Supreme Commander 2
Score: 86% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Gas Powered Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1, 1 - 4 Genre: Real-Time Strategy/ Strategy
Graphics & Sound: For many gamers, comparing the graphical quality of real-time strategy (RTS) games to other games on the market is laughable. In general, because of the smaller scale of the units and the amount of action that can be taking place on a single screen, the quality of the game graphics becomes a reasonable trade-off for better gameplay. Lately, bolstered by the increased capabilities of computers and consoles, this paradigm has begun to change. Games, such as the recently released Halo Wars, have demonstrated that RTS games can be rendered beautifully while still producing the gameplay expected. Supreme Commander 2 continues this trend, offering some impressive visuals that gamers, if they have a moment during the faced-paced action, are sure to appreciate. Not to mislead, gamers should not expect the Final Fantasy XIII-esque ultra-realistic graphics, but Supreme Commander 2 marks a decided step up from previous generations of RTS games. Where graphics have long been of lesser importance in RTS games, sound effects and music have made up for the shortcomings of their sensory brethren. Thankfully, the audio aspect of Supreme Commander 2 does not suffer from the increase in attention that the visual components received. While nothing groundbreaking, the sounds of battle are all high quality, with great acoustical variance attributed to the various types of weapons fire, building mechanics and unit movement. In addition, the actors portraying the main characters do a fine job of making their parts believable. As a package, the graphics and sounds of Supreme Commander 2 put it squarely in the upper echelon of RTS games.
Gameplay: Supreme Commander 2 functions as do most games in the RTS genre. There are three factions represented in the game, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the type of game being played, win conditions are set and players are then given control of one of the factions in a scenario, the goal usually being to build a base of operation, mine resources, research new technologies, construct military units and eventually, take control of the area. This is usually accomplished by decimating the other commanders that are, at the same time, trying to do the same to the player. An interesting feature of Supreme Commander 2 is the focus on the "Strategic Zoom" system. This feature gives players a quick overall view of the entire scenario map and allows for the control of various units as they move and battle in multiple skirmishes. While other RTS games have certainly offered this type of functionality, Supreme Commander 2 does a nice job of integrating the usage in such as way as to make it a practical tool for launching multi-pronged attacks or quickly moving in to control a hotspot engagement. Supreme Commander 2 features three distinct types of gameplay. The first is the single-player Campaign. Players take command of a particular commander from one of the three factions and play through a series of scenarios, each with predetermined win conditions. Each faction has its own campaign, giving players the opportunity to try out the various units particular to each and experience the story of the war from all sides. Also included is a single-player Skirmish Mode. In Skirmish Mode, the player chooses from one of three game types and which faction will be controlled. This is good way to try out various tactics and units before getting into the Campaign or multiplayer contests. The final option is Multiplayer Mode. Played across Xbox Live, this mode allows for up to four players to compete against one another. The victory conditions are identical to those found in the Skirmish Mode, but accomplishments are tracked via Online Leaderboards. This provides a good amount of replay value for those players that enjoy competing against human opponents.
Difficulty: Supreme Commander 2 has three difficulty settings to choose from (in Campaign / Skirmish Modes). Most players will find that playing through the various scenarios on Normal difficulty is possible, even somewhat easy on the earlier stage. As the game progresses, there are some areas that will test even veteran players, making the choice of an easier setting much more appealing. Of course, playing against a human opponent often proves the ultimate challenge in RTS games and that is no less true for Supreme Commander 2. While difficulty is often attributed to various settings and computer-controlled A.I. opponents, much of the difficulty in Supreme Commander 2 comes in learning to handle the various elements of an RTS on a console. Native first and foremost to the mouse and keyboard combination of personal computers, the RTS transition to the console has traveled a rocky and uphill road, but thankfully, designers of the latest generation of RTS games have developed these products with console players in mind.
Game Mechanics: As mentioned above, it is clear that Supreme Commander 2 was developed with at least partial attention to the console market. Unlike the first generation of RTS games on the consoles, where the control schemes were so convoluted as to make them nearly unplayable, these later generations have simplified the command schemes, taking full advantage of the variety of buttons located on the controllers. While the ultra-fine control that is possible to exert with the mouse and keyboard still remains an unrealized dream for console gamers, tactical command of a battlefield is now a much more fulfilled reality. Simple commands, such as double-tapping a button to select all of a certain unit on the screen or the hold-and-drag technique for selecting multiple units of various types work seamlessly and assists the stalwart commander when precision troop movement is called for. The system is not perfect, there are still some pathing errors, especially when it comes to loading and unloading units from transports, but the progress is quite impressive. The ability to zoom in and out by simply pushing and pulling on the thumbstick is a welcome addition and vastly improves the players' ability to keep overall command of the small skirmishes that might be going on in various places across the battlefield. Supreme Commander 2 sets a new standard for RTS games on consoles. There are still improvements to be made, but the strides made in this latest generation of the genre are impressive and offer fans a welcome glimpse at a possibly bright future. Supreme Commander 2 is a fast-paced and engaging RTS that will keep fans of the genre well entertained through the many hours of gameplay.
-The Mung Bard, GameVortex Communications AKA Buddy Ethridge
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