At any time during a battle, you can switch between the standard on-the-ground view of the action and a "sit-rep" map. This overview of the battlefield still affords real-time tactical control over your units, while at the same time offering the ability to assess the overall situation on the ground and develop general strategies. It's a useful tool in planning your big picture strategies for winning a battle. Viewing the state of a battle is important when gauging the necessity for reinforcements. Deploying new units cost command points. Any forces that fall in combat result in lost points, although you're able to recycle points by evacuating units before their defeat. With seven different unit types ranging from infantry to artillery to tanks, you want to carefully manage your supply of command points to ensure you have plenty to spend on advanced units that make winning battles easier.

Despite the advantages provided by voice commands and the sit-rep map, we still failed in our attempt to secure the La Mancha. EndWar promises a hearty challenge, which balances out the surprising ease of control. There's no question that it is the best shot the real-time strategy genre has at true success on a console, although more time is needed to truly test out the accessibility and flexibility of the controls. Expect more to come as the game inches closer to its autumn release.

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