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X3 Reunion 2.0 - Game of the Year 2007 Edition (PC DVD)

Deep Silver
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - Sith Lords (PC)

Activision
Galactic Civilizations 2: Ultimate Edition (PC CD)

Kalypso Media
Star Wars: Empire at War Forces of Corruption - Expansion Pack (PC DVD)

Activision

In a nutshell:
The Empire at War universe expands with a whole new faction of criminals and scoundrels, with dozens of new units and an engaging new single player campaign.
The lowdown:
Star Wars hasn't had a lot of luck when it comes to strategy games but Empire at War is certainly the most convincing yet, with a clever mix of grand strategy and both space and land based real-time combat. The original game featured the two obvious original trilogy factions, but this includes a third in the form of a criminal empire lead by Tyber Zahn. As such, you no longer invade planets but corrupt them, enabling you to siphon off money and sabotage ground installations. Apart from this, the core gameplay hasn't really changed but the new single player campaign is excellent, with a good variety of missions and cameos obscure and obvious from the classic trilogy.
Most exciting moment:
The best bit about the new single player campaign is the imaginative range of missions you must complete as the Tyber Zahn, in order to successfully corrupt planets. These include kidnapping, piracy, assassination and various other forms of skulduggery that are much more interesting than just destroying all the enemy units on a map.
Since you ask:
Zahn's criminal consortium has all its own unique ships, but the most anticipated new units are those MIA from the first game, such as the B-wing, TIE Interceptor and Super Star Destroyer. A few units from previous Star Wars games also appear including TIE Defenders and Dark Troopers.
The bottom line:
One of the rare expansions to prove almost a necessity for fans of the original.-HARRISON DENT
Galactic Civilizations 2: Endless Universe (PC)

Kalypso Media
Freelancer (PC CD)

Empire
Starcraft/Broodwar Expansion Pack (PC DVD)

Blizzard Entertainment

Warcraft in space, but instead of two similarly powered enemies facing off, the three distinct races in StarCraft have unique capabilities and strategies. Everyone still competes in the RTS genre's typical race for resources, but that's the only shared trait. Terrans can move their bulky mechanised bases as necessary, while the reptilian Zerg grow their colonies and warriors from mutating larvae. Meanwhile, the noble Protoss warp in equipment from their home world using psionic powers.
Not only does game maker Blizzard juggle the races' playability and match it with superb art and sound effects, it also weaves together an engrossing three-act plot. Early on, as a Terran magistrate, you spend a breathtaking 30 minutes defending against a Zerg onslaught. As the story unfolds around you, you'll experience the Zerg's hive mentality and decipher the mysterious Protoss by the game's dramatic conclusion.
Missions vary in scope and are effectively framed with dialogue, chapter screens and in-mission exposition. Multiplayer games are also very well represented by Blizzard's own free Battle.net service. If you'd rather play over a local area network, StarCraft will generously "spawn" up to seven copies so your friends can join in.
In keeping with StarCraft's groundbreaking design, Brood War presents you with three sides of a galactic conflict. Scheming humans, insidious Zerg and proud Protoss collide again, with stunning new cinematics setting the stage. Old friends and foes and ominous new arrivals give the story a breakneck pace, while a handful of additions to each race's arsenal makes for tense battles. Brood War also features stellar new environments and ambient art, as well as more than 100 additional multiplayer maps.
Some missions require a bit of finesse, breaking the resource-gathering routine while making good use of the new units. Humans now have Valkyrie missile frigates as well as medics who automatically try to heal your grunts. New for the Zerg air force is the acid-spewing Devourer; the new Lurker unit provides heavy-duty (under)ground support. Along with the Corsair fighter, the Protoss re-enter the fray with Dark Templar, which can merge to form the devastating Dark Archon. Unfortunately, units old and new still suffer from weak artificial intelligence in path finding. Real-time strategy games don't get any more epic or any more satisfying. --Jack Gardiner
Dark Horizon (PC)

Paradox
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance (PC DVD)

THQ
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga - Galactic Battlegrounds and Clone Wars (PC CD)

Activision

Universal conquest, armed invasion of alien planets, Wookiees and X-Wing fighter squadrons. They're all in Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds and they're all, happily, superb in this real-time strategy affair based on the highly successful Age of Empires engine.
There's nothing essentially new here for the hardened RTS gamer. Resources need to be mined, units built and technologies researched in the race to crush the opposition. What gives this the edge is the Star Wars setting and the quality of the graphics, which are visually appealing and stay accurate to the wealth of Star Wars information that already exists.
There are six basic "races": human Rebels, the Empire, Gungans, Wookiees, the Trade Federation and the Naboo, each with their own specific weapons and tools--there's nothing quite like sending a squadron of AT-ATs into battle and watching them smash the Alliance to bits.
In addition to the standard hardware afforded each side, Force alliances come into play and it's possible to side with either the Jedi or the Sith depending on your preference. It's also possible to conjure up Jedi Knights and Sith Dark Lords.
Clone Campaigns is the first add-on disk. This content mainly comes in the form of two new campaigns: the Old Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. You can choose to either take control of the shiny new Jedi controlled Army of the Republic, forefathers of those pesky Imperial Stormtroopers, or the combined armies of the Confederacy complete with the insect-like Genosians and Techno Droids.
The action in Clone Campaigns commences on Geonosis, with the aftermath of the big battle scene at the end of the movie. Each campaign features seven missions to complete and over 200 new troop, vehicle and ship units and takes you through the beginning of the infamous clone wars. New features are also added to the original game with new units, orders and effects all selectable in the older campaigns. All the new and old armies are selectable in the multi-player and Skirmish modes, ensuring you'll need to re-evaluate those tactics for warfare against the new combatants. Overall this is a great add-on which adds to and enhances an already fantastic game. --Laurent S Hall
Tarr Chronicles (PC DVD)

ASCARON
Sword of the Stars: A murder of Crows (PC CD)

Lighthouse Interactive
Freelancer

Microsoft

In the open-ended space action/adventure game Freelancer you play a ne'er-do-well with a lucky streak, one of two survivors of a space disaster. Penniless and shipless you venture around a space dock until you find a ship and a job. You'll encounter a heady mix of canned missions that follow one main quest, and a million opportunities to make money or annoy the various factions that coexist in the universe. Like an online role-playing game, or Bethesda's Morrowind, you determine who your enemies are and who your friends are by your own actions, and, in another nod to role-playing, you can customise your ship with guns, rockets, and equipment just as you would customise a RPG character with swords, bows, and magic items. Best of all, you can play cooperatively with friends or fight it out with enemies online.
The back story posits a future where various countries, divided by both nationality and, seemingly, race, have boarded massive colony ships and ventured into a wormhole that appears within reach of our crude space technology. They found themselves in a galaxy far, far, away and they got stuck there when the wormhole collapsed. They quickly colonised their new home worlds and named everything with familiar locales that make navigation a breeze. In the American sectors you'll feel at home entering the New York system and landing at a spaceport called Manhattan, for example. While contrived, this device is used beautifully and it's far better than having to memorise a bunch of SF names and remembering where they are, perfect for a massive universe such as this one.
Though Freelancer is set in space, it is technically not a space simulation. The game was designed to be accessible to casual gamers. For example, Freelancer makes you use the mouse for ship control. This is quite a shift for a setting known for requiring joystick control. But even old-school Wing Commander or X-Wing fans may find that the sacrifice of verisimilitude is made up for with gains in agility. The mouse controls your guns, while you use the keyboard to manoeuvre around the rich universe developer Digital Anvil has constructed. Much like a first-person shooter, you can dodge and weave while precisely blasting your enemies.
Despite its age the graphics are spectacular, as is the sound and voice acting, and in that way, fighting and trading with friends or alone, Freelancer proves worth the wait. Just keep in mind that it is explicitly not a hardcore space simulation, and you'll have to leave your joystick on the shelf. --Andrew S Bub
Spellforce Universe (PC)

Jowood

Chaos and disorder rule Eo, the mysterious world of SpellForce. As a rune warrior you are called upon to face the powers of fire and ice. You, a band of heroes and your army of allies are set out on exploring the unknown and fighting numerous foes. Only you can face the storm that will change the fate of Eo forever. The battle between good and evil has been inflamed - your courage and your decisions will change the course of history.
Features
- All parts of the brilliant SpellForce series including all expansion packs
- The unique genre mix of RTS and RPG makes for an exceptional game experience
- Create your individual Avatar and experience epic adventures in a remarkable fantasy world;Over 200 hours of thrilling game play
- Several degrees of difficulty and elaborate tutorials guarantee fast access to the game
- Experience spectacular mass battles in breathtaking 3D graphics
X2: The Threat (PC CD)

Avanquest Software
UFO Trilogy (PC DVD)

Ascaron
Sword of the Stars: Collectors Edition (PC DVD/CD?)

Lighthouse Interactive
Star Trek: Bridge Commander (PC CD)

Activision

Immerse yourself once again in the world of Star Trek with Star Trek Bridge Commander from Activision. While some of the Star Trek titles have really only appealed to a select few--i.e., die-hard Star Trek fans--this title brings a different slant on the world of tactical combat simulations.
Based around a first-person view, you are either the first officer, Captain or Admiral aboard a Galaxy-class ship called the Dauntless. But just because it is first-person doesn't mean that you will be gun's-a-blazing and running from deck to deck like Star Trek Voyager; as the title suggests you will have your bum firmly planted in the chair as you command others, in your spaceship's moment of need.
Based across 25 in-depth levels, you are slowly thrown into the melee, learning the systems--with the help of Jean Luc Picard--as you ferry him to another spaceport. Boredom or a quick completion are unlikely. The game also boasts a quick-battle arena where you can set a number of parameters and fight up to 16 other computer or human controlled craft across a LAN or the Internet.
If you've ever fancied taking control of the Enterprise, but up until now were afraid of all the tactical RTS-style games such as Star Trek Armada 2, this is a perfect opportunity to earn your wings.--Jason Denwood
Homeworld (Sold Out Range)

Sold Out Software

Every so often, a game comes along that completely redefines a particular genre. In 1998, Half-Life ignited first-person shooters with its addictive blend of storytelling and action sequences. Homeworld, a polished, groundbreaking first-time effort from Relic Entertainment, attempts to change the way gamers play real-time strategy games. In the past, none of these 3-D games have accomplished the daunting task with the same gorgeous visuals and tactical gameplay as Homeworld.
Upon the discovery of an ancient galactic map inscribed with the words "our home," the people of Kharak began construction of a massive mother ship and fleet to traverse the galaxy and reach their long-rumoured home world. Players construct, maintain, and control the Kharak fleet through 16 challenging single-player missions or against fellow humans on Sierra's WON.net online gaming service. During the solo campaign, you'll face literally 100s of enemy vessels. All friendly and enemy ships, ranging from small, yet dangerously quick interceptors to the powerful, though expensive destroyers and heavy cruisers, are rendered with exquisite detail; further, expect plenty of impressive visual effects, from the glowing ship exhaust to fiery explosions. Adding to the pluses, Homeworld's thoughtful interface design eases the intense--and often complicated-resource-gathering and combat situations. --Doug Radcliffe
Star Trek: Starfleet Command - White Label (PC CD)

Avalon Interactive