E3 2003 –
First Look
Take elements from the
popular board game Risk, combine them with a turn-based strategy game and you
have an inkling of what is in store for players in Supreme Ruler 2010.
The PC game, a release from
Strategy First, was demonstrated at E3 in Los Angeles and GameZone.com was on
hand to take a look.
The game takes place in the year 2010, a
time when the major powers of the world have collapsed and economic and military
factions are fighting for control of continents and regions. You will have to
mine resources, build up your military and make a simple choice, either conquer
or be conquered.
The game’s graphics are along the lines of
a civ game and while the overall tone of the program is akin to Risk, or a
military chess match, it is hard to pigeonhole this program. The game features a
tight AI, and all units are based on real-world elements. The mapboards are also
based on the real world and there is a progressive conquest ladder. For example,
you may start in South Wales, Australia (the demonstrated scenario), but you
will progress to the continent of Australia and then into the Southeast Asian
region.
Other game features include 16-player
scenarios for broad-based multiplayer action. If you thought the individual
scenarios were tough, get 15 others players working in the turn-based arena and
the potential for a wild and fun experience grows.
The sound was negligible in the build
previewed.
The game is not stunning graphically, but
does do a great job of conveying the feel and tone of the experience. The player
interface seems easy to navigate and the game utilizes the point-and-click
elements with most of the controls standard for the genre.
Supreme Ruler 2010 looks like an easy game
on the surface, but what lies beneath the surface is an intellectual challenge
that will give players who enjoy the challenge of world conquest a run for their
region.
This game is slated for a January 2004
release.
