Everyone complains about the railways, but can you imagine what it would be like if your survival depended on them? That's the premise of Transarctica, as Rob Mead found out

By 2022 global warming is posing a serious threat to the survival of the planet. In a bid to reverse the process, the United Nations commissions a group of scientists to try and find a sensible solution to the problem - Operation Blind involves the detonation of several thermo-nuclear devices above the earth's atmosphere. Unfortunately, it all goes terribly wrong - the earth is plunged into a nuclear winter and the sun is permanently obscured from the few human survivors by dense black clouds.

Hundreds of years later, the planet is dominated by the Viking Union, an organisation which controls the worldwide rail network and the only source of money - coal. Huge populated steam trains shuttle back and forth between a few station towns and this is where you come in. You play the idealistic captain of one of these trains - the Transarctica - whose quest is to free the planet from perpetual winter and the economic slavery of the Viking Union.

You have to guide your train around the rail network, using the station towns to trade, gather information and resources while avoiding various hazards - mole men, crevasses and Viking Union trains, for example. Each town specialises in a certain commodity whether it's industry, slaves or mammoths and, with a bit of planning, you're soon able to build up your train into a well-defended city on wheels. You also begin to piece together the various pieces of information you're given which can help you solve your quest. And, when you get fed up with all this trading and information gathering, you can always indulge in a bit of mindless violence by attacking Viking Union trains.

Transarctica is extremely reminiscent of Ishar, Silmarils' previous adventure game. The graphics and text fonts have a similar feel to them, while the mechanics of the plot - charging around various locations in search of information and resources - are virtually identical. The control system is also exclusively mouse-driven with a variety of icons and sub menus. Negotiating your way around the 3D train map can be a bit tiresome, although the world view map is extremely useful for plotting your progress. The sound effects are good and the music even has a train's clickety-clack backing. However, too many static screens and too little face-to-face contact - especially in the information towns - makes the game curiously uninvolving at times.

A massive, sprawling adventure featuring trains and mammoths instead of the usual dungeons and dragons. However, an original idea is sadly let down by some unimaginative gameplay and an occasionally tedious control system. Despite this, the game is still addictive enough to keep you tucked up with your ST for weeks on end.

A massive original game from the makers of Ishar. Could take you months to complete.

Guiding the train around the 3D gets a bit tedious. Too many static screens spoil the gameplay.