Our latest weekly freebie, Glest, is a fairly standard RTS in the vein of games like Starcraft or Command & Conquer. However, Glest does manage to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack in two distinct ways. It has a unique “tech vs. magic” system where the two sides face off, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The other difference? It’s free.

Gameplay in Glest isn’t exactly revolutionary, but it does have everything we’ve come to expect from a good RTS. You’ll start off by sending a few of your lesser troops to mine for gold or chop down trees, build a barracks, start creating an army and ultimately march your troops to the enemy base and start burning buildings and chopping down anyone who stands in your way. Starcraft fans should feel right at home almost immediately.

This is a total sausage party.

There isn’t really a story mode in Glest, instead, players can jump right in to any number of pre-made skirmishes, create their own scenarios or even hop online for a quick match against a human opponent. You can even download an easy to use level editor and create your own maps.

Graphically, Glest looks great. The maps do tend to look very similar, but the units and buildings are nicely rendered in 3d. Animations for some of the larger units can look a bit stiff, but for a freeware game, the whole package is very impressive.

Winter warfare.

If you’re looking for a new RTS to keep you occupied until Starcraft 2 comes out, Glest should fit the bill nicely. Be warned, however, if you suck at RTS games, like me, Glest will mercilessly kick your ass. I don’t think I’ve actually won a skirmish yet.

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