SpellForce: The Breath of Winter

Merging genres can be a shortcut to disaster, but in the case of SpellForce it proved a minty breath of fresh air, gently massaging RPG elements into a traditional fantasy RTS framework in much the way Warcraft III didn't. It's been enough of a hit - in Germany at least - to warrant a well-timed add-on, and we're happy to say Breath Of Winter is no cynical cash-in.

There's a lengthy new solo campaign, a skirmish option that was sorely missed from the first episode, online co-op play and the usual slew of new monsters and items. No siege weapons and mounted horse riders sadly, but some big fat dragons and monkey beasts, which go some way to making amends even if they are a touch generic.

With an average 40-hour play-through, BoWs central campaign doesn't skimp on quantity - though, sure enough, the quality is stretched thin as a result. In much the same way as the original game, the campaign is tainted by cheap production values and deadpan voice-overs, made worse here by repetition and a sore lack of editing.

The rest, however, works brilliantly. The skirmish-style free mode' is as you would expect, but here you can take your experience and items back into the main single-player campaign -even if you're playing co-op. The j multiplayer code is tighter as well.

Overall, a good solid expansion - slightly rushed and with some issues still unresolved - but with plenty of magic left in it.