We remember a time when our local Games Workshop was rammed full of unwashed middle-aged men swearing and listening to Slayer. Now it’s just some hideous day-care centre, where parents can drop their children off on a Saturday afternoon so they can enjoy a hassle-free day of shopping.

But at least the popularisation of Citadel Miniatures has facilitated their translation into some solid videogame experiences, and Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command on the PSP continues in this fine tradition. Squad Command is a strategy game but, unlike most RTSs, it focuses on the micro management of a single squad of troops throughout a series of short and action-packed missions. The PSP has never been the ideal system for strategy titles (just look at D&D: Tactics), but by streamlining the turn-based elements, and by using an intuitive targeting system, developer Red Lynx has come up with a surprisingly fluid and accessible experience.

There are some irritations, however. Squad Command rigidly fixes the camera on the battlefield, even though the game is entirely 3D. This means quite frequently you’ll have difficulty knowing exactly where your troops will end up. Another shortcoming is the pathfinding of the AI, which is fine when you move your men separately, but falls apart when you move them as a single unit (this isn’t quite as crippling as it sounds because the small maps place considerable emphasis on managing troops individually).

Nevertheless, with fully destructible environments (adding an extra layer of depth to cover tactics), and a great selection of classic weaponry, Squad Command is sure to satisfy Warhammer fans and anyone looking for a decent strategy game on the PSP.

Christopher Reynolds