I'm not really much of a computer gamer. That said, I'm both ashamed and oddly proud of the hours (probably thousands!) I spent playing Dune 2000 back when it was cutting-edge gaming technology. There's just something about real-time strategy games that appeals to those of us lacking the reflexes for the more action-packed first-person shooters. If you also enjoy games like Dune 2000, Starcraft, Warcraft, Civilization or other RTS classics, Warzone 2100 will be right up your alley.

Warzone 2100 reminds me very much of my beloved Dune 2000. The landscapes, the missions and even the look of the game pieces resemble that old RTS game I spent so much time playing. Warzone 2100 is far better than Dune 2000 ever was, however, thanks to its amazing set of features:

• Cross-platform, supporting Windows, Mac and Linux.

• Single-player missions.

• Multiplayer gameplay.

• Network and Internet hosting/playing.

Warzone 2100 truly excels at being a fun, easy-to-learn game. The coolest part, at least in my opinion, is its history. Warzone 2100 started as a commercial game. Much like the Quake engine was open-sourced, Warzone 2100 was released to the public as an open-source project back in 2004. Then, in 2008, the rights of that license were clarified, and the in-game videos and soundtrack also were released. Now the game is under active development, and it has a healthy community releasing maps and mods.

The game is available for direct download either at SourceForge or its Web site: http://www.wz2100.net. It's also available using Desura, the Linux-native game manager (similar to Steam) that we've covered before in Linux Journal. Due to its fun and relevant gameplay, cross-platform availability and awesome history, Warzone 2100 is this month's Editors' Choice.