Left Behind: Eternal Forces review

Even selecting units is more trouble than it should be. There is no good camera angle, and there is no way of distinguishing what types of units are in a group. So many of the units (and buildings, for that matter) look the same that only a close look will give you the information you need. Plus, your people's spiritual stamina drains constantly, and must be refilled via prayer - an act that they must be specifically instructed to do, and which will render them motionless and unable to contribute until finished. Obviously, this has the potential to drag the gameplay to a crawl.

These may sound like nitpicky things, but they are the grammar of real time strategy games. If you can't choose units and make them go do something interesting, all the scripture relevance in the world won't keep you playing. It isn't even pretty enough for you to simply get swallowed in the grandeur of creation.

Left Behind: Eternal Forces feels less like an evangelical tool and more like a dismal attempt to cash in on the books' success. It comes with the first novel (hoping you'll get hooked and buy the other 15, soon to be 16 novels and some spinoff books, perhaps?), prompts you to buy music from the soundtrack and has advertising software that puts huge EBGames banners everywhere.

Assuming you can overlook that, what's up with the blatant-to-the-point-of-comedy stereotyping and sexism? Early enemies often look like rappers or heavy metal guitarists - who are not always role models, we'll admit, but give us a break. Plus, while a person's life experiences and spiritual education dictate what roles they can play in your army (everyone's life story is included in his or her character details), there seems to be an overriding, invisible rule that women can enter far fewer professions than men.Especially early on, theladies are typically confined to roles like nursing and singing while jobs such as builder and soldier are largely reserved for the males. Welcome to feminism, Mr. Cleaver.