Strategy Gamer Corner!
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 10:26 pm
Welcome to Strategy Gamer Corner, where we check out the latest (or in this case, what came out five months ago) in strategy gaming!
Today we'll be taking a look at a game -- or rather, a free demo of a game -- to which my only response is: "Why the hell did this game take so frigging long to come out?!"
I think, after spending over 20 minutes on the free demo, I can state without hyperbole that this game is the greatest game ever made in the last 10,000 years! I mean, I guess it's on equal footing with Chess, but has MUCH better graphics!
The game in question is: Massive Assault, and everyone should go run out and buy ten copies of it!
I shall now describe it for you using bold typeface to highlight the keynotes!
It is a turn-based strategy game which looks and sounds like a real-time strategy, but still plays like a hex-based wargame at its core! It is most reminiscent in gameplay, I think, to the old classic The Perfect General, except now that I think about it, that's not really the game I'm thinking of. What in the hell was the name of that game, anyway? It definitely had general in the title of the game. Oh right, PANZER GENERAL, that's the one! Yeah, it reminds me a lot of that game, except it's much better, because first of all, the graphics are AWESOME d00d and it sounds cool and most importantly of all, it is a SCIENCE FICTION THEMED GAME!!! Good Christ, I was wondering how many decades would have to go by before someone actually did a good-looking, turn-based sci-fi game!
There are also other facets to the game play, including a Risk- or Empire-esque thing where neutral countries can join the fight for one side or the other, and each country provides more money every turn to build more troops and stuff. I haven't totally figures this out yet, because it's just the demo, and I haven't delved that far into it.
The only negatives I've found thusfar are that the chick doing the voice acting misprounces words and pronounces other ones in an annoying fashion, and the interface is a little confusing, although I haven't read the documentation, because there isn't any in the demo. Oh, also the background story is pretty goddamn ridiculous, but who cares.
One last warning for wargame enthusiasts: The game does not appear to implement any of the following standard wargame elements, although this might be just because, again, I'm just working with the demo here:
1. There is no randomization of attack/defense. If a unit is rated for two hit points of damage, that's exactly how much he'll do. In this way, it becomes more like a chess game in close quarters.
2. Doesn't appear to be anything like fog-of-war, and you can see all the units all the time. Even in the 22nd century, I'd imagine they'd have figured out a way to be a little stealthy.
Well, there you have it! I am definitely going to be purchasing the full version soon, at which point I will most likely play it once, and then never load it up again!
Thanks for joining us at Strategy Gamer Corner!!!
Today we'll be taking a look at a game -- or rather, a free demo of a game -- to which my only response is: "Why the hell did this game take so frigging long to come out?!"
I think, after spending over 20 minutes on the free demo, I can state without hyperbole that this game is the greatest game ever made in the last 10,000 years! I mean, I guess it's on equal footing with Chess, but has MUCH better graphics!
The game in question is: Massive Assault, and everyone should go run out and buy ten copies of it!
I shall now describe it for you using bold typeface to highlight the keynotes!
It is a turn-based strategy game which looks and sounds like a real-time strategy, but still plays like a hex-based wargame at its core! It is most reminiscent in gameplay, I think, to the old classic The Perfect General, except now that I think about it, that's not really the game I'm thinking of. What in the hell was the name of that game, anyway? It definitely had general in the title of the game. Oh right, PANZER GENERAL, that's the one! Yeah, it reminds me a lot of that game, except it's much better, because first of all, the graphics are AWESOME d00d and it sounds cool and most importantly of all, it is a SCIENCE FICTION THEMED GAME!!! Good Christ, I was wondering how many decades would have to go by before someone actually did a good-looking, turn-based sci-fi game!
There are also other facets to the game play, including a Risk- or Empire-esque thing where neutral countries can join the fight for one side or the other, and each country provides more money every turn to build more troops and stuff. I haven't totally figures this out yet, because it's just the demo, and I haven't delved that far into it.
The only negatives I've found thusfar are that the chick doing the voice acting misprounces words and pronounces other ones in an annoying fashion, and the interface is a little confusing, although I haven't read the documentation, because there isn't any in the demo. Oh, also the background story is pretty goddamn ridiculous, but who cares.
One last warning for wargame enthusiasts: The game does not appear to implement any of the following standard wargame elements, although this might be just because, again, I'm just working with the demo here:
1. There is no randomization of attack/defense. If a unit is rated for two hit points of damage, that's exactly how much he'll do. In this way, it becomes more like a chess game in close quarters.
2. Doesn't appear to be anything like fog-of-war, and you can see all the units all the time. Even in the 22nd century, I'd imagine they'd have figured out a way to be a little stealthy.
Well, there you have it! I am definitely going to be purchasing the full version soon, at which point I will most likely play it once, and then never load it up again!
Thanks for joining us at Strategy Gamer Corner!!!
