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Supreme Ruler: 2010
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Graphics & Sound:
I have to get this out: I’m not really much of a "graphics person." I enjoy a good 2D puzzle game as much, if not more, than some of the ultra-realistic FPS games with bump mapping, pixel shading, and basically every other kind of graphical effect you can come up with. At the core of the situation - if a game is good, I’ll enjoy it. While this is a discussion in itself, it is not the discussion of which you are here for, so I’ll spare it in this article. It does, however, lead me to a point eventually.
To be frank: the graphics on Supreme Ruler: 2010 aren’t very impressive at all. The maps for all of the particular geographical regions are essentially low-resolution NASA satellite photos. The realism is there because this isn’t just an artist’s rendition of what a particular region or country looks like – this is the actual picture of it. At the same time, however, higher resolution images of the earth would have done them a whole lot better for those who are at higher screen resolutions, and don’t like to stretch 800x600 across their 20" monitors.
The different icons that represent the various assets (ports, army units, etc.) are also not very detailed at all, and in general are poorly anti-aliased into the background terrain, making them stick out quite a bit. In the end, it just seems that too little thought was put into the graphics of this game, as it seems like the graphics were more of an afterthought.
The sound is pretty good from my experience, however there isn’t really any background music to speak of (except for the main screen, which has sort of a war-themed collage of sounds and effects). There is a large array of sound effects that are set off during the many actions allowed in the game, however.
For all that I have railed on the game here, I really do not hate this game, but it just so happens that the area in which SR:2010 is the weakest in happens to be the first area that we review. As you will see, however, there is more to a game than graphics and sound. In the case of SR:2010, there is much more. |
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Gameplay:
When I first came to look at this game, I had the idea that it would be closer to the Command and Conquer style of games, but boy was I wrong. While Supreme Ruler: 2010 does share some elements with the RTS genre, to me it was more of a simulation. The line, of course, is drawn by the concept of micromanagement. In a RTS such as Command and Conquer or Starcraft, you control a few important things, whereas the little things are automatically controlled, or even neglected entirely. In SR:2010, there is hardly anything that you do not control either by direct action, or by the consequences of your actions.
To say there are a lot of options in SR:2010 is like saying that a McLaren F1 is a fast car. It has so many options that you may look at the game, and wonder how they fit it all in really. You start the game simply enough: you choose one of several missions or campaigns, or you customize your own scenario. From there, you are taken to your control HUD where you recieve details on the situation at hand, and you may then begin to control the situation.
There are also Internet and LAN modes that let you play with friends, if that is your wish. To tell you the truth, I was never really a fan of AI, and since this game is so complex, it seems that the AI is also struggling to catch hold. If you have a few friends that also like this sort of game, then you can get together and battle it out to see who is the more gifted strategist. |
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Difficulty:
Supreme Ruler: 2010 can very well be a hard game if you don’t have the proper motivation to play it. There are many kinds of difficulty that manifest themselves in games, and it just so happens that one of them – namely complexity – is one that I am fond of.
If your idea of a good game is something like a good platformer or a simple puzzle game, then you may want to consider my previous comments when thinking about investing in a complicated game such as SR:2010. It’s not that it is particularly hard, but when you get down to it, since there are so many things that you can manage, you may end up micromanaging yourself into a spot that you did not intend. Your mind has a habit of simplifying things for you, and if you aren’t ready to grasp the complexity of a game like this, then it may be too difficult for you to play.
On the other hand, if this is your cup 'o tea, then the rewards are sweet. This game is a war strategist’s dream, really. If you have always enjoyed the strategy of the game over the action of crushing things in your average RTS, then you may find this game enjoyable, and its difficulty will not be as apparent to you.
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Game Mechanics:
Complexity in a game can, of course, be lessened by the manner in which a game is organized. If your menu system is messy and you lack a friendly interface, it could turn an already complex situation on its head and end up giving you an aneurysm. Fortunately for us, the HUD in Supreme Ruler: 2010 comes very neatly organized with all the things that you will need only a few mouse-clicks away.
The HUD is comprised of three different sections. The top section contains all the information about your current approval rating (you are a ruler, after all, and that doesn’t always mean dictator), the money in your treasury, and other things such as your flag. The right side of the HUD has a list of email alerts, which are essentially important information that is relevant to the task at hand. The most complex of these areas is the left side, however, and that is the side that you will be spending most of your clicks.
Just like any real government, your government has several departments, such as a defense department, treasury department, strategic department, etc. In this area, you can control the different aspects of your land (kingdom, country, whatever). Each department has a department head that you can use to manage some aspects of the game for you, so that you can focus on the bigger picture. This is one aspect where the game can make it a little easier on you if you aren't up to managing everything for yourself.
On the map, you can move your (movable) units by clicking on them and sending a command. There are also different commands that you can issue to different types of units, depending on what they do. You can also build different structures as well by right clicking on a certain province or area.
When it comes down to it, if detail is your sweet tooth, then Supreme Ruler: 2010 is a chocolate truffle. If you enjoy strategy like a good book, then I would have to whole-heartedly recommend this game to you. It’s something that you won’t be disappointed for playing. However, if this type of detailed micromanagement is not something that you take to, you may not be able to stay up with SR: 2010.
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-Z64freak, GameVortex Communications AKA Bret Hall |
Minimum System Requirements:
Microsoft Windows; 400MHz PII Processor or better; 128MB RAM, 3D Graphics card with 8MB VRAM |
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Test System:
Microsoft Windows XP; 2.2GHz Athlon 64; 1024MB RAM, 128MB ATi Radeon 9700 Graphics Card |
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