POSTED BY: J P Falcon (Matrix Forum Member)
Well I've been playing it for a couple of days now, concentrating on the World War game...some initial impressions:
First off it is very fun to play...there is an ebb and flow to the game where you think you are going to lose, then you manage to pull out some victories, only to once agian feel that the tide turned against you...it's a game where you feel, victory or defeat hangs on a thread...
The game is extremely easy to get into but there are many decisions you must make which will effect the final outcome....saving revenue a few turns in order to buy more powerful units must be balanced with having enough units to hold back an onslaught....
There is a high value for ranged weapons which must be bought if you are to have any chance at winning...tanks and lv's will simply trade shots so you need ranged units to finish off an attack...there is a WWI trench war feel to the game as you slug it out on the front lines, exchanging losses until a breakthrough occurs..
This WWI feel is further developed with the inability to move into a space where an enemy unit was just destroyed...the wreck blocks movement into that space for the rest of your current turn and the enemy can place a unit back into this vacant area on his turn, thus turning the frontlines into a grist mill...this can become frustrating at times as you wipe out 4 units, in a narrow pass, and since you are unable to occupy these spaces, watch helplessly as replacements pop up on the next turn...but it does make it feel more rewarding when you finally grind them down as the replacement start to run out...
Some things that I would have liked to see which would not add to the complexity of the game:
I think fighters should have been included in the game to counter the tac bombers....the fact that air unit are only eliminated if their base capital is taken is not enough, especially since they can stage to another capital if their base capital is threatened....an air war would have added more elements to the game....
Terrain only affects movement but does not present any defensive or offensive benefits...perhaps this would have introduced an imbalance as the game tries to present both players with the same chances to win, but tactical deployment would have made it interesting...at least the unit in a capital should have some added defensive bonus so it is not such a cakewalk....
These are just minor quibbles...if you are looking for an easy turn based game with a high replayability factor, go for it.