Supremacy: Four Paths to Power is a turn-based strategy game taking place in space and on the surface of four distinct types of planets. Four factions are fighting for dominance and the only way to reign supreme is to destroy the other three. It sound simple enough, but, luckily, Supremacy provides an easy, pick-up-and-play experience reminiscent of games of yore.

Players start out by selecting the type of game, map, number of turns, and time limit per turn. The four different factions are differentiated by a few units, but, ultimately they are nearly identically in gameplay experience. Each player, of which there can be two, chooses his or her commander (or a single player selects the computer's) and the aforementioned options. Gameplay types range from the straightforward conquest, where you are tasked with conquering all other planets in the system to the body count mode where the more you destroy the higher your score, and king of the station, where controlling the space stations is key. Each mode is fairly diverse, and while a majority of the game takes place in space there's even a mode to only compete in ground battles.

Since we're on the topic, Supremacy's gameplay has you colonizing planets, building factories, and building up both space- and ground-based units. Each unit has a limited number of grid-squares it can move in a single turn. Once it reaches the maximum you have the option to attack or end that unit's turn. During a player's entire turn you'll have the ability to take action with every unit and planet currently built or occupied. On the ground each turn is primarily the same with players vying for position on a grid and attacking each other when within range. To occupy planets and mine their resources you must build transports to ferry troops from your occupied worlds to the prospective ones. If the planet is uninhabited when you arrive you can immediately begin to build factories, although, if someone has already laid claim, a battle will ensue.

Since most of the four faction's units are mirror images of each other, both in abilities and gear, the ground-based warfare is pretty well balanced. Units with larger firepower, and siege capabilities, are limited at close range, while units with only close range weapons are encouraged to stay out of the stronger unit's scope of destruction. Each kind of planet produces unique units, no matter who your commander is, so it is possible to have units from all four factions under your command to mix and match during combat. Moving units on the ground is generally easy with a blue outline defining where they can move, but more times than not you'll be more than frustrated when you're one square short of being able to attack the enemy simply because you had to walk around one of your own units. The same thing can happen in space as well which is even more frustrating because the psudeo-3D aspect of the game is then completely shattered.

Once control of the planet is yours, the building of factories begins. To keep things interesting, each type of planet is rich in a different type of the five resources you'll need to construct your fleet so expansion is a must and blood-shed is almost a given. Of course, building too many factories on one planet will make the core unstable, and once it becomes too unstable; things go from bad to worse as it explodes. With the rapid expansion possible via ground battles, over-industrialization doesn't pose a huge threat, but be mindful that units consume resources every turn for "maintenance" so the need for more funds is always present.

Other space-based units include your canon fodder small fighters, capital ships, some with unique abilities, as well as science ships which can take over space stations and buy upgrades for your fleet. These upgrades range from upgraded weapons and armor to cloaking detection. Usually a science vessel will need to be within a certain number of grid squares for its abilities to work.

The part that disappointed me the most was the general lack of a story mode or actual campaign to follow. While the gameplay might not off much in variation, the subtle influences from games like StarCraft would lend themselves well to an arcing story mode besides a one-paragraph explanation of who each of these commanders are.

Another drawback is the ability to only have two players at any one time. Either by network play, or using the same computer, the game is still fun, but with the ability to have more than two players fighting for territory is a promising notion.

On an audio/visual note the game isn't going to stun anyone by pushing the boundaries Source and Unreal 3 Technology have built up in the last four months. Cementing its throwback to old school gaming in the mid-1990's the over-the-top camera is all you need to complete the game, but with a right mouse click you can easily rotate the fully 3D camera as well as zoom in and out, to get a better view of the action. Sound effects aren't any more dramatic as the standard supply of explosions and gunfire round things out.

While many may be turned off by the game's lack of innovation and simplistic gameplay those who enjoyed the earlier titles in the genre growing up will find something to smile about. In a world where micromanagement can be as popular as zero-management it's nice to see something different, even if it has been done two-dozen times over during the last decade. I hope the developers at Black Hammer take some of the creative criticism, both by me and other reviewers, not to heart, but to be used in a way to make their next game even better.

Don't go into Supremacy expecting the reinventing of the wheel. Think of more like a new set of tires identical to the ones already on your vehicle; they're shining and new, but there's not much different about them.