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The Seiddab are back. Those backward baddies (Seiddab is baddies spelt backwards) that were featured in early Hewson games return in the latest game by Dragontorc author Steve Turner.

To say Astroclone is a complex game is little of an understatement as it's played in three levels or phases. If you are to complete the game, you will have to master all three levels.

At the highest level is the strategic game in which you must deplot your forces to counter the Seiddab invasion. Once your forces are allocated the battles in each of the 25 sectors begins.

Obviously battles only occur where opposing forces meet and take the form of defender-style, 'shoot anything that moves', game in which you must fight your way through to destroy the Seiddab cruiser. Once you have cleared the sector you can dock with the sector base.

This leads to a Dragontorc-style adventure game in which you must fight your way through the rooms of the base, blasting strange three-legged droids with your laser as you go, while you find some way to put a spanner in the works and destroy the complex.

If you're successful, you haven't too much time for self congratuations as the war is continuing in the remaining 24 sectors.

This mixture of strategy, arcade and adventure elements adds greatly to the depth and appeal of the game which will take most people months to solve.