This is the type of game that, if you are anything like me, will totally engross you. It's sort of a potted history of America's most warlike bits of history - from the moment Christopher Columbus set foot on its sandy shores to the War of Independence, and it's up to players to take control of the battles and reshape the future…! For this mammoth task they not only provide you with a complete line-up of claimants to the continent such as the British, Spanish, French, Aztecs, Inca, Mayans and Sioux, but these warring factions have been supplied with authentic weaponry and costumes as well as a stunning countryside to fight over.

The series of full campaigns and single-player scenarios contain between them around 50 fantastic missions of blood and glory and these are played out across battlefields that span an unbelievable 600 screens…! That's a massive area to control and monitor, so don't expect anything easy here. The first few skirmishes are used as a mini tutorial with the occasional pop-up window offering useful hints and tips, but RTS fans will have no difficulty getting into the gameplay. Not surprisingly it's very similar to Cossacks with a straightforward and easy to understand point 'n' click iconic interface but where Cossacks allowed up to 8,000 on-screen units, AMERICAN CONQUEST lets players loose with up to 16,000 under their command.

These can be grouped and shaped into ranks and formations for battle and issued orders to hold ground, patrol, guard or simply move to a certain map location and kill everything that stands in their way. There are plenty of other commands that strategists can explore but what the heck…? Just drag a bunch of them together with your mouse and send them off to do battle, it's more fun.

These guys, however, are not stupid and possess quite advanced AI. In fact don't be surprised to see the odd deserter wandering off into the countryside if he sees his mates being cut down by overwhelming odds - and I loved the little touch where floating comments appear over the combatants heads in battle…! 'It's a slaughterhouse', 'we're all gonna die' and 'they're too strong' are just a few of the despairing pleas that drift over the battlefield. I also liked the fact that you can take over enemy buildings and used them to shoot from, providing your men with good cover as you mow down your foes.

So… Send out your peasants to farm, gather and mine your resources then train them into crack troops ready for an AMERICAN CONQUEST. It's a spectacular invasion and one you shouldn't miss.

Price: £34.99 for PC CD ROM.