Flawed but interesting combat sim
Now this is an obscure little game from the misty days of the 1980s that will have passed most gamers by, and while it is far from perfect, it's a curiosity that might be worth a look for dedicated strategy fan. Casual gamers however, would be well advised to steer clear, as its many faults make it less than essential. Basically, D.R.A.G.O.N. force is a combat sim, which focuses its attention on small, squad-level actions, rather than large-scale assaults, similar to games like Cannon Fodder, Laser Squad or SEAL Team. Where this one tries to be different is in the level of realism it brings to the table, with a complex set of skills and specialities available and while this is an admirable attempt to add something extra to the game, it is unfortunately slightly less than successful. Players undertake a series of missions, including hostage rescues and destroying enemy facilities, using seven troopers out of a selection of 14, and must make careful use of their individual skills to complete them. An interesting feature is that of perma-death, where if a character dies in the field, they are gone forever, so caution must be applied in your actions. Another neat inclusion is that of RPG-style elements, where surviving characters improve their stats after a mission, while a wide range of weapons also adds in plenty of tactical variation. Visually, the game is less than impressive, with fairly crude representations of troops and environments, but the gameplay is generally good enough to overcome this. It might be somewhat slow for many players however, while there is a lack of missions which means that it won't take too long to complete. If you've played all the aforementioned games, this is worth a look, but if you haven't, you might want to start with one of them instead.
