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Good grief! Just what, as Amiga Power so aptly put it, has Peter 'Populous' Molyneux started. Yes, it's him and his merry band of programmers at Bullfrog who we have we have to blame for the proliferation of isometric 3D-view strategy games.

It's timing that's the biggest problem with Realms, the latest offering from Graftgold, previously best known for arcade games like Paradroid 90 and Rainbow Islands. If it had appeared about four months ago, it might be received more favourably. But in the last few months, we've had Mega Lo Mania, Utopia and the sequel to the game that started it all Populous 2 (which rightly blew the competition away).

One can't help feeling the software-buying public have probably had enough of these sorts of games by now, and if I had the choice between Populous 2 and Realms, I know which one I'd go for.

The pity is that Realms is actually quite a good game. The player is a warlord in a pseudo-fantasy world, vying for power with a number of other equally power-mad warriors. The player taxes his people, raise armies, lay siege to cities, the usual sort of thing. Imagine Powermonger with more depth but less impressive graphics and you get the rough idea.

It plays well, control over the various components of your empire is well thought out, and the mix of strategy and action is balanced nicely. Trouble is, when you've been a God raining fire and brimstone on your people, Realms comes across as Earthbound in every sense.