The complications lie in the fact that you are only given one squad to do it with, and the relay lies behind enemy lines. And, of course, the enemy is expecting reinforcements at any moment. The only true course of action is to load your squadron of Marines into the APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) and bust a tread getting your terradyne to the base. You have to do a quick sweep, blasting anything that stands between you and your target, then destroy the target and get back to the pickup spot so the drop ship can land, scoop up the outfit and get you home.

The game is Ground Control, a release from Sierra Studios and Massive Entertainment. The game is a real-time strategy contest where fast reflexes, faster decisions and military tactics combine to present an intense chess match for control of a planet.

The opposing forces are the Crayven Corporation, an immense corporation with 900 million employees and its hands into almost everything. Standing in its way is the Order of the New Dawn, a religious group of 600 million and assets that rank it up there with the super corporations of the year 2419. The piece of dirt that you are battling for is Krig-7b, a far-flung barren planet that may hold more than dunes and rocky terrain.

You are Major Sarah Parker, a field commander in the Crayven Corporation. Weapons at your command include Marines, terradynes (a land-cruising battle ship) and aerodynes (aerial fighters). Each of the 30 single-player missions is preceded by a briefing which outlines your objectives and glosses over the tough parts you will probably encounter. Don’t worry, you’ll probably head into a mission expecting the worst, only to be informed - in-mission - that you expected correctly, but it will arrive sooner than you thought.

That means you must think quickly, revamp your strategy and move a little quicker than you anticipated. This program is quite intense. It features a tutorial, or boot camp, which will familiarize you with the fundamentals of the program. Most of the controls are similar to other RTS games, such as unit grouping and attacking, so players who have indulged in those genres will have an easy time jumping into the thick of this program.

There are some aspects though that will present a challenge. This program comes with an incredible array of camera options, so you can view the action from planet level, or high above. Your cameras also pan, swivel and rotate vertically. These controls are extremely touchy, and you can overshoot the action just as the enemy has begun to circle and attack. Losing sight of your forces at this particular time usually results in annihilation - and it isn’t in your favor. Other than that, game play is smooth and intuitive.

Graphically the game features a barren, dust-covered image of a world that, if not for some hidden power, wouldn’t be worth fighting for. There are some intriguing landscape features, but when you are the midst of combat, who has time to stop and admire the view? Lighting does play a part in this program. You can hide your units in the shadow of the rocky ridges, and then spring a little surprise on the enemy. However, the AI (artificial intelligence) of this program adapts rather quickly to those tactics. You have to stay alert, improvise and react quickly.

Ground Control is fast-paced fun. Each scenario seems to build on the plot line, and there is a custom game feature that allows you to create missions or download them from the Internet. The graphics are good, and the sound is well done. At its base, this game does bear some resemblance to several other titles in the genre. But the developers have tweaked the graphics, stepped up the tempo and delivered a program that will delight RTS fans.

This program is rated Teen for animated blood and animated violence. Ground Control is supported with multiplayer on-line gaming with modes such as a deathmatch scenario.

Install: Medium. You have two options with this program - a 505 megabyte full install or the 306 meg install. Either one moves relatively quickly with no fanfare or special screens to pass the time.

Gameplay: 8. This program has touchy controls, and the camera controls take some getting used to, but overall it moves very smoothly from mission briefing to combat scenarios.

Graphics: 8. The 3D graphics are very nice, and the came controls allow you to zoom in and watch the action from ground level.

Sound: 7.5. The music is solid, and the computer/mission voice-over irritating as it counts down the time to your destruction. Battle sounds are average, but that is not the strength of this program.

Difficulty: 9. There are four levels to choose from and even at the easy stage, this game still presents a challenge.

Concept: 6. This scenario has been done before.

Overall: 8. The plot may be a little worn, but this game is fast-paced and features solid graphical elements.