Category Archives: Reviews

Real Time D-Day

A real time simulation of the Allied invasion of France in 1944 sounds VERY interesting. Too bad Matrix Games and Lamb Software did not end up with a product fitting of the intended scope, possibly due to the scope itself being too large. Problems start right at installation. No manual came with the game so there is no immediate help in getting started. I installed the game and no icon came up on the desktop. No problem, just open and close the CD door to get the CD to run. Hmmm, seems like the only option is to install the … Continue reading Real Time D-Day

An RTS with a Twist!

I can hear the cries already "Jeesh, not yet ANOTHER RTS with a twist!" But wait until you have tried this new offering from Microsoft Games and Ensemble Studios before ye judge to harshly. Anyone remember that old classic – Populous? Remember how you had god powers granted based on the number of followers you had? Well, Ensemble Studios has worked this into Age of Mythology quite nicely! What you have is a world dominated by three cultures – Egyptian – Norse – Greek. Each is quite unique and each has their own pantheon of gods with their own ways … Continue reading An RTS with a Twist!

Commandos 2 Die For

Real-Time Strategy games rarely appear on consoles. Though the games are huge successes on PC’s, the genre has never really successfully crossed over to the console format. Attempts have been made of course, but the only one that ever really sold well was Starcraft for the N64. Despite all of this, companies still periodically make attempts to bring RTS’ to the console format, as is the case Eidos’ latest offering, Commandos 2. The game, developed by Pyro Studios, is a great entry in the RTS genre, although it is plagued by many of the same things that have held console … Continue reading Commandos 2 Die For

Battlegrounds Makes Combat Fun

Ever play a Real Time Strategy game? Red Alert? Empire Earth? Age of Empires? Starcraft? Warcraft? GOOD! Then you are ready to take controls of Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds – Lucas Arts’ new real time strategy game based in the world of Star Wars. If not then you will need to go through the whole tutorial before you are ready rather than just the last few missions. Is it a ground breaking new game? Not in the least. Does that really matter? Not to me in the slightest. If a game is fun to play I will play it no … Continue reading Battlegrounds Makes Combat Fun

Breeching the walls, again

One of the greatest things about being a reviewer is that sometimes people actually listen to you. Stronghold: Crusader is the follow-up title to the original Stronghold game reviewed by GiN about a year ago. Anyhow, just about everything that I said needed fixed from the original title has been improved here. Of course I am sure I was not the only reviewer who brought up some missing features, but at least I was among the crowd calling for change. The Stronghold series bills itself as a castle-building simulation. While this is a good description, it is worth noting that … Continue reading Breeching the walls, again

Saving Planet X, Again

Yep, that is the first thought when you look at the box containing DarkPlanet : Battle for Natrolis. Standard theme – almost. Humans find a planet. Humans want to take over the planet. Locals take objection to the humans kicking them off their world. Now here is where the first twist is introduced by Edgies, the battling of the Humans and the locals wake up a long dormant third party that takes exception to both other races and decides it would be a good idea to exterminate them so they can get back to sleep! That’s it, plain simple and … Continue reading Saving Planet X, Again

Strategius Maximus

It’s so rare these days to find an RTS that actually has something new to add to the picture, but Legion fits the bill. On the surface Legion looks like a lot of the other historical titles that have come into vogue as of late. Over the past 10 years I have played at least that many titles involving Ancient Rome in some way. But Legion is by far the most interesting, and in many ways, the most historically accurate. The game combines the standard province management features found in most games these days, with a turn-based strategic map phase … Continue reading Strategius Maximus

Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs

Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs is a real time strategy (RTS) game set during the three kingdoms era of china, and believe it or not, my diverse background does actually include studying ancient china while in college. You are probably thinking "why man why?" Well, to be perfectly honest, my advisor recommended the class during an early morning appointment, and I was stupid enough to say ok. Seriously, I joke about it now, but in all honesty I found the history of Asia to be quite fascinating and I continue to expand my knowledge when the time and opportunity … Continue reading Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs

Came, Conquered, Done That

If you played Europa Universalis, you may feel like you have been there before when you play Europa Universalis II. It has the same look, the same feel, lets face that it’s basically the same game with nifty new options and even more comprehensive economic and diplomatic systems. There are also more decisions for you to make as ruler of your nation of choice. But after a game has started, the differences will become more and more clear to you. This is basically a major enhancement to an already great game that only increases the player’s enjoyment of it. Many … Continue reading Came, Conquered, Done That

Warcraft III Reigns Supreme

How long has it been since Blizzard released a quality RTS game? About 4 years, if I remember correctly. I have always mentioned how Blizzard seems to take forever to get their titles out on the market. However, unlike other developers who take forever to make a title that ends up being bad (Battlecruiser 3000AD, anyone), whatever Blizzard releases ends up pure gold. Remember how long it took for Starcraft to come out? But also remember how the final product was so memorable, so engrossing, and just so deep that it is still enjoyed to this day (especially in Korea … Continue reading Warcraft III Reigns Supreme