Controlling the factions is, in all honesty, incredibly easy and intuitive -- more so than you'd think. You control camera movement with the left analog stick and movement of a simple cross/reticule with the right analog stick. The cross is context sensitive so that when you move it over the desired unit, that group is instantly highlighted. They're not actually controllable yet, they're just lit up, as if to give you a preview. The A button is the main command here so that by pressing it, you gain control of the unit you've highlighted. Double tap A and you've grabbed all the units on screen. Press B to cancel any action.

Simple so far? Should be. I got hold of the controls while visiting EA Monday and I instantly was able to do everything. Press right trigger to pull up the command bar for spells, calling up more units, etc., or press the left bumper to grab all characters of one type, like all goblins, dwarves, or warriors. This way you can pick out individuals for special tasks or tactical attacks. The right trigger commands all types, which means all characters across the entire screen, even those not in sight. You can even press and hold A to sweep over groups if you prefer that method. No matter which way you approach it, the game's controls are quick to learn and intuitive.

Adding to the list of cool features are the graphics. EA isn't having a problem with them at all. The EA LA team has been able to grab the highest resolution setting on PC and brought it to Xbox 360 for 720p or 1080 resolutions. Add Dolby 5.1 sound separation and you've got a high fidelity, ear-splitting and totally functional RTS on a console. Can this really be true? From our short span at the controls, it certainly seems that way. The only real way to know for sure is to play the heck out of it. Given it summer release date, we'll have lots of time to play, test, and analyze. In the meantime, keep this one in the back of your mind as a genuinely explosive and potentially long-lived Xbox Live blockbuster. We can't wait.