The land of console gaming is a strange one. First-person shooters abound, yet there are many who dwell there who don't know the definition of "mouselook". These same individuals may also, understandably, need to have explained to them that the letters RTS stand for Real Time Strategy. While these games account for seemingly half of all PC titles, they are, to put it mildly, rare in the console world. So it's a noteworthy event when one arrives, and cause for something approaching giddiness (of a very manly sort, of course) when it kicks as much ass as Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (KUF).

KUF drops players in the middle of a huge struggle between the good and wonderful humans (did I mention it's a fantasy setting?) and the evil but fun Dark Legion. It seems that there's this mystical bauble somewhere that – wait for it – holds tremendous power. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's good versus evil in the World Series of Love. Okay, so the storyline isn't exactly original, nor is it particularly good. It is, however, presented with some of the worst dialogue ever delivered by characters wearing clothes. Oh, and the soundtrack is horrifically generic and anachronistic heavy guitar rock that you'll probably want to turn off, which is fortunately an option.

Once you've taken care of the offending music, get comfortable, because what awaits you is a truly unique gaming experience. Kingdom Under Fire combines RTS, RPG, and action portions into a cohesive whole that never shortchanges any of its component elements or makes one feel more important than another. Mastery of all three is required to complete the game.

You got Dynasty Warriors in my Kessen…

You begin the game by choosing one of four characters (two of which must be unlocked first) to lead into battle, as either the saintly and clean-smelling humans or the dastardly but well-dressed Dark Legion. The game then proceeds to a series of thinly-veiled-if-an-attempt-was-even-made-to-veil-them-at-all training missions. The learning curve is really steep, and attention must be paid, but everything is covered, and with patience all the complexities can be mastered. Particularly complicated is the RTS portion of the show, which is understandable considering the depth and precision with which multiple troops can be controlled in real time using a simple Xbox controller. The amount of control is especially impressive considering the fact that other games of the genre have an entire keyboard at their disposal, to say nothing of a mouse. Players can move units, order them to attack, guard, or change formation on the fly, with a control scheme that's surprisingly intuitive for all its complexity. As the game progresses, new combat units join the party including airborne threats such as airships and dragons. Graphics are above average and animation is good, and the battle scenes that commence are fun to watch as a result. Hopefully you'll have taken the previous advice on killing the butt-rock, too, because the sound effects are very well done and add to the atmosphere of the game.

When your character's unit engages an enemy unit, the game changes gears, and the action portion begins. Instead of simply watching soldiers carry out orders, as in most RTS titles, here you'll be down there mixing it up with them. Combat is chaotic and frenzied, but realistically so, and never so confusing as to hinder gameplay. Light, heavy, and special attacks are available, plus the ability to counter and block enemy attacks. Standard attacks can be strung into an impressive number of combos, and one of two supporting generals can be called upon to unleash a special attack at any time, provided your character has amassed enough Skill Points through regular melee combat. A battle can be won either by decimating the opposing force, or by finding and defeating the enemy leader. At first it seems that this would reduce each battle to "let's hunt and kill the big guy", but it is easier said than done, as the leaders bear no flashing "leader" mark over their heads or anything, and must be hunted down amidst the chaos, while their henchmen continue to assault you. The battles are pretty, immersive, and perhaps just importantly, fun.

Ya gotta have skillz

After a successful mission, the scene shifts to camp, which is where KUF's RPG elements come into play. Here, experience gained on the battlefield is used to level up not only the main character, but also each of his officers and the units they control. Experience points are traded for various skills, such as Cure, Lightning, and improved melee abilities. Instead of characters simply getting bigger and stronger, players choose what skills to advance and when. Units can also be upgraded via the game's RTS-style job tree once certain skill conditions are met. The amount of depth is impressive, and once you get the hang of it, you'll be turning your troops into a finely-tuned killing machine to defeat either the pure and noble humans or the fiendish but affable Dark Legion, whichever you prefer.

Each leg of the Kingdom Under Fire triangle is solid. It would've made a fine RPG, RTS, or action game. As a single game, it's groundbreaking and unique, and one of the most compelling experiences available for Xbox. The only real complaints are the dialogue and the music, but the sound effects are so good the lapse is forgiveable (especially since you can turn the offending soundtracks off). This is a game that becomes something else before you can get tired of what it is, and you're always looking forward to the next part. When leveling up your troops, you look forward to using your new skills in battle, and while fighting, you can't wait to get back and use the experience to level up. It's a never-ending cycle of fun, is what it is. Anyone looking for a unique experience on Xbox, any Xbox-owning RTS fan (all four of you), and anyone who just wants a great, original game owes it to themselves to play this.