Crazy Cows is a fun, tongue-in-cheek turn-based strategy game that pits gray cows against brown cows in a battle for survival. Your goal is to annihilate all opposing cows on the map with your cow soldiers. The gameplay is turn-based but timed: similar to Space Hulk, you have a limited time each turn, so you must use it wisely in planning your moves. Your cows start out empty-handed (empty-hooved?), but they will soon find weapons scattered on the ground. There are 6 types of weapons: shotgun, bazooka, katana sword, mines, kooathilie stick (try saying that three times fast), and the scuba gear (which lets your cow breathe underwater). Anything your cow picks up will be equipped automatically, and any existing weapon will be dropped on the ground. Although gameplay mechanics are simple, Crazy Cows takes into account a few realistic factors such as terrain effects. Travelling through grass, for example, is faster than through the forest, while forcing your cows to go through mountains or desert will decrease their health. Unit production is a very simple affair: any farm you control will produce a cow at random, so the more farms you control, the more cows you will get. There are two modes to choose from: War and Battle. The War mode is essentially a full campaign mode that comprises sixteen levels that get progressively harder with more powerful cows. Battle mode is a way to play a single map, including custom ones you can create using the excellent editor included in the package. The Battle mode also allows you to play against another human player. With simple gameplay and decent graphics, Crazy Cows is a nice light strategy game that Warcraft fans should take a look at. It's neither sophisticated nor epic, but the humor (calling Action Points "MUs" instead of "APs" for example) gives the game plenty of unique charm that will keep you entertained for a while. Recommended! Reviewed by: Underdogs |