A (mostly)
turn-based strategy game in the style of
Laser Squad or
X-Com (i.e. top-down, tile-based, with '
movement points'), with a modern day
guerrila warfare setting. It was developed by
Sir-Tech for the (
DOS) PC in
1993.
At the start of the game, you (as a member of a mercenary network called A.I.M.) are hired by a scientist working on the island of Metavira. Some trees that only grow on the island produce a chemical which is the only known cure for a deadly disease. Unfortunately, another scientist based at the other end of the island wants to take control of all the supplies - by force. This is where you come in.
You are given some money to hire a team of mercenaries. Equipment (such as guns, knives, medical kits and grenades) generally has to be picked up in the field, although most mercs come equipped with some kit relevant to their area of expertise. You can freely travel across sectors of the island you control (taking into account time constraints and dehydration), but enter an occupied sector and the game switches to turn-based play.
The longer your mercs survive, the more their stats improve. Provided you can keep enough trees and processing plants under your control, you can hire new members to replace fallen ones. But you have to be careful - get a reputation as a bad leader and other mercs may refuse to join you, and members of your team may quit.
Weapons and injuries are modelled quite realistically, with a non-fatal shot leaving the recipient lying prone in the field, until you get someone to them with a medikit or they die of their wounds (err, or until an enemy comes along to finish them off). The game is fantastically addictive, although the presentation is rather average. It was followed by a data disk and a sequel. One of the characters is called Rudy "Lynx-Eyed" Roberts. Another is "Unusually Ruthless" Reuban.