Perimeter is probably one of the most intriguing titles in the RTS genre. The game, which focuses on reconstructing the land in order to achieve victory, seeks to reinvent the way people see and play RTS games and even markets itself as "Real Time Strategy Reborn." While this is not quite the case, the game is certainly bold and ambitious. Players can toss out most of what they know about RTS games, because Perimeter's unique system of play forces players to practically relearn everything from the ground up.

Players take on the role of a Legit and command a futuristic enclave that operates out of a mobile arcology (a completely self-sustaining city) called frames. They had long ago mastered the science of traversing dimensions and control a vast network of different worlds. The problem is, practically every dimension is infested with creatures known as "The Scourge," which range from giant ants, to dragons, to floating eyeballs. It is the prevalence of the scourge which forces the collection of frames into an exodus toward the far reaches of their trans-dimensional network. The player gets to take on both sides of the story, which is composed of groups who are in favor of the exodus and those who want to work backward and return to the core worlds where civilization began. It's a little confusing at first, since there isn't much of a transition when switching sides. A vague, generic movie sequence plays and suddenly the player has a new advisor and is following a different point of view.

To aid your on your mission is terraforming technology, which is comprised of numerous little machines which move across the landscape like little black mites to reshape it to your needs. Anyone who has been into PC gaming long enough to have played the original Populous should already be very familiar with the concept of flattening land in order to accommodate buildings. Perimeter makes leveling the land very easy with a painting tool that instructs the terraformers where to go. Power cores then need to placed to collect energy and power buildings within its circle of influence, the way pylons in StarCraft worked for the Protoss. What sets these cores apart is that they can be commanded to raise an impenetrable shield which will repel most attacks for as long as the available power supply allows. Power cores need a link back to the frame in order to function, which significantly ups the strategic element of the game, since players must protect their fragile network of power lines in addition to raising an army and accomplishing mission objectives.

Forget everything you may know about building an army and forming groups in RTS games. Perimeter requires every group to have its own small command center. Players must choose what group they want to build into then choose from a selection of 3 different types of base units (soldiers, officers, and technicians). These units don't do very much on their own, but they combine together to form powerful units. Various research facilities must be built in order to open more build options.

All this sounds great, except that everything is a little too unique. There is a steep learning curve involved with getting into this game, and aside from a little tutorial, there isn't much help to ease the process along. Players will probably be doing more head scratching and than reveling in victories. There is very little information available on what each unit does or how they should be used. Turrets don't come into play until a couple of missions into the game, which made us wonder why a futuristic society capable of floating cities and interdimensional travel has to research things like lasers, rockets, and howitzers.

The learning curve isn't helped by the fact that many of the mission objectives are pretty vague. The first few missions, where you have to repel invading scourge using shields and turrets, are pretty easy. It is when you have to battle against other frames that things get frustrating. There is, for example, a race to acquire a weapons research facility before a competing frame does. The mission states that you must reach the weapon first, but it doesn't say anything about acquiring and protecting some of the smaller bomb facilities along the way, nor does it state how many of them you need. There are also a number of missions where you have to charge an interdimensional gate in order to succeed, and do so before a competing frame does. There are no meters or countdowns which keeps track of how close you or your opponent is to charging a gate. There are no suggestions on how to prevent an opponent from charging his gate. You can't even be sure if and when your gate is actually charging. Pressing the "G" key to activate charging is not followed by any visual or audio confirmation. There is almost no way to tell who is winning until the mission ends, informing you who the victor is.

When building units, players don't set rally points for units collect together. Instead, newly created base units head straight toward to main group and join with them. That means players must either bring their groups back to the base or to a safe location (usually away from combat) in order to reinforce it. The base units have no pathfinding skills when running off to join their group, and will happily drown in water or walk straight into enemy fire.

Battling against other frames is absolutely frustrating. All opponents have the same units you do, although some might have some slightly higher technology than the player. The odds are definitely stacked, since the scourge leaves computer-controlled opponents alone and focus exclusively on attacking the player. Some of the boards are extremely small, with more than a few having frames that are practically on top of one another. Yet, the most bothersome aspect is also one of the game's main features. The impenetrable perimeter shield can be sustained for long periods of time. Since Legits have the option to turn on specific power cores instead of using them all at once, it becomes possible to protect small areas indefinitely. It is an insanely difficult task to overcome a frame's defenses. Most times, when you make a small amount of progress against an opponent, they can raise their shields up long enough to repair or replace everything you've worked to bring down, making encounters maddeningly drawn out. There are subterranean units that are capable of burrowing underneath the shields, but they are slow moving and don't do much damage.

The shielding also doesn't make sense. It will repel fire and keep enemy units out, yet opposing frames can build their facilities right inside your base, whether the shield is up or not. Since maps sometimes place frames right next to one another, this is bigger problem than most might think. Opposing encampments are usually more developed (staying with the traditional of RTS games) and can build defense turrets right through your shields, destroying buildings before they can be built.

With so much happening at once, it is a good thing there are time controls in the game. But they offer very little help since each building type can only be built one at a time, and a lot commands can't be issued while the game is paused.

It's too bad that there are so many flaws in Perimeter. The graphics are amazing, and it is great fun to watch the terraformers work to reshape the land. Yet, such details are sure to tax slower-running computers. Perimeter promises to deliver a new kind of gaming experience, and it does. The problem is, it's not all good. But this is definitely a unique game, and worth playing for players who are looking for a break from the norm. In the meantime, we'd be interested in seeing how a sequel would turn out.