Star Wars: Empire at War -- Forces of Corruption [PC]

Back in February, there was a revolution in Star Wars strategy games: one was released that wasn't utterly horrible. Far from it, in fact. Empire at War turned out to be a cunning blend of large-scale, turn-based strategizing and up-close-and-personal tactical battles on land and in space. Forces of Corruption is Empire at War's upcoming expansion pack, and adds a new playable faction (an interstellar crime syndicate), new units for both Imperial and Republic forces, a choice blend of multiplayer tweaks, and more.

You won't recognize the syndicate's head, Tyber Zann, or his mysterious and ageless colleague Urai Fen, but never mind -- both have cool special abilities, like being able to sneak past enemy fleets, bribe opposing troops into switching sides, one-shot-kill whole squads at a time and stealth their way past planet-side blockades. Forces of Corruption comes with an all-new single-player campaign, which sees Tyber Zann taking on Jabba's empire, the regular Empire, and the Rebels to bend the galaxy to his will -- or to his pocketbook's will, anyhow.

Zann's crime syndicate's chief source of income isn't mines or territory. Players will end up making most of their cash by stationing undercover agents -- "defilers" -- on enemy-held worlds. "Corrupting" the planet will start the moola rolling in as your agents bribe, steal, and skim their way to profit. From there, your options include sabotaging buildings, disabling the planet's special abilities, kidnapping enemy leaders or local dignitaries, and so on. Some of these tasks happen without any input from the player, but others require you to complete real-time, objective-based mission.

Playing Zann's forces makes for a very different experience from either of Empire at War's two existing sides. Both Rebels and Imperials usually have to plan their advances carefully, capturing planet after planet in large-scale military encounters. Zann, as befits his interstellar crime lord status, isn't so bothered about acquiring planets along the way -- for him, it's all about the prize.

To that end, Zann fleets can be moved through enemy-held (but corrupted) worlds with just the payment of a small bribe. So once your corruption network is well established, you can pop fleets seemingly out of nowhere deep in enemy territory, striking at whatever weak links you might find. This stealthy nature is mirrored in the tactical space battles, too -- Zann's ships can move through asteroid fields without taking damage, providing lots of intriguing opportunities for ambushes and novel escape routes.

Do the "classic" two sides miss out on improvements? No way. The Empire most notably gets a new star destroyer class, the vast Eclipse, while the Rebels gain access to everyone's favorite starship-killer, the B-Wing. There's also a host of multiplayer tweaks aimed at improving balance, providing player with more flexible map setup options and supporting the Empire at War community with clan ladders and enhanced replays.

From the state of our almost-ready preview build, Forces of Corruption is looking set to be an essential purchase for Empire at War fans. We're already hooked on Zann's campaign, which if anything benefits from its unfamiliar characters and unfamiliar setting. Check back for the full verdict later this month.