If you're like us, you probably groaned at the news that Sierra was hard at work transporting its acclaimed PC real-time strategy game World in Conflict to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The track record for strategy games on consoles is less than stellar, even for those titles that have met with considerable praise on the platform of choice: PC. World in Conflict: Soviet Assault contributes to the slow, but sure improvement of console strategy games with a slew of carefully implemented features and controls. Nevertheless, we remain cautious about its debut given the complexity of its interface.

Soviet Assault brings over the full single player campaign as featured in the original PC release, as well as adds in new missions played from the Soviet perspective. These additional missions will be packed in with the console versions, although PC players can pay a few bucks to download them as well. Unfortunately, none of the new missions were shown; however, we're told that most are reinterpretations of existing missions. In other words, don't expect new maps; instead, you take on the Soviet side in battles previously waged on the American front in the original campaign. To be sure, different objectives and units promise something new even if the missions themselves aren't exactly fresh.

Changes to multiplayer are coming as well with specific additions geared toward making online play easier on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A maximum of ten players can join team-based matches online. Currently, there aren't any plans to support cooperative play outside the team dynamic in competitive matches, although the ability to work through the campaign with a buddy would definitely be a plus. New for the console versions is the War Room. Acting as a hub of information on active multiplayer matches and player statistics, the War Room also monitors the meta-game between the Soviet and American forces. Every multiplayer battle contributes to the overall war between the two sides; for example, an American victory in an individual round counts as points for that side in the War Room. When a sufficient number of victories take place or a set time has been reached (once every month or two), a winner is crowned and the war begins anew.

As you'd imagine, the greatest changes being made in this console version pertain not so much to added content but alterations to make the game playable on a controller. Significant adjustments are being undertaken to shape the game's interface for easier control on a console. Amazingly enough, Soviet Assault forgoes a mini-map and has you relying on basic camera controls to zip about the battlefield. The left thumbstick enables unit interaction, whereas the right thumbstick allows you to adjust the camera. Taps of the A button allow you to select units and issue orders including movement and attack. Without access to the specificity of a mouse for unit selection, the game has configured the reticle to increase and decrease in size with clicks of the right thumbstick. This effectively enables you to grab more units depending on the size of the reticle. It's still a clumsy system, but better than attempts made by other console real-time strategy titles.

Moving from PC to console usually means losing the customizable controls afforded by a keyboard. With Soviet Assault, the concept of keyboard hot keys remains intact with the ability to assign specific commands to the directional pad. You're free to designate unit groupings to a direction, a specific tactical aide, or even reinforcements. Also, unit-specific abilities are triggered with quick presses of the X and B buttons. It still doesn't match the ease of using a mouse and keyboard, but at least measures are in place to make using the controller easier.