hours of my life in 2003 and 2004 with three hugely addictive strategy games:
Advance Wars, Advance Wars 2, and Fire Emblem. These games were
super-challenging, insanely addictive, and also held the crown as three of the
most unique portable games on the planet. Turn-based strategy reached a new
level with the release of those games.
Now another platform is
getting its shot at the genre with the who-in-the-world-saw-it-coming N-Gage
exclusive: Pathway to Glory. Set in World War II and featuring historically
accurate details (we can never be too certain having not experienced the war
ourselves), Pathway to Glory is an intricate strategy game with no additives.
But its all-natural formula will turn anyone into an addict.
In the beginning, Pathway
to Glory comes off as one of those "memorize the keyboard now or die!" kinds
of PC games. It’s not a PC game, but all of the face buttons are used, a
rarity for the N-Gage. Most games just stick to the 5 and 7 buttons, since
those are the equivalent of the Game Boy Advance’s A and B buttons.
Scrolling through Pathway
to Glory’s numerous menus only serves to enhance the overwhelming feeling.
Don’t be afraid though. Strategy nuts will appreciate this and examine every
aspect for the first battle. If you’re not that patient, click "OK" a few
times and proceed to the battle screen.
A wide variety of choices.
Since this is a
turn-based game, battle setup is reminiscent of the Advance Wars series.
Combat takes place on the ground level, with individual troops and powerful
tanks serving as two of the key ingredient. Send a man into enemy territory
and he’ll be shot down immediately. The only way to avoid this is by sneaking
– crouch, hide behind objects, etc. It adds a little bit of a spy/espionage
element to the game, increasing the strategy and the risk for death ten-fold.
Units are moved by
pressing the 5 key after the cursor has been pointed at the location you wish
to move to. Gunfire is automatic. Click on an enemy as you would a location
on the screen and the cursor will switch to a crosshairs symbol. Click on him
again and your troop will move in and attempt to take a shot. If he sees you
coming, you’ll be shot as well, likely eliminating both men from the game. It
can backfire though. Sometimes you’re the one who will lose out. That’s why
sneaking is an integral part of the game.
Select your units…
The map changes by
guiding the cursor toward the left, right, top or bottom part of the screen.
I never had a problem locating my allies, nor did I run into trouble locating
my enemies. For quicker access the game includes quick keys (1 and 3) that
jump between each unit. Units can take only one action per turn. Select a
unit that’s already moved and he will not react.
Real-world objects and
man-made structures prevent the player from moving anywhere at any time,
adding another difficulty to the already large list. Like most of the others,
this difficulty is a welcome one.
Pathway to Glory’s
graphics aren’t one of its strongest points, though I doubt anyone will walk
away disappointed. Despite being very small, the soldiers are easy to see at
all times. Visible battle damage is minimal, but it’s above acceptable,
getting the job done well on one of the world’s tiniest game screens.
Backgrounds are pre-rendered and stay in place at all times, giving Pathway to
Glory a retro strategy game appearance. It’s at least on par with the
original Command & Conquer.
Overall the sound is
immersive and memorable, featuring a good soundtrack and good sound effects.
Listen carefully as bullets are fired. Explosions create an effect that’s far
superior to the old technology that other games use.
…Charge!!
The N-Gage’s limited
sound capabilities prevent the music from reaching its full potential, but
that doesn’t mean the composer’s work should go unacknowledged. The music
really catches your attention. I turned the game on and left the room while
it loaded for the first time. All of a sudden I hear this epic,
war-influenced, moderately emotional music that sounds like it came from a
movie production. I ran to the N-Gage, picked it up, and – once I figured out
what I was doing – became engaged in the experience.
Although these elements
lead to a fuller experience, Pathway to Glory’s gameplay rules the day. It’ll
shock most gamers; those who purchased the portable console, only to find
themselves bored to tears, as well as those who wanted nothing to do with it
in fear of being bored to tears. I like N-Gage a lot and have enjoyed a few
of its games, but there’s a reason why the Nintendo DS is kicking its butt.
Up until now N-Gage didn’t have any exclusive, must-play titles. If more
Pathway to Glory-quality games are around the corner, N-Gage will finally
become the console it was born to be.
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Gameplay: 8.9
Looking for glory
on your N-Gage? You’ll find it in Pathway to Glory, the best turn-based
strategy game released since Advance Wars 2.
The action is great for a
game where your primary controls involve pointing and clicking. Although it’s
nothing like Chess, I can’t help but make the comparison: every move must be
thought out, even those made before a gunfight breaks out.
Graphics: 7
Above average for
N-Gage, but as a whole it’s not. This does not mean that Pathway to Glory is
an ugly game. It has a good engine with a fair amount of detail – just the
right amount for a game of this kind.
Sound: 8.5
Kudos to the
composer. And while you’re at it, give a fruit bar to the sound guys. Okay,
that was a bad joke. In all seriousness, this is one of the best, if not the
best sounding N-Gage games. The music is epic – the sound is of a higher
quality and is non-repetitive. Together they make Pathway to Glory a sound
experience.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.5
Advance
Wars-style gameplay with an entirely different set of challenges.
Multiplayer: 8.5
Who knew the
N-Gage had it in it? True multiplayer for up to six players. Test your
so-called "perfect strategies" in the real world against other gamers over the
N-Gage network. Don’t go crying to the sergeant when you get shot after
running into battle with your hands tied behind your back.
Overall: 8.9
It’s great to see
a killer-app exclusively on the N-Gage, but I can’t help but think how amazing
a PSP version would be. When you play it you’ll feel the same way. This
highly addictive strategy game crams more strategic, mind-crunching goodness
into one tiny package than most strategy games combined (excluding Advance
Wars and Fire Emblem, of course). Once you get N-Gaged, you won’t want
to put it down.
