Planes scream overhead, throwing a hail of bullets into the
forces gathered below. The German juggernaut is undaunted though, with forces
marshaled under the command of top officers – err, officer … you.
War Times is a real-time strategy game from Strategy First
and Legend Studio that attempts to capture the intricacies of the struggle for
position and power during World War II. To that end, the game employs many of
the elements of the typical RTS title, but also breaks out with some unique
perspectives of the titanic struggle by employing a host of controllable units,
coupled with a solid options package and graphics set.
Players can indulge in the single-player campaign, or hook
up via a server or LAN for a multiplayer game. Should the numerous campaigns
available for single or multiplayer not appeal to gamers, there is a map editor
enclosed to allow gamers to create their own scenarios.
The game has four nations to choose from – Germany, Russia
(the USSR), Great Britain and the United States. For simplicity’s sake, they are
boiled down into the Axis and the Allies.
October 6, 1939: The German forces are encountering the
Polish army in the Danzig Corridor. The idea is rather straightforward – crush
the resistance, and withstand the attacks of the remaining Polish Air Force
while waiting on air support from the Luftwaffe. The scene is chaos. Planes are
diving and strafing, buildings are exploding, and the sound of gunfire sends
punctuation points to each movement.
The game plays out in real-time and does a stalwart job of
keeping everything moving.
This was a beta, and the crux of the goal was to check out
the multiplayer aspects of the game.
Up to 14 can participate in the multiplayer game. Only the
LAN version was available on the build received. There are three skirmish modes
available: melee, total victory and protect the general. They are pretty
self-explanatory. Consider the ‘protect the general’ akin to a capture-the-flag
game.
The game moved smoothly on both ends and scored hits with
both sides involved in the tussle. This was an intriguing chess match feature
resources that were built, attacked and repaired. After all, an army travels on
its stomach and resources are vital to the war effort in this presentation.
As far as controls are concerned, this title is very
typical of the range of RTS titles on the market. It utilizes a lot of the drag
and drop ideas generic to the genre, and the interface is very easy to work
with, lending itself to a quick immersion into the battles.
Graphically this title is well done. The game has more than
80 different units and 70 structures, and the battles can be fought out on land,
sea or air. Weather plays a factor in the game as well. There is nothing quite
as frustrating as having reinforcements bogged down and delayed due to weather.
War Times is a solid single-player outing, but this game
really hits its stride in multiplayer action. The game is so unpredictable, and
with the elements of weather and terrain thrown into the mix, players will
really have to work on strategy. That makes for a game that will smack of
intuitive gameplay, but also tax the strategic mindset and resourcefulness of
game players.
War Times may have many typical RTS components, but it also
has some concepts that break away from the norm, and that leads to solid
entertainment.
