Should my mecha be sizzling...?

I like a good turned-based strategy game, and the genre is one that suffers from the indifference of many twitch-happy gamers and developers alike. Happily for fans, the neglected PSP has a new strategy title heading its way, in the form of Mytran Wars, a science fiction themed game set in the 23rd century. Hailing from Hungarian developers Stormregion, who have previously worked on the DS and PSP turn-based strategy title Codename: Panzers, Mytran Wars looks to have a lot of points in its favour, with a well-developed story line, pretty 3D maps, and multiplayer options.

The story involves a dying earth, stripped of its resources, and humanity's reliance on searches conducted by mega-conglomerates for new sources of materials in space. Kondor Corporation hit the jackpot with the discovery of the planet Pythar, and the research teams stationed on the planet's surface are under pressure from shareholders to deliver the goods - regardless of what effect this might have on the local environment. Unfortunately for the poor blokes on the ground the planet's original inhabitants, the Mytrans, aren't taking it lying down.

Or glowing blue...?

With a clash of cultures and tensions rising amongst the Mytrans as rival factions pursue different methods of resolving the conflict with humanity, the plot certainly seems to have potential for a few twists and turns on both sides of the front lines. The story is presented in a comic book style that works to convey a third-space, colonial atmosphere. Both factions are playable and the campaign is littered with a diversity of missions, all promising to be plot driven.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays using the PSP's controls, and whether the story-telling lives up to its potential. We'll all find out when Mytran Wars arrives - although unfortunately, we have no indication yet of when that will be, beyond "this year". For a better look, see our collection of screens and trailers.