Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Battle Isle ’93: The Moon of Chromos preserves the classic split-screen, turn-based strategy at the heart of the original, setting each player against the other on detailed hex-grid maps. Each turn, you carefully plot movement and attack orders for a diverse roster of units, then watch your plans resolve simultaneously with your opponent’s. This familiar formula remains deeply satisfying, rewarding careful positioning, supply-line maintenance, and tactical foresight.

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The expansion’s marquee feature is its lunar environment, which introduces low-gravity movement and new terrain types such as crater fields and ice-covered plains. Units with hover capabilities suddenly gain a greater strategic edge, able to bypass obstacles that would bog down standard tanks. You’ll need to adapt your standard Battle Isle approach—snipers and artillery must be redeployed to take advantage of elevation changes, and recon units become essential for scouting across open lunar expanses.

New units round out the roster, including lunar assault transports, missile-armed moonwalkers, and space-to-ground orbital batteries. These additions dramatically shift the calculus of battlefield supremacy: orbital batteries rain fire from above but demand strict resource management, while assault transports can deploy troops behind enemy lines at the cost of heavy fuel consumption. Balancing these potent new assets alongside the classic tanks and infantry is a thrill for veteran commanders.

Of course, no turn-based strategy is complete without a challenging AI, and The Moon of Chromos delivers. The computer opponent relentlessly exploits every terrain advantage, adjusting its tactics to your unit composition. Whether you opt for direct assaults on enemy headquarters or slow, methodical encirclement, you’ll find yourself continuously refining strategies to keep pace with smarter, more aggressive AI behavior.

Graphics

Graphically, The Moon of Chromos feels like a natural upgrade to the original Battle Isle palette. The lunar surface is rendered in icy grays and muted blues that contrast sharply with the bright red and blue of opposing forces. While still built on the mid-’90s pixel art engine, the expansion’s new tilesets—craters, frozen lakes, and dark sky backgrounds—create a convincing lunar atmosphere.

Visually distinct unit sprites help you keep track of each side’s forces at a glance. Tanks, hovercraft, and walker units all sport unique silhouettes and color highlights that remain readable even in the smallest zoom level. When units engage, small explosion animations and weapon effects lend weight to every attack, and the simultaneous turn resolution lets you watch entire armies clash in a satisfying visual crescendo.

Cutscenes between missions maintain a simple comic-book style, using framed artwork and text bubbles rather than full motion video. This choice feels right for the era and keeps file sizes manageable, while still conveying the stakes of each campaign objective. The result is a cohesive visual package that remains charming and functional on both period and modern hardware.

Sound effects are similarly era-appropriate: chunky laser blasts, tracked vehicle rumble, and brief radio chatter punctuate each engagement. A looping MIDI soundtrack blends driving percussion and synth pads, reinforcing the cold, tense feel of warfare on a moon base. Though far from modern audio fidelity, it helps maintain immersion without overwhelming the strategic flow.

Story

The narrative framework for The Moon of Chromos is straightforward yet engaging: a desperate struggle for control of Chromos’ only natural satellite, rich in resources vital to the home planet’s war effort. You command either the Imperial Expeditionary Corps or the native Chromos Coalition, each with its own motives and victory conditions. Briefings before each scenario frame missions in terms of supply interdiction, base defense, or all-out assaults on fortified positions.

While there’s no sprawling saga or deep character arcs, the series of six standalone scenarios weave together into a coherent small campaign. Coastal moon bases give way to subterranean ice tunnels, and the final mission’s assault on a heavily fortified orbital launcher feels like the natural climax to a lunar conflict. Though dialogue is sparse, it effectively conveys the stakes: victory on the moon could shift the tide of war below.

What the story lacks in length it makes up for in atmosphere. The sense of isolation on a barren moon, coupled with the looming presence of mountains and craters, provides a constant reminder of the high-altitude stakes. This sense of place drives the tension as your scouting units pick off enemy patrols and orbital batteries quiver in the distance, ready to unleash devastation.

Overall, the narrative serves its purpose: it provides context for your tactical objectives and a thematic backdrop that elevates each hex-grid skirmish from a mere exercise in logistics to a chapter in a larger interplanetary showdown.

Overall Experience

Battle Isle ’93: The Moon of Chromos strikes an impressive balance between tradition and innovation. Fans of the original will instantly recognize the satisfying loop of plotting moves and watching them resolve, while newcomers are gently eased in by clear mission briefings and an intuitive interface. The additional units and lunar terrain breathe new life into the formula, ensuring that no two battles ever feel exactly the same.

From the first mission’s defensive stand in a frozen crater to the final push against an orbital railgun, the scenario design remains consistently engaging. Difficulty ramps up at just the right pace, and optional skirmish maps let you hone tactics with different unit combinations. Multiplayer head-to-head over a null modem or hotseat offers nearly as much replay value as the single-player campaign, making it an excellent choice for local competitive sessions.

Technically, it holds up well: the engine runs smoothly on modern hardware using emulation, and the minimalist graphics ensure a lag-free experience. The only potential drawback is its retro presentation, which may feel dated to players accustomed to high-definition visuals and real-time combat. Yet for those who appreciate cerebral strategy and pace-driven gameplay, that classic feel is precisely the point.

In sum, The Moon of Chromos is a standout expansion that elevates the Battle Isle blueprint. It’s a must-try for genre enthusiasts, offering dozens of hours of tactical depth, memorable lunar battlefields, and just enough narrative flair to keep you hooked until the final orbital engagement.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10