American History Lux (download free trial here) is a strategy game which follows American conflict from the pre-Revolutionary War days to the current Iraq War. Similar to the classic game Risk, one moves armies around the map, attacks countries, fortifies territories, accumulates cards, and eventually takes over the world, or is conquered by others.
I really wanted to like this game - it breaks the mold a bit on casual games by being strategy and conflict-oriented, it has some historical and educational elements, it follows an established game convention (Risk) that I personally love, and it's from a good indie game developer called Sillysoft.
I have been sitting here trying to think why the game isn't working and I think it's because it's just too raw a game to recommend for most users. There is no feeling of a story line outside of some minor text about the conflict, nor is it obvious that the enemies play as they would have historically done so. There is no sense of personalities on the other side, nor is it clear that either landscapes (mountains, rivers) or different cultures (Americans, Indians) have any effect on the battles - I also would have liked to have seen some way to change victory conditions or add something beyond the "conquer the world" scenario. The music is appropriate and the graphics are generally simple with 3D explosions when enemies clash. It could be that my expectations are too high for the game, but I don't think it's deep enough or finished enough to recommend as a purchase.
Verdict - Unless you're a hard core Risk player, skip American History Lux
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