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Sudden Strike 2
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Graphics & Sound:
Still stuck in the 2D sprite world, Sudden Strike 2 is almost able to make the best of it. The landscapes are definitely nicely detailed, with regions ranging from snow covered hills to the deciduous jungles of the Pacific Isles. However, there is a downside to all of this. Due to the sheer number of troops on the screen at one time, and their tiny sizes, it's very easy to lose track of your people, not to mention making it harder to spot the enemy. The graphics are definitely a double-bladed sword, and it all depends on where your loyalties lie, graphics or gameplay. Though the sound is much more obscure than the graphics, it isn't bad when it rears its head. Gunshots and explosions, vehicle movement and voiceovers are all done very well and help draw you into the action. The music, on the other hand, isn't all that bad, but definitely doesn't do much for the game in either direction. |
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Gameplay:
Sudden Strike 2 has expanded upon its predecessor's traits, but hasn't done much in the way of improvement. While this version offers five different Campaigns and a bunch of single missions, as well as Multiplayer support, if you couldn't handle the hardcore aspects of the first title, this one won't be much different. Taking more of an on-the-fly strategy approach where you are allotted forces instead of having to make them, you are forced to look more to logistics than resource management. Being given a set amount of units at the start of each mission, you are tasked with carrying out a certain amount of orders. Reinforcements may or may not arrive, leaving you walking the razor's edge every step of the way. Other resources, like spy planes and bombers, are sometimes at your disposal, but these are usually limited to a very small amount. Not only do you have to worry about the lives of your men, but their ammunition as well. Each unit has a certain number of shots they can take, and when they run out, they're sitting ducks unless you can find them some ammo. Taking this into consideration, along with the fact that there are sixteen different infantry units and dozens of vehicles, each with their own statistics, you can imagine how the situation could end up pretty messy.
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Difficulty:
Given all these different elements, it's not surprising that the equation is quite large, making it difficult to come close to the correct answer. But if this is the style of playing you prefer, that is, straight forward war sim, then you'll be hard pressed to find any other game that comes close to this one. The difficulty level is up there, but if you're hard pressed to overcome it, the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
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Game Mechanics:
On the surface, it seems as if you can get through Sudden Strike 2 with a point and click approach, but if you delve deeper, there is much more to it. Given the variety of units, making a tank rush (or any rush, for that matter) is almost always out of the question. Stealth tactics and scouting ahead are going to be the order of the day, for the most part. Utilizing every unit's strengths and accounting for their weaknesses is half the battle. Not only does each class differ in skills, they also have experience and morale meters, affecting their performance respectively. Better experience and morale will cause units to not only attack better, but will enable them to take cover more effectively, increasing their chances of survival. If you don't want to muck about with loads of statistics and worrying about survival all the time, Sudden Strike 2 may not be the game for you. However, if this is your cup of meat, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better. In either case, it is definitely worth a look. |
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-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz |
Minimum System Requirements:
333 MHz Processor, 64 MB RAM, 4X CD - ROM Drive, Windows 95/98/2K/ME/XP, 1 MB Video Card, 500 MB Hard Disk Space |
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Test System:
Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection |
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