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   When you see a primitive cart with oxes side by side with some futuristic aircraft and naval vessels in one single screenshot, there's clearly something rotten. The explanation for such a contradictory scene will be given to us by Empire Earth III - the sequel to the sequel to the strategy game initially created by Stainless Steel and, after its closure, inherited by Mad Doc Software. Despite the latter's recently completed Star Trek: Legacy, a mediocre game at best, Mad Doc still has enough self-esteem to proudly reveal its new project, through a PC Gamer preview also published on CVG - along with the first images from the game (including the contradictory screenshot mentioned above).

   If I were allowed a purely subjective opinion, I'd say that the scenes from the other images looks absolutely horrible, and with all of Mad Doc's attempts to change things in this third Empire Earth, I fear for the worst. But let's see what this change - or rather changes are all about.

   First of all, the devs peeked around and decided to add a strategic component at the global level, similar to what we see in the Total War series (or the Dune series, just so you see how "original" of a concept this is). The main difference is that, instead of being confined to a single period of time, you will once again go through the entire history, from primitive tribes all the way to the future.

   Another novelty is that, once you discover a technology, you won't have to reinvent the wheel in every mission, and the units that survive after a battle will carry over to the global map. The same goes for the buildings, in case the A.I. decides to invade a province you had already conquered, you'll have the means to protect it from the very beginning. Aside from mindless fighting for world domination, sometimes you will also receive sub-missions, both during the real-time battles, and at the global level. The examples offered by PC Gamer were rescuing a tribe's princess to gain their allegiance, and conquering three of a faction's provinces on the strategic map.

   And speaking of factions, it looks like there will only be three generic civilizations: Western, Middle-Eastern and Far-Eastern. Just how well all this will turn out... guess we'll have to wait and see.