Here's a story to end all stories. Two alien species fighting over the Earth end up waking a third species that wants revenge on one of the alien species for nearly wiping them out. Not only that, the human race is caught in the middle. It's like an episode of Jerry Springer, except with weapons of mass destruction and weird aliens.

The aliens are the Masari that can switch between offensive and defensive modes, Hierarchy that are just real strong and slow, and Novus that are good at hit and run attacks. So there's variety on how you play the game. Each species has its own hero units that they all look strange and possess unique powers. You'll play through the campaign as all three species, and even the humans, but humans are very weak in this game.

The differences between the aliens provides variety in the game. You'll really have to change tactics to deal with each alien depending on which side you're on. The AI is very good and the missions are varied, although if you've played Command and Conquer, you know what to expect. The control scheme is okay for a console RTS, but the camera is a little too close to the battlefield for some missions.

The game features adequate graphics for an RTS with detailed units if you zoom in enough and plenty of particle effects and explosions depending on the alien species you control. However, the backgrounds are lacking in textures and details. The sound is also very good with a solid RTS soundtrack. There's a great deal of in-game jokes for those who know their sci-fi.

There is online support for matches, a skirmish mode for single and multiplayer, and a Conquer the World mode where your side has to conquer the other factions on a global scale. Universe at War is a good RTS with plenty of unique units and online options. There is an issue with the framerate and a few technical problems, that will probably be fixed with a patch.