Turn-based strategy games - they're a bit of an odd bunch, aren't they! They're kind of like real-time strategy games, only more chilled out; everyone still has to shoot each other in the face, but hey, relax, there's no rush, because you each get to take turns. But where did all the good turn-based games go? It was such a once-thriving sub-genre and yet so rare to find these days. Going by Massive Assault Network 2, I'd have to assume that turn based strategy games went nowhere, as unbeknownst to me the out-of-the-blue surprisingly enjoyable Massive Assault that surfaced a year or two ago has actually thrived into a full blown series of its own.

Massive Assault Network 2 is the fourth game to bare the Massive Assault name (well, technically third, as the sequel to Massive Assault tried to distance itself from the series with the name Domination). Surprisingly for a game this far on in a series, not a whole lot has changed since the franchise's first outing; you're still fighting as either the Free Nations Union or Phantom League, you still have to battle to gain control of a number of futuristic planets and it all still looks as good (although time has it done it no favours) as it did a few years back. It's practically the same game - but there are differences, as this version focuses on online battles with other players rather than leaving you at the mercy of Massive Assault's ruthlessly efficient AI (which does still makes an appearance).

For those fresh to the series, allow me to elaborate. Picking one of the two opposing sides, your objectives are simple - train armies, claim territory and crush the enemy. Maps vary in size and are separated by small territories containing capital cities that generate the game's one and only resource - cash. Capture a city and you gain its income and thus the ability to expand your military presence. The more units you can build, the more territories you can claim and ultimately the sheer might of your armies will eventually overwhelm the enemy and force him to submit. Easier said than done.

On the face of it, this is a fairly simplistic game. Light units are weak, big units are strong, you get to build a small variety of land, sea and air vehicles as you traverse a number of different terrain types and there are none of those fancy features you'll no doubt be used to from most modern strategy games, such as hero units, experience points and upgrades. There's even a complete disregard for any kind of base building or management - yet despite all of this, Massive Assault Network 2 can be brutally hard. This is because of the turn-based system; you may think that getting to take turns trading blows with your counterpart will be a walk in the park, but allow me to crush that assumption and say that it's anything but. Charging in and blasting anything in sight might seem like the quickest way to victory, but this isn't a tank rush type of game; send out your units in an attempt to subdue your enemy without first sitting back and taking stock of the situation and you've as good as handed your opponent the victory.

There are three main turn phases to contend with; a combat phase in which you muster your forces and strike against the other player's units, a recruitment phase in which you use whatever income you've gathered from your territories to buy new units, and a disclose phase, this latter one perhaps being the most important. Prior to the start of each game, both players are given control of a set number of territories or 'Secret Allies' as they are referred to, which randomly generate on the map and neither player gets to see the locations of his rival's territories. Furthermore, the resources gathered in these territories can't be used until their locations have been revealed. Why does any of this matter? Well, because as soon as one of your allies is disclosed, the other player immediately knows that territory's location in relation to his own and if it's close enough he may very well bide his time until you leave it vulnerable, then disclose one of his own while striking at yours. It can work both ways though, and while you may be at a slight disadvantage if you reveal territories early on, you don't have to reveal all of their locations in one go, meaning that you can use these underhand tactics too.

Territories themselves are the key component to victory; without them you'll not have enough cash to build a sufficient army but you can't simply roll in at your leisure and take them on a whim. Most territories are neutral, so if anyone invades them the defence of that country immediately falls into the hands of the other player, getting that city's full resource limit in one go to build a defence force. Depending on the size of each settlement, the amount of cash it produces can vary. Smaller colonies could generate nothing more than $1 million, while the larger ones, if you're lucky, could give you up to $3 million, but this still limits your ability to build certain types of units. Cash is generated per turn, so while enough is produced to give you the required sum of money to train up a sizeable attack force, if it's the heavy units you crave then you're going to have a skip a turn and save up.

With such restrictions, new tactics have to be employed; the smaller, weaker units become an integral part of your army during the early stages of battle. The jeeps, for instance, are criminally weak, move one space per turn and cause so little damage that they barely register. During the opening stages of a battle, however, they can be purchased en masse and used to punch holes through the enemy lines or block a territory's border to prevent invasion. They're cheap enough so that if you loose one it doesn't really impact your progress. As the bout continues, the reliance upon bigger weapons increases; there are tanks and artillery that are slightly more expensive but can move further and cause more damage, but the good stuff such as the two-legged walkers and devastating missile launching artillery costs more, not just in resources but in value to the enemy, as when those weapons enter the battlefield they become prime targets.

Then there are the special weapons - heavy duty units that cost an absolute fortune but can greatly tip the scales of power in your favour, the Phantom League's Bullfrog being a prime example, a giant mechanised robot that's expensive and slow but one of the only units capable of shooting twice in one turn. Its power also makes it a prize target for the enemy, who'll likely throw everything he has at it. Strength of force alone isn't often enough to win a game though; with this being an online turn-based game you have to learn to anticipate the other player's move. You always have to be aware of a number of things, such as the distance between you and your enemy's units. Here you have to make guesses as to what the other player might do should you attempt to attack certain targets. You could move in your tank close enough to kill the enemy's artillery, but could that unit then be attacked by a currently out of range walker during his next turn phase?

Victory isn't easy to come by either - whether it's against the difficult AI bots or other players who have more than enough experience with the other games in this series to know how the gameplay works, losing will become a common occurrence. This isn't without its share of rewards though; defeat becomes a learning experience and it's not until you've had another player use a specific tactic against you that you begin to realise where you went wrong, and why you lost those territories and those units. This isn't a game that gets too frustrating, as there's always a compulsion to continue even after defeat, taking those new strategies you've just learnt and trying them out on your next opponent.

Being built for online gaming there's extra incentive to do well, with ranks to climb up, medals to gain and a leaderboard to get your name on, and with new maps downloaded there're always plenty of opportunities offered to practice and perfect the tricks you pick up as you progress. Variety isn't Massive Assault Network 2's strong point though; four games into the series and it's still using the same game mode, near enough the same units and the same dated graphics - some new features wouldn't have gone amiss! This isn't too much of a problem though - while it does little new, it does it so well that it's compulsive enough to stick around regardless, but the difficulty is a little uninviting for those few who've yet to experience any of the Massive Assault titles.

Even after getting to grips with some aspects of the game, it can be extremely difficult to dig yourself out of the holes you might find yourself stuck in. Occasionally matches can become very one-sided; one player may gain the upper hand early on and as soon as they roll out the big units it can be extremely difficult trying to gain an equal footing. This is compounded by the fact that, being a turn based game, it can take a fair while for some matches to end, particularly on the larger maps. It's not all doom and gloom though - the community is friendly and always willing to help those who are new to the series, while the browser does make the act of choosing a game a doddle, even allowing you to postpone games mid way through and pick them up later on, meaning you could have several games on the go, so even long matches don't have to feel like an unnecessary drag.

Unforgiving difficulty and lack of any real improvements to the series' tried and tested formula aside, Massive Assault Network 2 is an immensely enjoyable experience. It might lack most of the niceties you find in today's strategy games - it looks old and some of the ideas feel dated - but it's an addictive game with bags of charm and a friendly community at its heart. In an age of fast-paced real-time strategy games, its slower pace may make it look a little out of place, but there's more opportunities offered up here to utilise challenging new strategies than most strategy games have shown in years and for that it's at least worth a look.

Reviewed by Kieron Giacopazzi for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).