Strategy Games

Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption

2009-05-18T09:55:00.005-04:00

There's a candidate for longest game name. Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (hereafter abbreviated FoC for all sakes) is an expansion to the original excellent Real-Time Strategy game set in the Star Wars galaxy. Although released in 2006, the graphics can still easily hold their own. Gameplay is greatly increased with the addition of a new faction, the Zann Consortium, which uses corruption to spread its influence. A wealth of new units and heroes fills out FoC.

Space battles are better than ever, including Darth Vader's flagship, the massive Executer

FoC's new faction adds a very unique campaign, in which you play as Tyber Zann, a criminal overlord trying to make a name for himself after the destruction of the first Death Star. Consortium units are very powerful and make quick work of most Rebel and Imperial units, but come at a high price. During the campaign and galactic conquests, Zann spreads corruption in many forms, adding new small battles and providing increased income. In response to the deadly new Consortium forces, a number of new Rebel and Imperial ground, space, and hero units are available which help balance the game.

New additions for ground battles include terrain effects, improved defenses, and new planets to fight for

In short, FoC is a very worthwhile expansion to one of the great Real-Time Strategy games out there. Needed depth is provided in abundance, and three-way space battles are epic to say the least. If you have purchased the original, make sure to check out its expansion, Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption.

Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday

2009-05-13T09:39:00.004-04:00

After a long absence, it's time to come back with some updates. Nearly every strategy game is updated, patched, or expanded. So I'll be bringing forward some of these expansions, beginning with Hearts of Iron II .

Opening of the Cold War in Europe

Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday is an expansion pack for this excellent World War Two strategy game, and adds much to the overall gameplay. You still have the option of 175 different countries to select from, but now you can control these nations from 1936 until 1953. This allows time for Doomsday's greatest addition, a scenario depicting a Cold War gone hot, with the Soviet Union and Allies at war. Also included is a new espionage tab, which allows you to spy on friends and enemies alike. Spying, assassinations, and revolts are yours to instigate.

Espionage allows many more options

While keeping the core of the original, Doomsday makes an excellent expansion. Any fan of World War Two strategy games should at least check it out. The gameplay is limitless, now more so than ever before.

Company of Heroes: Best World War Two Real-Time Strategy

2008-10-04T15:54:00.004-04:00

There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of World War Two games out there. So when I say that there is another WWII Real-Time Strategy game out, you may be turned off instantly. But, Company of Heroes is certainly no typical WWII RTS. Taking place in Normandy soon after D-Day, Company of Heroes puts you in command of Able Company in the fight against Germany. Coupled with an expansion, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, you can also take control of the British 2nd Army or German Panzer Elite. The Gold Edition grabs you both for one price. The game combines constant action, wonderful graphics, and unbelievable historical accuracy which makes it one of the best in its class.

The level of detail is simply amazing

If you loved the movie Saving Private Ryan, and thought Call of Duty was a great first-person shooter companion, then imagine the idea transformed into the Real-Time Strategy genre. Enter Company of Heroes: Gold Edition. You take charge of a company of troops, tanks, and emplacements in order to defeat your enemy. Gathering resources (manpower, ammo, and fuel) involves capturing strategic points throughout the battlefield. Each faction is highly unique, and offers three different company commander options to further increase diversity. Each company commander allows you to “research” upgrades for your troops, as well as specialized units and artillery and air support. Starting with a Headquarters, which produce construction units, you can build several different structures (or, in the case of the British, different Command Trucks) which open up new technologies and units for production. Each unit is displayed extremely realistically, with army specific weapons and weapon upgrades. Infantry squads are controlled as a single unit, and are very intelligent AI-wise. They use cover to avoid fire, and without cover are suppressed and pinned by heavy fire. Engineers allow construction of field defenses like sandbags, barbed wire, trenches, and machine gun posts. Tanks are armored behemoths, towering over infantry with massive firepower, but with armor depicted realistically, are vulnerable to rear attacks. Soon, you will find yourself unconsciously flanking enemy machine guns with infantry and anti-tank emplacements with armor to get a better shot.

When you are controlling units in combat, it almost feels like a First-Person Shooter

With a heavy-duty gaming computer, visuals are beautiful. Bullets kick up dirt, tanks can bounce enemy rounds with their frontal armor, and artillery looks frightfully devastating. By zooming in on units, you can easily make out individual weapons and markings on vehicles. Also, the entire map is destructible. If you order artillery on enemy infantry hidden in houses, each shell that hits will knock off the part of the building it hits, eventually leveling the structure. Tanks turning on city streets will occasionally knock off the corners of nearby buildings, and walls are no barrier. With each distinct explosion leaving a mark on the landscape, it really looks as though a war has been fought.

The graphics are excellent, espescially considering the game is two years old

Company of Heroes: Gold Edition delivers three separate campaigns, each with a very respectable length. You can lead Able Company, US Army from D-Day until the closing of the Falaise Gap. Choosing the British 2nd Army gives you command of the very distinct British forces in the drive on Caen. Finally, the Panzer Elite campaign places you in command of German forces trying to stop the Operation Market Garden airborne invasions. When done with the campaigns (which will take many hours to complete), there are several dozen instant-action maps to choose from. If you choose online play, there is a very active community. Another faction, the regular German Army, is available in instant-action and multiplayer games, with its own units and company command trees. My only personal grief was multiplayer connection problems, which are not isolated, but not common either.

Each unit costs a certain amount of population count, but this does not stop you from producing quite a large force

Company of Heroes is probably the best WWII Real-Time Strategy game available. Between building your base, capturing points, and making decisions in combat (tactical decisions are very important as opposed to most RTS’s), even vet players will have their hands full. With such wonderful graphics and realistic gameplay, it can be difficult to stop playing. Such diversity, with four armies and three company commanders each, along with many varied maps and missions, make Company of Heroes: Gold Edition an excellent addition to the genre, and proves that all WWII games are not created equal.

Tom Clancy's EndWar

2008-09-18T18:32:00.004-04:00

Tom Clancy has another game coming out, this time a Real-Time Strategy game called EndWar. Check it out here: http://endwargame.us.ubi.com/
This game looks awesome, depicting a near-future WWIII between the US, the "European Federation," and Russia. Units are based on real-world forces or concepts, and can apparently be controlled by voice-command. EndWar is set to be released on Nov. 4 in the US on Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSP, and Xbox 360 platforms, with a possible PC release at a later date.

This is definately one to watch for, with a semi-World in Conflict look. The multiplayer has an MMO element to it from what I've seen, with all players fighting for their faction on a global map.

Look for EndWar to be released on major consoles November 4th.

Axis and Allies: From Board Game to RTS

2008-08-30T15:51:00.007-04:00

The Axis and Allies series includes the best WWII strategy board games available. So if you like those, then TimeGate Studio's Axis and Allies (for the PC) is a definite must have. This version keeps the board game's world map and gameplay, but adds to it with great RTS play. Choosing between Great Britain, the U.S., the Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan, you must attempt to conquer the world. But if you don't like the idea of moving a couple pieces around a board, then there are plenty of other options for gameplay.

Bases can grow to be very large; this shows a Corps HQ along with Division HQs, airfields, and an oil depot

In Axis and Allies (A&A), you take the command of an army corps. From your Corps HQ, you can deploy infantry, mechanized, armored, and airborne divisions. Each Division HQ allows the requisition of three to six regiments of several different types. Regiments usually consist of five to nine infantry, halftracks, or tanks. Units are realistically employed, with realistic weapons, but balance is still kept between the different nations. Also available are engineer and artillery brigades, and motor pools, which unlock additional units and provide useful technologies. Engineers can repair buildings as well as construct static defenses. Airfields are available once all brigades are deployed, allowing you to order powerful airstrikes on your enemy. Naval units are not producible, but are available in some missions. Balancing resources involves accumulating money as well as keeping an income of ammunition and oil. Money is accumulated and spent, while ammo and oil is needed for the upkeep of divisions, and a deficit means less money income. Keeping units in supply is vital, since they will automatically repair and get reinforcements. Experience and entrenchment add to their capabilities, different formations and terrain affect their attack efficiency, and morale keeps them fighting. Keeping track of these variables is not difficult thanks to an effective layout. The AI will also keep you on your feet, pressing to find weaknesses, and then thrusting whole divisions at your lines. While the presentation is not up to some of today's high standards, combat can become extremely chaotic and enjoyable.

Combat looks epic when you get several divisons fighting, here the Germans are trying to take Moscow

If you enjoy the board game's gameplay, then you will enjoy hearing that it carried over to A&A on the PC nicely. You control a nation, using money to buy armies and technology, and then move your armies into different territories to capture them. You can take as many uncontested territories as you want, but each nation gets only one attack per turn. These battles can either be handled by the AI, or controlled by the player in an RTS match. But if you don't like the grand strategy element, then there are other options. A campaign is available which puts you in historical battles, each quite lengthy with a healthy amount of difficulty. Both the Axis and Allied powers have different campaigns, with the Axis version ending in victory for Germany and Japan (leading to obviously fictitious missions). There is also a custom mission editor, and a skirmish mode that puts up to eight players on a random map. Multiplayer communities still exist, with many player-made maps available. So, there are other choices for gameplay.

The "World War Two" mode looks like the board game, and allows you to play RTS battles, but is very easy to beat

A&A is another aging, but still highly playable game, and can be found for quite a bargain. For WWII RTS enthusiasts, it is a great strategy game to pick up. The ability for both grand and operational strategy play makes A&A quite unique. I highly suggest checking it out for new and old strategy gamers. Whether you want to build your own army and invade Japan, or find out what could have happened if Germany had repulsed the Allies in Normandy, Axis and Allies can deliver great gameplay time and time again.

Pacific Storm- More Than Just An RTS

2008-08-14T15:04:00.008-04:00

Let’s start off with this statement: Pacific Storm is not your average real-time strategy game. It combines a grand-strategy element with RTS gameplay, and even brings in arcade flying and gunning. The game takes place in the Pacific during WWII, and pits Japan against the United States. Pacific Storm is a game where you can produce a unit, send it to the frontlines, and then actually command it. Even though plagued by some problems, Pacific Storm still delivers fun and entertainment.

Grand strategic map of the Pacific, where production and placement takes place

So what do I mean by the above paragraph? In the campaign, the player starts off with a giant map of the Pacific Ocean. Players control base management, production, transport, and of course, combat. You are able to produce historical units, and even mod them to your standards by changing armaments, electronics, and other components. You can also research a large amount of technologies which allow production of new components, aircraft, and experimental missiles and bombs. Many bases are stretched across the Pacific, and each can be fortified with different buildings. When entering combat, Pacific Storm plays much like any other RTS. You control a number of ships and aircraft, and by a number, I mean up to several dozen ships and over a hundred aircraft, which leaves battles pretty crowded. Players can jump in to any of their aircraft at any time, which fly in an arcade style. There is also the ability to man anti-aircraft guns on ships, although it has very little effectiveness. Manual control of ship steering and main guns is unavailable, so you just have to watch ships fight it out. Visuals in combat are nice, but underwhelming.

Gunfire looks nice, but not being able to control the naval guns is a downside

There are a number of gametypes to select from. There is a battle planner (like instant action, where you select the units played and are), several single missions, a historical campaign and a free campaign. The single missions portray single actions in the Pacific War, like Pearl Harbor, Leyte Gulf, and the interception of Admiral Yamamoto. The historical campaigns start off with each side having a “historical” amount of aircraft and ships. However, it is far from accurate in terms of ships, with the U.S. having over a dozen aircraft carriers. The free campaign has each side start about equal, and players must take bases all over the Pacific and build them up themselves. There is a multiplayer option, but I have never seen anyone on it. Still, there are enough different ways to play to keep oneself from becoming bored.

Many aircraft can be in the air at once, and taking control of one can make you lose sight of the bigger picture

Pacific Storm is almost an ideal game, incorporating different levels of gameplay into one package. However, many bugs and problems allow it to fall short. It was developed by the Russian Lesta Studio, and the language barrier shows in grammatical errors through its many text boxes. It is very complex, but lacks thorough tutorials. The AI is sorely lacking, and will leave players wondering at its bizarre actions. Players have to be excellent micromanagers to make the most of its grand strategy element. For example, to use a guided missile, one must research the appropriate technologies, build the missile, load it onto a transport, send it to a forward base, unload it, load it onto an aircraft, and finally send the airgroup to the enemy base. It is also nearly impossible to find and engage enemy fleets outside of their bases. Finally, the game crashed randomly and often, but patches have fixed this for the most part.

The Homeland menu allows production of units and researching of technologies

Even though it has its problems, Pacific Storm is far from unplayable. If you can put up with micromanagement, average graphics, and unrealistic flying, it is a great game. There are many different ways to play, and the ability to control hundreds of ships and planes is awesome. Pacific Storm's gameplay is very customizable to fit your style of play. An expansion, Pacific Storm: Allies, is also available which brings a third nation, Great Britain, into play, along with diplomacy and more units. If you have the patience required, Pacific Storm is a unique and fun game.

Dai Senryaku VII: The Best Strategy Game You've Never Heard Of

2008-08-08T19:29:00.006-04:00

Let's take some time off from the PC and look at something for the Xbox. So what is this strategy game with a name I can’t pronounce? Dai Senryaku VII is a turn-based strategy game on a hexagonal grid for the Xbox that is imported from Japan. Before that worries you, it is all in English, in fact, besides the title, you wouldn’t even know it was produced outside of the U.S. Dai Senryaku VII(abbreviated as DS7 for both our sakes) offers a very in-depth look at modern military conflict that is extremely satisfying. Even though it is for an aging system and won’t be found in any stores offline, DS7 is definitely worth checking out.

The process can take getting used to, but with the tutorial's help, you'll soon be moving dozens of units in no time.

DS7 lets you play as one of eight nations’ modern militaries, with a total of over 400 different, real-world units to select from. Ranging from infantry, tanks, artillery, fighters, aircraft carriers, and many other types, it’s easy to find the unit balance that fits the map being played and your play style. Units are produced (in free-play mode) only in proximity to one’s Headquarters, with ships being built in ports and aircraft in airports. Each nation is presented realistically, which means that the U.S. and Russia will have better units than Japan or France, but it will cost them in deployment expenses. Logistics must also be managed, and supply trucks, ships, and tanker aircraft are vital in long-range fighting. Combat also takes place at different altitudes, with aircraft flying high, helicopters skimming the surface, troops on the ground, ships on the water, and submarines under it. Most units also carry several different weapons. A light helicopter may only carry machine guns, aircraft will have several types of missiles, ships will have a variety of weapons, and even infantry can carry anti-tank rockets, SAMs, and mortars. The depth will overwhelm those new to the playstyle, but will bring relief and add to the experience for a military buff. The camera is also very controllable and friendly.

The graphics are limited, but the I-shoot-he-counterattacks combat is presented well enough, with good sound effects

There is a lengthy campaign that is linear, but the fighting armies are represented as different colors, with the player taking control of different nations from one mission to the next. Difficulty increases at a good pace, and the missions are widely varied to avoid repetition. Free-play mode allows the player to fight on any of the campaign maps, several dozen free scenarios, and even player-created maps from the map editor. Options are open to the player, including nations, funds, and alliances. The maps range from real-world looking, to made-up, and even the bizarre, like the moon and earth, or the outline of a cartoon face. The multiple options and map editor allow unlimited replayability.

There is a wealth of information available, unique to each of the 400+ units.

So hopefully you’ve been fully introduced to a strategy game you’ve probably never heard of. That being said, I recommend checking DS7 out. While you won’t find it in any store (most likely), it can be found online at Amazon.com and the like for a bargain price. It is very in-depth for a console game, and offers a lot of realism. Between the campaign, free-play, and a map editor, you won’t get bored quickly. I highly suggest Dai Senryaku VII as one of the very few strategy games for the Xbox.

Rise of Nations: Great Gameplay for a Great Price

2008-07-24T12:59:00.008-04:00

Looking for a great bargain Real-Time Strategy game that still plays like new? Then I suggest you check out Big Huge Games’ Rise of Nations. In fact, you can get Rise of Nations (RoN) and its expansion pack (Thrones and Patriots) together for a great price now, so I’ll be talking about both in this review. RoN combines elements from Turn-Based Strategy games into an excellent RTS engine. Though it is beginning to age, RoN still looks and plays great.

Building of a city and its progression throught the ages

RoN gives great RTS gameplay. Your empire-building is centered around cities. Cities expand your national borders, allow you to build resource-collecting and research buildings, and even Wonders of the World, historical structures that boost your performance. Resources are spread throughout the map, and are not depleted. Rare resources can also be found, which give increased production and added bonuses. Technology is also key, unlocking new units and buildings, and allowing you to progress through eight “ages,” from Ancient to Information. Most technology is researched at the library, but nearly every building has some of its own. Combat follows the rock-paper-scissors concept, in that one unit easily defeats another, but is easily destroyed by a third, making well-balanced armies and navies the best choice.

Combat can get out of control, but this is a medium-sized battle

Replayability is unlimited, with different map types that can be randomly generated time and again. There are 24 different “races” available, from British to Nubian to Mongol, each with its own unique units and national bonuses. Quick Battles offer custom fights between you and up to seven computer opponents, on a variety of different map types, with many customizable options. When (or if) you tire of unlimited Quick Battle play, there are five “Conquer the World Campaigns” to choose from. These range from Alexander the Great, Napoleon, the New World (following the colonization of the Americas), the Cold War between the USA and USSR, and “The Entire World,” a Risk type map where each nation starts small and must expand its empire. Multiplayer is still highly active, and many player-made scenarios are available. RoN does not bore easily.

Strategic map of the Cold War Campaign, in which you follow historical missions like Korea and Vietnam

Even though it has been out for several years, RoN is still worth getting. It offers unlimited play with a very innovative design. Even graphics wise, RoN still holds up to more modern strategy games. Choose your nation, choose your gametype, and play in your own style. Rise of Nations is a great game that is easily found for a bargain price.

Supreme Commander- RTS of Unprecendented Scale

2008-07-02T12:38:00.007-04:00

So you’ve been playing through your Real-Time Strategy games and are starting to get bored with the same thing over and over. You want something bigger, better, more complex. Well, Gas Powered Games has given us Supreme Commander, an RTS of unprecedented scale. And I mean enormous; you don’t make a base of a few buildings, you use dozens, and hundreds more in resources farms. You don’t build a couple tanks and send them to wipe out the enemy. You build strategic missiles and long-range artillery to soften up the enemy, then move your army of 200 units into their base. Supreme Commander (popularly called SupCom) is unbelievably large, and sets a new standard for RTS.

A rather small base, with a resource farm on the left. Bases can be set up anywhere and grow many times this size.

The story takes place in 3844 A.D., after humans have colonized much of the galaxy. After several events, three factions emerge: the United Earth Federation, trying to restore order to the galaxy; the Cybran nation, a group of human-AI cyborgs trying to liberate their brethren; and the Aeon Illuminate, humans taught “The Way” by an alien race and trying to spread their beliefs throughout the rest of mankind. You start in any battle with an Armored Command Unit or ACU. This is the base unit, and allows you to begin construction of all other units and buildings. The ACU is supported by engineers, who can build more buildings but at a slower pace. Air, land, and naval factories produce units, while mass extractors and power generators produce resources. Mass is used in the building process, and energy is used to run buildings and units. Resources are stockpiled in storage, but if you run out, you don’t stop building. The more resources you use that you don’t actually have, the slower you produce units and buildings. Factories can be upgraded from Tech 1 to Techs 2 and 3, allowing production of better units and better engineers, who can build higher level buildings. Overall, each faction can produce around 30-40 different unit types and around the same number of different buildings. At a low level, each faction’s units perform about the same, but at the higher levels they diversify. Each faction also gets three unique experimental units which can easily turn the tide of battle, but are very expensive to produce.

The camera has excellent zoom capabilities, and zoomed all the way out looks like this. each symbol means something different, and each represents a single unit or building.

SupCom’s single-player campaign gives each of the three factions six missions. While it doesn’t seem like much, each mission expands several times, and can last several hours. In the first few, the player is confined to low level units, which can prove quite boring. The only way to defeat your enemy is to build large numbers of units and continually throw them at the enemy. In the last two missions, you gain access to Tech 3 units and buildings, allowing you to come up with your own strategies. The skirmish and multiplayer modes make up for this, with many maps and options to play with. The maps range in size from 5km x 5km to 81km x 81km. The largest maps are perhaps the biggest even seen in RTS, and can take many hours to complete. SupCom also has in all probability the most nuclear explosions per round in any game. To win, you must destroy the enemy’s ACU, which explodes in a nuclear fashion. Nuclear missiles are also the best way to destroy the enemy’s base. However, every attack has a defense, and nuclear missiles can be stopped.

Each faction's nukes explode differently, this happens to be a Cybran ACU being destroyed.

So, if you are experienced with RTS’s and are looking for something more, check out Supreme Commander. It does have a steep learning curve, so I would only recommend it for experienced players. The scale is enormous, and allows players to come up with multiple strategies so that no game ever plays the same way. An expansion pack, SupCom: Forged Alliance , has also been released for expanded gameplay. For those tired of traditional RTS’s, SupCom brings a whole new definition and level of play.

World in Conflict- Excellent Story, Excellent Graphics, and Excellent Gameplay

2008-06-28T15:05:00.014-04:00

Immense destruction, beautiful graphics, and a chillingly plausible storyline. You want this in a Real-Time Strategy game? Massive Entertainment’s World in Conflict delivers all this and so much more. World in Conflict (WiC) takes place in 1989, after the Cold War turned into World War Three. The single player plot puts you in control of a company of American troops trying to control a Soviet invasion of Seattle. I won’t go into the story too much, but it is excellent, and more than once gave me goosebumps. However, multiplayer shines above even that, making for a very well-rounded game. WiC deserves its title of 2007 Strategy Game of the Year.

The camera is excellent, allowing you to go from a view of the entire map down to looking over the shoulder of your units, and is completely controlled by the mouse

Single player puts you in the role of a Lt. Parker, just as the Soviets invade Seattle. The campaign is of average length, but involves good mission variety. WiC is not so much a typical RTS, with no base-building or resource management. Instead, the player gets a set amount of reinforcement points, which can be used to bring in different units. Once units are destroyed, their points eventually return to the pool, allowing you to repurchase additional units. Most units also have an offensive and defensive ability, giving them an extra push when needed. The other big point to the game is Tactical Aid. As you fight the enemy and take over control points, you gain TA points, which can be used for radar scans, artillery barrages, and airstrikes. It is extremely fulfilling to watch your artillery fall upon the enemy forces, or watch them walk right into your tank buster’s line of fire. All portrayed in the most beautiful way I have ever seen in an RTS, with every object being destructible, and every artillery round leaving a crater.

A before, during, and after look at the level of destruction in a single level of play. Mind you, this is only single player, and multiplayer gets much worse (or better, as some would see it).

As I said, multiplayer is where WiC comes into its own. Most servers are dedicated, not personally hosted, so there are always servers to be played on. When you enter a server, you can choose between the US/NATO or the USSR, and also a certain role. Multiplayer revolves around fulfilling your role, choosing from infantry, armor, air, and support. Infantry and armor are self-explanatory, air allows you to control helicopters, and support gives you powerful artillery and anti-air units. Different game types are also available: domination, which is taking more control points than the enemy; assault, where one side attacks the other’s control points and then switches to defense on the same map; and tug-of-war, where one team must take a row of control points to push a frontline forward. The level of destruction is unprecedented, with up to 16 players throwing in dozens of air and artillery strikes upon the beautifully rendered scenery. Tactical nuclear weapons are also seen occasionally.

An example of Tactical Aid, a Daisy Cutter bomb dropped from a cargo aircraft, and no where near as powerful as the tactical nuke

I will not lie; when I first saw WiC I was not overly excited, because it did not seem to reach the veteran RTS player. But after playing it for many hours, I can tell this will be one of my all time favorite RTS’s. I love the story, I love the multiplayer, I love the graphics, and I love the gameplay. This is simply an awesome game. If you are looking to get into the RTS genre, then this is a great learning game for beginners. If you are an RTS vet and looking for something more, then WiC will deliver its great content in good fashion. I highly recommend World in Conflict, and will be playing it for time to come.

Star Wars: Empire at War- Epic Space and Ground Battles

2008-06-25T17:19:00.012-04:00

If you are a fan of Real-Time Strategy games, and a Star Wars buff, then Star Wars: Empire at War is the game for you. Created by LucasArts and Petroglyph, Star Wars: Empire at War (further abbreviated as SW:EAW) is an operational strategy game which allows players to fight on the ground and in the space above over forty planets in the Star Wars universe. While the main focus is on tactical control, players also get a grand overview of the galaxy from which you can control and purchase new units and buildings. Overall, SW:EAW is the best RTS of its type.

Galactic Overview allows you to produce units and create a strategy

The game focuses on conflicts between the Empire and Rebel forces just before the fourth movie. Each side has its own units, although both have the same types generally. Both sides also have a campaign, which gives the player missions complete, although you can control what units to purchase and where to attack. SW:EAW's other main element is Galactic Conquest, an open campaign where the player selects which scenario (which sets the number of planets), starting money (called credits), and technology level. Tech levels are also important, unlocking new units and building types. Finally, SW:EAW is rounded off by an instant action mode, also available on multiplayer.

Large space battle as viewed by a "cinematic camera," which makes the game play like a movie

The greatest action and fun to be had is in the space battles. Everything a Star Wars fan could hope for and more can be found in these epic battles. Every ship present in the movies is present, from small fighters like Tie’s and X-Wings to capital ships, like Imperial Star Destroyers and Mon Calamari Cruisers, the Rebellion equivalent. At least one side usually has a space station, from which upgrades and units and be purchased (units only in Instant Action), and the Empire can construct the Death Star in Galactic Conquests. Larger ships and stations have hardpoints which can be specifically attacked, so players can take down the most important systems first. Visuals and sound are magnificent and sound “realistic” to Star Wars.

Ground battle between Rebels and Imperial AT-ATs

Ground battles also involve many of the same qualities, but seem to be much more constrained. There is still a great variety of units, but the maps seem too small. While space battles allow lots of movement, ground battles can be slow as units traverse the battleground. The attacker must capture reinforcement points to bring in more units, and points around the battlefield can be captured and built into different turrets or support buildings. The AI won’t win any awards either, mainly just coming straight at you, but the visuals are still great.

Of course, the Death Star, destroying another planet

An expansion pack, Forces of Corruption, has been released since SW:EAW's launch, and adds a new faction with all new units and buildings and more planets, which I may review at a later time. I would recommend picking up the dual pack of both games, since the expansion is great. I have also barely touched on the galactic overview part of the campaigns. This game is a great addition to the RTS genre and brings Star Wars into it in a good way. With a great variety and almost unlimited replayability, Star Wars and RTS fans alike should pick up this fantastic title.

Hearts of Iron II: Master of Grand Strategy

2008-06-20T13:52:00.007-04:00

Created by Paradox Interactive, developers of Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron II is the second installment in one of the best World War Two strategy game series ever. Hearts of Iron II puts you in control of any country that existed between 1936 and 1947. This means that while you can take control of the world playing as the United States or Germany, you can also participate in smaller conflicts as Hungary, Argentina, or Siam. Allowing you to manage every aspect of your countries war machine, Hearts of Iron IIis simply one of the best strategy games out there.

Battle of the Bulge Scenario

This grand strategy game centers on one main campaign on a global map, which allows you to control any country, and let’s you jump into the world in 1936, 1939, 1941, and 1944, so you can start in the time period of your choice. However in Hearts of Iron II , also included are sixteen limited scenarios depicting major campaigns, ranging from the invasion of Poland and D-Day, to alternate history scenarios like the invasion of Japan and a war between Brazil and Argentina.

Event announces invasion and gives the player choices

Hearts of Iron II allows total control over your country of choice. You must balance resources by importing and trading on the global market. You must use your industrial base not only on weapons of war, but also supplies and common goods to keep your populace happy. You can choose which side you will ally with, or create your own alliance of nations to take over the world. Realism is also prevalent, with events occurring almost constantly, informing you of new political and economic advances, as well as declarations of war and annexations. While most are historical events, your actions influence what will happen and when, and games never play the same way twice.

Massive offensive on the Eastern Front

Combat itself is simplified, but you must be prepared in order to win over your enemies. Researching technology will give you newer units, but you must use some of your industrial power to upgrade them, and keep a constant supply of reinforcements. Adding brigades to your divisions, the primary unit size, will give them better firepower, but you must have the correct doctrine in order to use them correctly. Units dig in and use terrain, aircraft bombard enemy positions and dogfight in the air, and ships must struggle to keep supply lanes open. Using combined arms is the most effective strategy in this very complex and in-depth game.

Players must balance their industry while purchasing new units

Overall, Hearts of Iron II is one of my personal favorites and the best game of its type out there. Nearly anything you want to do can be done, and replay is almost unlimited. I am sure that I have not done the game justice in this short review, but hopefully I have given you the idea of just how excellent this game is. While it can take a while to learn everything and get used to the gameplay, Hearts of Iron II is certainly worth it.

Definitions

2008-06-17T20:43:00.014-04:00

Strategy (as per dictionary.com): the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.

Most strategy games revolve around commanding military forces and using strategy to defeat one's enemy. They do not often involve controlling individual unit actions, such as driving and shooting. Rather, most strategy games involve building a war machine (often involving economic control), creating an army, and then controlling the army until the enemy is destroyed.

Not all strategy games involve war. In fact, many games concentrate on other areas, such as building an economy or controlling a person's actions. Examples include the Sims series, SimCity, etc., as well as many free games. However, the main purpose of this blog is discussion of games involving military strategy. So when I refer to strategy games, I am referring to those centered on military control and waging war.

In this realm of strategic games, I personally divide games into one of two categories. The first is operational strategy. Most strategy games fit into this category. These would include many RTS (Real-Time-Strategy) games. They are simpler, generally involving balancing a few resources, building an army, and then controlling the army and units. They are on a smaller scale, with maps taking up the space of a few square miles or less, and unit sizes smaller than divisions. Examples include the Command and Conquer series, Age of Empires, Star Wars: Empire at War, and the like.

My second category is grand strategy. This usually involves controlling an entire country, and involves economics, demographics, politics, and of course, the building of a military. The scale ranges from continents to the entire globe, while the player controls units like divisions, corps, and armies. These games take more skill in my opinion, due to the need to balance large amounts of resources, please your population, and wage war on a large front. Examples of this game style are the Superpower and Hearts of Iron series.

In all posts, comments and questions are welcome, and I will do my best to answer them fully. More game-specific content to come soon.

Strategy Games Blog Opening

2008-06-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

Today marks the creation of this blog to bring you info about strategy games. There are a lot of great strategy games out there, and if you're like me, you love to play them. Hopefully I'll add some good info and reviews soon!