Strategy games have had a
loyal following among the more patient gamer who prefer to outmatch opponents in
a most cerebral and well-calculated manner and then bash some heads in when the
moment is just right. The Xbox has seen its share of strategy games but the
most recent offerings come from LucasArts who is better known for their
action-packed adventure games. Along with Gladius, a strategy RPG set in
the age of Roman gladiators, Wrath Unleashed offers more of what strategy fans
look for in their strategy games.
The game’s premise
revolves around a feud between four elemental overlords that draw their power
from the elements of creation (Earth, Wind, Water and Fire). These Gods find
under the banner of chaos and order and light versus darkness and in the game’s
story mode, Campaign, we find out that the two dark Gods Durlock and Helamis
plot against the good Gods of the Light, Aenna and Epothos. The result is an
epic battle between these great forces and the armies they command.
The game features four
different game modes: Campaign, Battle, Versus and Team Fighter. Campaign is
the game’s story mode that has you assuming the role of one of the Gods as you
win battles and complete a list of objectives while you’re at it. Battle pits
you against other players (be it another player or the computer controlled AI)
in a single match while Versus leaves the strategy aside from just plain tail
kicking arcade-styled battles. And Team Fighter allows gamers to create their
own teams to duel in the arenas. There’s also an Army Builder option players
can use to design their dream army. My biggest complaint is that they did not
include a map editor so gamers can design their own playing map.
For the most part, Wrath
Unleashed plays like a more interesting game of chess. Your “chess” pieces,
though, are made up of beasts and unique monsters of both good and evil. The
game places you on a world map that is composed of hexagonal grids and each map
comes complete with various terrain types (swamps, deserts, plains or mountains)
and special structures (like citadels or temples). You move your army across
the grid while taking enemy structures in a turn-based game of wits. And much
like a game of chess, you must carefully rethink every move or risk loosing
important positions on the playing grid.
Depending on the God you
choose to play, your monsters will have matching elemental powers. For example,
if you choose Epothos (the God of Fire) your more powerful monsters will be
endowed with the elemental power of fire. Also, depending on whether you align
yourself with those who embrace chaos or order, the assortment of monsters will
also vary. If you choose a God that is aligned to Light Order you would have a
powerful Ogre Mage in your army. Those aligned to Dark Chaos would have a
powerful Chaos Demon among their ranks.
Strategy gamers will enjoy
the extra twists that allow your God to cast spells such as Wrath (that inflict
heavy damages to your enemy) or Teleport (to teleport to parts of the grid you
can’t reach quickly enough). Yet the game quickly changes when two monsters
collide in the same spot on the grid and thus turning the game into a fighter.
Each one-on-one battle takes place in an arena filled with elemental dangers as
well as terrain hindrances and you’ll be able to fight on your terms. Depending
on whose side of the grid you are on a special advantage point is awarded to the
fighter who is challenged in his or her own turf. The fights are far from being
as smoothly executed as a Tekken game, though. In fact, they can be
rough in certain spots but hardly bad enough that gamers will be turned off by
the battles.
Another rough spot found
in the game is the difficulty. Playing Wrath as a single player game is really
hard and this is due to the opponent AI that makes quickly calculated moves that
will leave you astonished. In the blink of an eye, the opponent already has the
drop on you. While this makes for a better challenge, it’s an unfair
advantage. The game also possesses some really long load screens.
Wrath Unleashed is also a
very good-looking game . . . that is, if we’re only talking about the arena
battles. When battles erupt, you’ll be treated to beautifully detailed arenas
and fighters. Really, this is one heavily detailed game filled with bright
colors and impressive special effects as your monsters clash. It’s quite
stunning to see elemental attacks in action and they won’t fail to astonish at
all. However, when you‘re moving your army across the world map, the wonderful
level of detail and bright color drops significantly for a somewhat plain visual
experience. The only thing visually impressive about the world map is when
magic spells are cast–they look amazing even from afar.
Sound-wise, Wrath scores
big points with its epic score that’s both dramatic and cinematic. From the
opening theme music (that reminds me a lot of the original Conan the Barbarian
film score) to the music that plays during battles, it sets the mood just
right. The voice acting is also really good but it’s the sound effects that are
the sound’s noticeable strongpoint. You’ll hear axes strike iron and flame
elemental attacks sizzle the flesh as a monster howls in pain. This is good
stuff that could have been handled a lot better while playing on the world map.
As far as strategy games
go, Wrath Unleashed manages to deliver the goods and thus makes this title a
worthwhile purchase for any fan of this particular genre. With game modes
aplenty and enough maps to play along solo or with a group of friends, you’ll be
playing this for a real long while. The game does, however, make battles and
encounters very long so if you’re not a patient gamer then this game is not for
you. Otherwise, this is a more than decent strategy game for those Xbox gamers
looking for more strategy titles.
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Gameplay: 7.0
Turn-based strategy games require
boatloads of patience and Wrath Unleash is the kind of game that demands a lot
of it. That being said, gamers who enjoy a good chess match will find lots to
love about a game that will have you consider each move. Unfortunately, the
fighting controls make for some seriously cumbersome clashes.
Graphics: 8.7
Visually speaking, there are a lot
of things to admire or completely dislike about the graphics found in this
game. The map is one giant grid and is composed of small figures, a few
structures and nothing else. This is actually very disappointing since the
graphics really come to life only when battles occur. During battles we get a
closer look at the combatants as well as the wonderfully detailed and colorful
characters and environments. The visual effects, such as spells and element
attacks, look amazing.
Sound: 8.0
While the sound found in this game
is far from being ear candy, there is a lot more to like here than with the
visuals. The score, for instance, is dramatic, loud and wonderfully diverse.
When fighters clash, you’ll hear everything from the heavy trampling of the
giantess to the hoofed kicks of the centaur. You can also find some pretty
decent voice acting that works well in setting up the Campaign mode’s story.
Difficulty: Hard
It’s wise to go through the Tutorial
mode the first time around because, while it’s not an extremely complicated game
to master, there are loads of things that could slow gamers down. Learning
every possible trick found in the tutorial or the instruction manual will leave
gamers more time to concentrate on strategic moves and plan attacks. Still, the
computer -controlled opponent seems to be stuck in one setting–hard.
Concept: 7.5
As far as strategy games go, Wrath
Unleashed offers a healthy dose of traditional turned-based strategy goodness
along with fighting game elements tossed in for good measure. Although there
are plenty of maps available, it would have been great to design your own map
using an editor. I would have even settled for some Xbox Live support, which is
something fans of strategy games would have loved. The Army Builder option is a
nice touch, though.
Multiplayer: 7.0
Strategy games have also been meant
to be shared with other fans of the genre and thankfully the game allows up to
four gamers to play against each another. The game is a one-on-one experience
but its just more satisfying going up against a friend than an AI opponent.
Battle and Versus mode are the main modes for playing a multiplayer match and,
with enough characters (both on the Light and the Dark side) and maps, the
choices are nicely adequate. I still think the game could have definitely
benefited from Xbox Live support.
Overall: 7.5
It’s great to see LucasArts stray
from its usual action/adventure fare to offer fans of the strategy genre
something worthy to put into their Xbox consoles. Wrath Unleashed is both
demanding and highly enjoyable at the same time, thus making this a
love-it-or-hate-it type of game. For the most part, fans of the genre will
enjoy devising their own strategies like a chess game with monsters while others
will find the long load times and stiff battles a nuisance.
