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The mists cleared. Gwphfll stepped towards the wizard, his armour clanking. "A battle is beginning," his voice boomed. "A battle in which you might easily have your eye out if you're not careful."

Kwylith cackled. "Brave you are, young lord. But fight me not. For I have developed the submarine." Yes, it's fantasy time once more. And Warriors Of Releyne sees you on some small islands, moving your forces around and chopping down the folk who welcome you into their humble dwellings.

The weird creatures must be familiar to you by now, albeit under many other frighteningly vowel-less names. There are quests and swords as well as luscious maidens tending huge baps in blackened ovens, two-headed social workers and ubiquitous warriors stalking blokes in country towns as the pubs reach chucking out time.

What makes Warriors Of Releyne (how do you pronounce that?) different is the degree to which you can customise it. You can play arious heroic scenarios or you can completely design your own. Huge campaigns, massive treks, mammoth conflicts are yours to spend hours swearing at, providing you've got the patience to set it all up. And it's all mouse-based, which is a relief. It doesn't make it particularly easy or quick, though.

So the mosts clear. Two players (or one versus your ST) face the screen together locked into a conflict neither can relinquish until Inspector Morse comes on at eight. Huge armies clash. Well, small sprites chug round the terrain, occasionally meeting each other. Empires (and tempers) rise and fall.

Warriors Of Releyne isn't at all bad. As a graphical wargame, it's fun, not slow and has many facets to consider in the combat. There's a two-player mode, there are tons of different aliens (or whatever) and there's some decent strategy to brain over. But, as a fantasy game, well, it's a classic example of pedantic speech, wizened crones, crooning wizards and vowel-evacuation.

1. Better than most Impressions games.
2. Not as good as the real thing.