Age of Empires is the first thing that came to mind when I originally saw this title. The graphics looked similar, the interface looked similar, and the overall design looked almost the same. After playing with this title for awhile I can say unequivocally that it is not Age of Empires. Cossacks is more advanced than AoE, and simply more fun to play.

Published by Strategy First and developed by Ukrainian based GSC Game World, Cossacks: European Wars is a real-time strategy title. Players are expected to build a nation with peasants and develop a large army capable of defeating opposing nations. You must be able to do this, while managing resources and being attacked on all sides by opposing nations. Cossacks: European wars spans throughout 17th and 18th Century Europe, when wars were non-stop and every nation wanted as much land as they could possibly obtain.

Upon first launch, this game looks almost exactly like Microsoft's Age of Empires II, but once I began playing, the differences were plentiful. Cossacks: European Wars involves sixteen different nations, including England, France, Russia, Spain, Poland, Turkey, and Sweden. Upon first launch, you will be greeted with one of the most beautiful introduction movies ever produced. It really sets a mood for the game, and that is very important in a title such as Cossacks. A huge variety of scenarios are available to play with each of these having different objectives and outcomes. A random map generator is also available, adding further game play to Cossacks.

My first excursion onto the battlefield was in one of the simple scenarios where the objective was to simply defeat your enemy. Since the general game play and navigation is very similar to Age of Empires, I was already familiar with the general interface of the title, and found it relitively simple to navigate through Cossacks. The menus are simply incredible, some of the best looking I have ever seen. They offer simple navigation, with many tools for experienced players. After building a town hall and a few units, only then did I realize how complex and involved Cossacks really is. It is a lot of fun to take about 800 soldiers and 75 cannons into the enemy city and bomb them until only a massive pile of rubble remains. Cossacks sure has a huge realm of playability within it, and even that is a huge understatement.

For those with multiplayer capabilities, you will be very happy to learn that Cossacks includes free multiplayer online gaming. Players can join using TCP/IP, IPX, LAN, or the integrated multiplayer matchmaking service. Multiplayer is the heart of Cossacks: European Wars, and is its most addicting and challenging aspect. Up to six players can compete in one massive multiplayer game, with only the best player claiming victory. Strategize and team up with other players to eliminate a powerful enemy, or bring him to his knees. Multiplayer gaming is very enjoyable as it involves much more strategy and teamwork than single player gaming. The only problem I encountered with the multiplayer connections were that there is a slight pause when instructing soldiers and civilians to complete tasks or move to another location, but this is to be expected and is not a major hinderance. The only other problem I found was that I always seemed to get slaughtered on the battlefield. Guess I'm going to have to practice some more.

The number of buildings included within Cossacks is massive. Each building has a different objective and serves a unique purpose. One of the more important buildings is the mill, which is used to seed fields and collect food. Barracks are used to create soldiers and light infantry, while stables are used to create horsemen. Looking for some heavy artillery? Building an artillery depot is an excellent way to create cannons and mortars, and is the perfect way to blow your enemies to the moon. Other buildings within Cossacks include Town Halls, houses, Blacksmith's, Towers, Shipyards, Mines, and markets. Fortification is very important in Cossacks, but players must plan before building any walls or gates as they take a lot of resources to maintain. Without walls though, you'll find that your enemies will walk in and take over your whole city without any problems, so they are definitely necessary. If walls are built, it will take a lot more than just a few soldiers to take over a city, but will cost a huge amount of resources to maintain. Two types of walls are available; these being wooden paling and heavy stonewall. Wooden walls are very easy to destroy, but are also quick and easy to construct. Stonewalls take a lot more firepower to destroy, but unfortunately, cost a lot of stone to build, and even more stone to maintain.

Although the large number of structures may be impressive, the massive number of units is even more incredible. Cossacks allows up to 8000 units on one single map, so if two players are competing, each team may have up to 4000 units. A wide variety of military units are available, these ranging from infantry soldiers to riflemen and horseback riders. Other units include cannons, mortars, grenadiers, officers, and many more. In many scenarios and random maps, battle at sea will be a crucial aspect. Cossacks: European Wars includes the ability to create several types of ships, these including battleships, frigates, and gallies. These are very powerful tools if used properly, and sea wars require more attention and strategy than battles on land. Cossacks also includes the ability to create ferries, which can transport units such as soldiers and heavy artillery over the water to other areas of the map. This is sometimes the quickest way to transport soldiers, as it sure beats walking.