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This was a time of firearms and massive unit formations where tactics and posturing ruled the battlefield, rather than disorganized infantry rushes. In contrast to AOE, Cossacks models a much smaller slice of history, specifically that of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. But, and there's always a "but", a number of poor design decisions detract from the playability of the single player modes. But closer inspection of the units, their upgrades, the undulating terrain and the overall scale of the gameplay reveal a game of impressive depth and interesting potential.
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At first glance the graphics and early gameplay fully support that assertion.
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A host of online and print previews have generally dismissed Cossacks a derivative knock-off of the Ensemble Studios real-time strategy classic.
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