TOM CLANCY’S ENDWAR Posted by Alec Hilton on Nov 21, 2008 17:35 (Nov 21, 2008 17:35) |
||||||||||||||||
Ubisoft aren’t amazingly well know for RTS games with only two series coming to mind, Settlers and Might and Magic. Both of those series do have the depth and the humorous factor that Ubisoft is quite well known for, Tom Clancy’s Endwar however sets very much of a more serious tone but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun and enjoyable, far from it in fact.
Endwar is based on the award winning Tom Clancy universe, as if you hadn’t guessed from the title, and just to prove it throughout the game there are cameos from some of the series’ most well know characters. As you may have guessed the story is the typical apocalyptic one, it centres on the Third World War. The lead up to the game starts with a terrorist attack on Middle Eastern Oil fields which destroys most of the world’s oil supply leaving only Russia with enough oil for the world’s economy. From here you can guess that it spirals out of control with Russia using the money it makes from the oil to increase it’s military might. Very soon you have a total war situation, if this all sounds a little too much for you though, the opening sequence of the game tells the beginning of the story in the style of a history snapshot which is not only easy on the eye (and brain) but which also sets the tone for the whole game.
 Once into the action you have the choice of three factions to play as: Europa (United States of Europe), The U.S and Russia, for each one you control a Commander in their army being given missions by some of the famous faces of the universe. Each faction has its own unique campaign and its own units, this sounds all very much like a normal RTS formula, which is very true but the story though excellent isn’t the main reason that Endwar stands out from the crowd, no it’s the control and gameplay mechanics that make it what it is.
The controls are the most interest part of the game in a way, you see you have two options, the first being the conventional pad use, which is simple enough. Hold down the RT and you get a menu system with all the orders that you can issue to your units. But if you have a mic (which you all should have seeing as you get one in the 360 box) it transforms the game. You still need to hold down RT but once done that is the last time you need to use your fingers for the order, you can then order your units using preset commands such as “Unit 2 attack hostile 1”. These commands are pretty straight forward and after a short amount of time with the game you’ll be holding RT and then shouting out the order before the menu even comes up. There is a small problem with the voice system though, the system is able to pick up most accents without a problem but if you say it a bit too quickly it will confuse fours with fives and the like. This isn’t a massive problem and it doesn’t really affect your game but it does mean that you have to reissue orders at times which can be annoying.
Another interesting thing about Endwar is how things are played out with the voice system and the gameplay. As you may have guessed, the implication of the voice system means that the old RTS theme of highlighting the required units then moving across the map to select their destination is lost, instead just select what unit you want with the menu or voice options and then issue a move to a set point on the map such as the relay stations around the map. The rest of the gameplay is very much your typical RTS play, but you really can feel that this game is built for Consoles, which is an amazing feeling.
Endwar’s graphics are pretty amazing too, if you compare them with the graphics in say Command and Conquer 3 then the units look so much better in Endwar and if you angle the camera down enough there is some lovely detail on the tanks and gunships. When it comes to the Cutscenes you can’t really compare the two as it is a completely different kettle of fish. The vistas of the game can be lovely but at the same time a lot of Europe’s battlefields do look a bit similar.
 There is no doubt that the online features of the game are the main pull of the whole experience. The online experience is set out in a real-time feature, but still relies on a small turn-based set-up. The basic idea is that you choose the faction that you wish to be and then you will join in a world battle. The world is divided up with each country its own battleground. Here you select an enemy occupied country that you wish to attack and wait for an enemy commander to join in and fight for their chosen nation. The game supports four a side matches which can get quite frantic but offer an amazing battle experience. From the lobby you move into the same field of play that you experienced in the single player. The best thing is that the online world is always evolving, as battles are decided the control of each country is changed, however when you log off and say come back the next day it could be that over the night another command for your faction failed to beat an opposing force, meaning that the country that you took is now back in the hands of the faction that you took it off to begin with. This can lead to some frustration and excitement when coming back online and seeing what battles have been won or lost.
Endwar has to be one of the best console RTS’ that has graced the next-generation and even last-generation consoles. It uses a truly immersive control system that gives you a real feel for the depth of battle and complexity of command. This game really is a must for any Strategy fan or any fan of Clancy, hearing Mitchell from Ghost Recon briefing you on your mission or having Sam Fisher out on the field really adds to the depth of the game. For a first attempt at a console based RTS it might not measure up to C&C3 in story but in terms of gameplay it stands out by itself.
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
Comments |  |
