War, the Game Review
War. What is it good for? Some have said “Absolutely nothing” but it can make a really fun game from time to time. War, the Game looks to shed the excess and glory of modern day RTS games to deliver a pure experience. Find out what War, The Game is good for after the jump…
My first thoughts upon playing War: The Game is the clarity of purpose it delivers from the start. The game from the menu to the end of a mission executes precisely what it sets out to do. There’s no story, the graphics are simple, and the controls follow suit, zero fog of war, with nothing connecting one mission from one to the next aside from the overarching story of making as much money as possible. As a supreme commander you use land, air, sea, and a nuclear arsenal to commit yourself to global domination.
The game starts with a simple tutorial that describes the game’s seven distinct units, how to use them, and details the controls of the game. The game also outlines the minimalist economy system of controlling major world cities that funds your war effort. Here is where you’re introduced to the very precise and somewhat austere game design. Immediately obvious is the lack of a fog war which has been a standard of RTS games for many years. This presents an interesting challenge as your enemy can see what you’re doing and you can do the same. This gives the game an almost twitch-like reflex as you must advance and counter enemy advances. This gets increasingly complex as the later scenarios become very target rich and the emphasis on protecting your flanks becomes incredibly important. There is no overarching story except making as much money before retirement, though they seem to mimic famous military operations from history, for example the first scenario pits American forces against Iraqi forces that have invaded Kuwait. A clear reproduction of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, however not all the scenarios are as serious, for example one scenario is an invasion of the U.S. mainland which was very amusing. The game is incredibly brutal as fronts begin to form naturally, and you quickly realize that the game devolves into a serious war of attrition as you race to have the right units in the right spot at the right time. It’s immensely satisfying to watch an enemy front break when a plan comes together. However you’re horribly punished for not thinking tactically or strategically. Luckily the game’s pace is sweeping instead of break neck, like a slow motion sequence. The similarities to RISK or Axis and Allies are uncanny and if you’re fond of those tabletop games you’ll enjoy War: The Game very much.
Controlling the game became second nature after getting some used to. Designed to be played with a gamepad in addition to the keyboard and mouse probably presented some interesting challenges however found it easy to understand and use. You control a majority of the actions in game with the left and right mouse buttons as well as long-presses to select, de-select, and confirm orders as well as drag and drop to select units. Space speeds up the gameplay and mouse wheel zoom in and out. The simplicity of controlling units and issuing commands is a great given how hectic the game can be at times.
Visually the game is striking, some may not like the monochrome interface and abstracted unit icons but personally they feel appropriate, if you’ve played Introversion’s DEFCON then you’ll be right at home with the graphical style. The 3D Globe that you commit your pitched battles on is breath-taking especially as you zoom in and out. The tutorial features a digitalized talking head that fits right in with the theme and helps convey the image of a general huddled over a console watching the battle unfold. The animations on the units are sharp but they can be a little repetitive and battles while thrilling to see unfold are a little lackluster when engaged in a fight. The fuzzed and infrared unit appearances are a nice touch. The battle indicators when engaged in a fight are similar to a pie chart with the strength of the units representing the pieces. This is the first time I’ve sat on the end of my seat watching a pie chart dwindle or grow, especially in evenly matched fights.
The soundtrack and unit effects show that great care was taken to create a unifying theme of a detached virtual battlefield. The music almost feels dismissive of the act of war which was really refreshing compared to other titles in the RTS genre which tend to be bombastic in their scores like Company of Heroes 2, encompassing an almost thoughtful and percussive atmosphere. It can be a little repetitive but felt it helped engender thinking a little more about my engagements and manuevers. The interface beeps and boops accordingly and generally fits the techno-themed interface really well. The tutorial head’s voice is also a nice touch lending to the game’s immersion as it matter of fact tone states the instructions and goals of the scenario, it’s difficult not to be endeared to it.
Overall, I found the title to be engaging and thrilling. The theme, gameplay, controls, and production values have had consider care put into them. carefully crafted after crossing the quirks of the system. The scenarios were interesting and well-thought out which lent to some exciting missions coupled with a large variety made for an interesting experience that I lost many hours to. The team at Gabber Games has a gem on their hands especially in the realm of RTS games where derivative titles can be quickly buried under the behemoths of the world like StarCraft and Company of Heroes.
Pros:
Well-designed interface
Variety of scenarios
Interesting premise
Large amount of content for the price
Cons:
Graphical style may not appeal to most
Soundtrack is repetitive
A.I. can be incredibly difficult or too easy
Learning curve is high for beginners to RTS games
Score: 8/10
War, the Game is a fantastic title that pokes fun at the serious genre of RTS gaming by providing interesting scenarios, simple controls, and lots of depth in a deceivingly clean package.
