Granted, some of these strategies do require a frontal assault but while the space battles are as frenzied as ever, the dull ground skirmishes of the original are often further watered down by requiring you to eliminate just one specific unit to gain victory. There are other similar options too, only it really isn't worth wasting any more ink explaining them, as most involve little more than dragging the new Defiler unit onto a planet then clicking a box to select an action and waiting a few seconds for your order to be executed. Setting up a black market allows you to keep abreast of the tech race between the Empire and the Alliance. Bribery prevents planets from producing any new units. Piracy, for example, generates income from every ship passing through a system and gives you access to certain enemy ship types. Forces Of Corruption appears to be a bold attempt to infuse Empire At War with a radical new gaming mechanic, one that offsets the combat-heavy approach of the original and provides you with a collection of underhand tactics with which to corrupt planets without resorting to too much force (though all-out attacks are still very much an option). Set in the aftermath of A New Hope, this new add-on plants you in the shoes of a chap called Tyber Zann, a mop-haired pirate leader who's decided it's about time the universe sat up and took notice of his criminal consortium. If you're an Empire At War fan gazing hopefully at these pages, it's my misfortune to inform you that Forces Of Corruption falls into the latter category.

Then, more often than not, they slap you round the chops with a set of unimaginative, tacked-on features, identikit soulless levels and a couple of new units/weapons (delete as appropriate). First they get you all keyed up and clammy with their hype machines, inspiring you to dream of long, wonderful nights spent reacquainting yourself with richly embellished versions of your favourite games.

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