Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (Xbox 360)

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission is the successor of Carrier Command and shares the basic mix of strategy and action. The game is set in the future when a war UEC (United Earth Coalition) and APA (Asian Pacific Alliance) almost destroyed Earth. Now both factions fight for control over the moon Taurus, a big ocean with many islands, which offers resources Earth can’t deliver anymore.

The center of control is the faction’s carrier from which everything is managed. However, in contrast to other real-time strategy teams the player only controls up to eight units: four walrusses (tanks) and four mantas (aircraft). The equipment can be assigned to each vehicle individually, including the hacking computer which is necessary to overtake enemy buildings, so each has its own function. The majority of the game is spent in tactical assaults to conquer islands. However, there is also a resource management component as each island is either a base for defense, mining or manufacturing. It is important to use these resources for manufacturing additional equipment or to bring in replenishment from far away. Damages on the carrier itself may cause certain functionality to be disabled, so repairs have to be kept in mind, too. Each vehicle, including turrets to defend the carrier, can be directly controlled by the player to participate in combat.

There are two playing modes: the free strategy mode with adjustable starting and winning conditions and the story campaign. Additionally to the described playing mechanics, the campaign also features some very basic first-person shooter segments.