Strategy First's real-time strategy game Nexagon: Deathmatch combines a number of different gameplay types--tactical combat, base building, and money management--and the result is a fairly unique game. Unfortunately, sluggish controls, missing features in the interface, and a nonexistent online community detract from an otherwise decent strategy game.

The premise of Nexagon: Deathmatch is similar to that of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Running Man. The citizens of the future have grown increasingly bored and restless, so a new form of entertainment has been created to placate them--televised gladiator combat. Criminals from around the universe are recruited to fight in elaborately designed deathmatch pits to amuse the crowds who watch them on television.

The explosions and other effects look somewhat primitive.

Graphics are not Nexagon's strong suit. The architecture is blocky, the textures are blurry, and the environmental effects like lava and explosions look rather primitive. At least the unit models are unique enough that you can differentiate them from one another, and the art styles of the various hordes in the game do reflect their themes. Nexagon's sound is a bit better, since it includes an upbeat rock soundtrack and an amusing play-by-play announcer whose quips may remind you of the hyperactive announcer from the classic arcade game Smash TV.

You can choose from one of four different horde types: the fantasy-themed Tekhan, the industrial Strunar, the futuristic Ghandros, and the organic-alien-like Olfrum. The units in Nexagon are known generically as thralls, and they come in four types: moles, drones, golems, and brains. Moles are basic soldiers with the ability to man the neutral weapon emplacements strewn around the pits. They are also the only class that can get special items like med kits and bombs out of the dispenser units. The drones generally excel at close-quarters combat and have the ability to climb short obstacles without the benefit of ramps. Golems are slow-moving power units that can inflict great damage and have plenty of hit points, while the brains are support units with special spells and abilities that enhance their teammates or adversely affect enemies.

Ghandros golems have a beam weapon that passes through enemies, damaging everything in its path.

Each of the four hordes has unique abilities and attributes. For example, the Strunar drone is the only drone with a ranged attack, as it carries a shotgun. However, it moves much more slowly than the other hordes' drones and is the worst at hand-to-hand combat. The Olfrum golem regenerates hit points on its own and explodes in a cloud of poisonous gas when it is knocked out in combat. The variation in abilities between the different thralls gives each horde its own unique playing style.

Before entering battle on each map, you'll build your base, or sanctum, with the goal of protecting the delicate nexus, which serves as the core of your sanctum. The nexus is where your troops respawn after being knocked out in combat. Using the game's base-building editor tool, you'll set up various barriers and traps to make it difficult for enemies to infiltrate. You'll also place decorations, which don't serve any tactical purpose in battle, but help with your horde's crowd appeal, which affects the amount of money you receive after each match. What's annoying is that the editor doesn't let you pick up and move existing pieces of your sanctum. If you want to free up space, or alter a design, you must sell off old building blocks at a loss and buy new ones.