E3 2002: Nexagon: The Pit preshow report

Strategy First's Nexagon: The Pit, a tactical real-time strategy game for the PC, will be on display at this year's E3. The game will take an unusual approach to the conventional real-time strategy formula. Though you'll build bases, create units, and fight battles as you normally would in a real-time strategy game, the way in which you'll do these things will be considerably different because of the game's setting.

Nexagon takes place in a futuristic world that's become completely dependent upon technology. The world's population has become complacent, even bored, so it authorizes a fighting league that pits criminals against each other for the ultimate prize, their freedom. No, the premise itself isn't original--it's no different from what's been used in movies like The Running Man, for instance--but it does set up the gameplay in an unusual way.

In Nexagon, you choose to play on one of four sides, which represent four distinct themes: fantasy, robots, aliens, and World War II. Once you've chosen a side to play as, you square off against your opponents in an arena in what is basically a fast-paced one-on-one real-time strategy game session. At the beginning of each game, you are presented with what's essentially a level editor and are given a certain number of worker units. You must build and fortify your base with armaments and traps in order to defend your nexus, the focal part of your base. Once the base is built, you send thrall units into battle to attack your opponents' bases and capture the enemy nexus, though each match will be different, since you can and should design your base and lay traps differently each time to fool your opponents. Once you've managed to capture an enemy's nexus, thrall units will gain experience that can be carried over to the next fight.

Nexagon: The Pit is currently scheduled for release this fall. We'll have more information on this offbeat strategy game from the show floor.