A bargain bin must buy
Pros:
fast paced, many units, cheap
Cons:
minimal storyline, no scripted missions
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
If you somehow missed this game when it was new, reach into that bargain bin and pick it up now. I bought the multi-pack (The game and the Core Contingency expansion pack), and have enjoyed it long after I got my twenty dollars worth out of it.
The best way to describe it is Starcraft with robots. All units (there are air, sea, and land units) are robots. This means that, while there is plenty of destruction, there is no gore. I found this a refreshing change from the blood-fest of most recent games.
Resource collection is pretty much standard fare for a real-time strategy game. You have 2 resources: Energy and Metal. The energy is collected by building solar power stations. These can be built anywhere, and accumulate energy over time. The metal collectors are built over metal deposits. Resources are collected automatically, so there is no need to create dozens of units to collect the resource and return it to your base. You will need to create multiple collectors, and protect them from attack, however.
Since this is an older game, the graphics are slightly dated compared to recent games, but they still hold their own. Units are true 3D, meaning the tanks trundle up and down hills, and planes bank as they come in for the kill. When a unit blows up, it breaks into pieces which crash to the ground, damaging units and setting trees on fire. There are also a great number of different units to choose from, ranging from submarines, spider tanks, and long range cannons which can lob shells across half the map.
As for this plot and the mission structure, its there
barely. There is a short text briefing before each mission, and a simple story unfolds, but its really just an excuse for linking the missions together. Thats fine though, since the gameplay more than makes up for the lack of scripted missions. I would recommend picking this game up in the bundle with the expansion pack, the extra units and missions add some more life and play value to the game. If you enjoyed Warcraft, Starcraft, or Command & Conquer, youll like this game. If you dont have those games, take a look at them as well.
