Three years since their last foray in the RTT genre, Massive Entertainment makes a welcome comeback with the release of World in Conflict. Switching the sci-fi battlefields of the Ground Control series with something a little grittier, World in Conflict depicts a "what if?" scenario towards the end of the Cold War. Fearing certain collapse, the Soviet Union sparks NATO into action after a gutsy European invasion. The attack is revealed to be little more than a smokescreen to the Soviet's true intentions with a surprising invasion of North America.

Merging the best that the RTS and RTT genres have to offer, World in Conflict is a game that creates an immediate yet deeply satisfying experience that will entertain any strategy fan. More so, it's a strategy game that breaks down the barriers and will hold some appeal to a wider audience. The emphasis is squarely on the battlefield tactics and action, played at a blistering pace with a quick turnaround that contradicts its genre traditions.

Immediately the similarities to Massive' previous work are noticeable. The FPS camera employed in the Ground Control series makes a welcome return, replacing the clunky, archaic, isometric view traditionally associated with the genre for something far more fluid and effective. Disposing of the monotonous base-building and resource-harvesting with the conviction and effectiveness of one of the in-game nukes, World in Conflict's system of Command Points and Recruitment Points bear striking similarities to Ground Control II's Victory Locations and Acquisition Points. Primarily based around the concept of controlling command points throughout the map, mission objectives throughout the 14-stage campaign mode cover a wide range of challenges where the action begins immediately without the lulls typically expected from a strategy game.

Undoubtedly, World in Conflict's Tactical Aids are the defining characteristic of the game, propelling the experience to new heights both in terms of adding a substantial gameplay element and leaving a lasting impression. Accumulated by defeating enemy units and controlling strategic points, Tactical Aid points are the key to success in World in Conflict and the main impetus that drives the entire game. Split into Non-Destructive, Selective and Indiscriminate Strikes, Tactical Aid opens up a wealth of devastating options such as Laser-Guided Bombs and Napalm Strikes, through to Aerial Recon and of course, the tide-turning options such as a well placed Fuel Air Bomb or Tactical Nuke. Although supremely powerful, the varying factors such as target area, cost, deployment and reload time provide plenty of tactics to choose between and ensure nothing is unevenly balanced - the triple nuke may cost a lot, but it's well worth saving up for!

With the emphasis on Tactical Aids coupled with the sheer pace and intensity that World in Conflict is played at, the limited selection of unit types initially seems questionable. Grouped into Armour, Air, Infantry, and Support, many of the twenty unit types available consist of Heavy, Medium and Light variationsto bulk up the number. The three factions possess a unit within each category, which coupled with the accessible rock-scissors-paper dynamic ensures an even balance to the experience that doesn't tie the game down with unnecessary complexities. Without resources to harvest World in Conflict introduces an original approach when it comes to recruiting new units. With a fixed total of points to spend, the points used on a defeated unit will become available to reuse again after a short period. The system ensures that the pace of World is Conflict is always kept blisteringly quick - loose a battalion of tanks and it's just a case of air-dropping new recruitments before jumping straight back into the action.

The few criticisms that can be levelled at World in Conflict surround the single-player mode. Overly structured and restricted, the single-player campaign fails to match the same immediately satisfying and entertaining experience that the multiplayer and skirmish modes provide. Opponent AI seems to be overly simplistic with a sole-minded charge towards objectives that fail to change as the battle develops. Combined with the effectiveness of the Tactical Aid options, the single-player campaign neither lasts that long or puts up much of a challenge.

Play World in Conflict alone however only represents a fraction of the fun. While the single-player mode offers 10-12 hours of exhilarating entertainment, the level of all-round quality demonstrated throughout the multiplayer modes suggest they were the main concern for Massive. The rapid pace of the game and the quick turnaround coupled with the removal of mundane elements suits the multiplayer game perfectly. Nevertheless, Massive haven't sat around idly, introducing a clever Role system that promotes large parties and co-operation along with a handful of absorbing game modes.

Choosing between the four roles associated with the unit types (Air, Armour, Support, Infantry), multiplayer restricts which units you can call into battle to promote teamwork as one person will never have enough options to guarantee success alone. Ground units will need the assistance of air support; infantry can hold their own in built-up areas, whilst the support crew will lend assistance to virtually every member on the team. To this extent, communication is paramount so a good headset is almost a necessity if you want to take World in Conflict seriously. If you haven't got a headset, World in Conflict incorporates a number of crucial messages that are instantly broadcast from the helpful Request menu and can be tagged to areas and units.

Featuring 21 multiplayer maps spread across the three different game types, Domination, Assault and Tug-of-War provide equally entertaining alternatives on the core Command Post and Role components. Domination challenges each side to take control of command posts to increase their control over the map; Assault provides a number of points that must be sequentially attacked and defended; Tug-of-War is geared around a sole central point that each side fights for. Behind the entire online multiplayer mode is Massive's Massgate service, which provides a comprehensive array of game, chat, clan, contact options.

Supporting the latest DX10-enabled graphics cards, World in Conflict is a majestic title to behold. It's little surprise that these guys have spent the years since Ground Control II working on the technology behind World in Conflict. Even without a costly graphics card, World in Conflict is a magnificent looking title. The richly detailed maps soon turn into war torn battlefields, covered with the most convincing smoke effects we've ever seen in a videogame.

Given the overall quality of the visuals, it's welcoming to note that Massive Entertainment have lavished a similar level of attention to the game's sound. Replicating the horror and confusion of a battlefield, World in Conflict is alive with explosions and gunfire. The continuous feedback to actions such as a countdown to an attack or a report on the number of casualties is a smart touch to a meticulously comprehensive display of excellence.

Without a word of exaggeration, watching and hearing a Nuke explode for the first time has to go down as one of the most memorable videogame moments in history.