You may recall several weeks back at GDC when we previewed the upcoming massively multiplayer online strategy game Empire of the Eclipse from Zarksoft. This ambitious title aims to offer up an experience that is practically unheard of for a mobile title, with an expansive universe to explore and conquer as you build up an army and take on hundreds or even thousands of other players online. The sheer amount of depth in Empire of the Eclipse is incredible, and Zarksoft has done a marvelous job of creating an intuitive and friendly interface for dealing with it all.

Take a look at this hands-on demo from GDC which explains a tiny bit of what Empire of the Eclipse is all about:

The game was originally slated for the end of March, but after showing off the game to their peers at GDC, the main feedback that Zarksoft received was that the battles in the game lacked a visceral quality. As such, they have gone back to work on this element of the game, along with tightening up the rest of the gameplay to ensure that it will be the best that it can be. Unfortunately, that also means the game will be delayed without a firm release date in sight, though Zarksoft is confident they'll have the game ready by Summer.

In the meantime, take a look at this teaser video they have prepared that shows off the new direction of the combat in the game. It has an Advance Wars flavor with the close up view, but it shows large scale battles rather than just single units. Battles will also take time to play out so that you can gather up reinforcements or even have allies join in the fight with you.

I'm definitely looking forward to checking out Empire of the Eclipse, and although it's a bit disappointing to see the game get delayed I'm sure it will end up being for the best. I've played several MMO type games on iOS, and just about every single one of them has felt a bit cheap in that they require a considerable monetary investment in order to be successful. Empire of the Eclipse doesn't want to take that approach, and instead will be utilizing a subscription service of $1.99 per month to play. This ensures that everybody remains on a level playing field, and you'll need to rely on your own skill level rather than buying your way to the top in order to do well in the game.

There's a discussion in the upcoming games thread in our forums where Zarksoft has been leaving updates on the game's progress, and we'll bring you any new information on Empire of the Eclipse as it nears release sometime this Summer.