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Desert Rats is for those wargamers who put the game aspect above the war. More a version of chess with tanks than a blood and guts confrontation, Desert Rats is played out on smooth scrolling maps with vivid graphics and detailed settings.

The game spreads over six scenarios following accurately the North African Campaign of 1941 to 1942, beginning with Rommel's arrival in Tripoli and culminating in the Battle of El Alamein. Success in this game is all down to the careful deployment of forces and keeping your units fully supplied.

It is not a realtime wargame but uses the order/move system where you plan your moves and then sit back to take the consequences.

My skill as a general did not pose much of a threat to Rommel in the one player option, but a game of this kind is perhaps best enjoyed when pushing a friend's forces back into the sea.

The game comes with a comprehensive guide which contains background detail on both the game and the real historical events.

If you are familiar with Arnhem, author Robert Smith's previous game for CCS, then you'll probably want to rush out (with strategic forethought) and buy it. For the non-wargamer it will provide a good first taste of simulated battle.