts the number of units you can select at once, hampering big battles.
That the charming madness of the Ascension and Hai-Genti forces manages to shine through despite all this is quite an achievement. Perhaps with more time and without the depressingly ordinary Remnant, this could have been a great, though silly, strategy game. As it stands, it's just a passably interesting one.
System Specifications
Requires Windows XP/Vista, 2.4GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 4.5GB disk space
Author: Alec Meer
Computer Shopper Online