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WHEN AUSTRALIAN-BASED DEVELOPERS SSG first announced that the next sequel in their turn-based Warlords series would enter the real-time fray, there was a collective sigh of disappointment from fans of the turn-based genre. Over the past few years the Warlords line has led a dwindling pack of traditional turn-based games, and the news that it had succumbed to the real-time revolution was not welcomed by many. Even so, now that Warlords Battlecry has been released the howls of protest should cease. While I'm sure turn-based gamers will remain unsatisfied with the end result, SSG have done a fine job in converting their flag-bearing fantasy series to the real-time format.
Battlecry is set in the fantasy world of Etheria, a land not unfamiliar to fantasy gamers. Populated with all manner of creatures, from Orcs and Elves to the Minotaur and Undead, the ancient land has recently been threatened by a mysterious force from the outer realms. Two bolts of energy have landed on the planet, and through the course of the single player campaign (the Tears of Dawn) it's your task to uncover their origins and restore peace to the land. This is hardly an original storyline, but it is functional and sets the scene for the ensuing mayhem. The solo campaign has a total of 36 linked scenarios divided into four chapters, branching halfway through into the ubiquitous good and evil paths.
In many respects Battlecry is a very traditional 2D RTS, resembling Warcraft or TA: Kingdoms. The game is played from an isometric viewpoint and generally entails constucting a variety of buildings, producing units and destroying your opponents base. There are four resources to collect (Gold, Metal, Stone and Crystal), but the system has been well streamlined to allow the gamer to focus on combat and tactics. The four resources are located in mines around the map, and a simple process of conversion by one of your core units transfers the mine's production to your coffers. This is an elegant and unobtrusive system that removes the annoyance of constantly manipulating collection units (peasants).
There are two major facets in which Battlecry distinguishes itself from the countless RTS clones hitting the market. Firstly, the game features a massive 9 races to play, including Humans, Dwarves, Orcs, Barbarians, Undead, Minotaurs and three Elven races. Each race also represents different moral and developmental characteristics, from civilized to magical races with good, neutral or evil alignment. As well as giving a great depth of gameplay the diverse number and features of the 9 races opens up a world of tactical opportunities, especially as each have their own unique unit types and buildings. For example, the Dwarves have strong infantry units and poor archers, while the Elven races are generally weak in melee combat but excel in magic and ranged combat. Over the course of play there is an intimidatingly large number of unit types to learn, all with their own unique characteristics to master. Of course, access to the most powerful creatures is only possible after numerous upgrades at various buildings, which in turn are limited by the upgrade level of your Palace (main base). It's these complexities which give Battlecry great depth and tactical variation. |
