World in Conflict

Life

Set in 1989, World in Conflict tells the story of what might have been had the Russians invaded the USA. Most of the time with strategy games there is a simple formula. Give a single page of explanation, maybe a paragraph on what your objectives are, and that’s it when it comes to a mission story. After Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars reawakening the story telling idea in strategy games, WiC gives its own way of shaking things up.

Where C&C relied on telling a story using live action scenes, due to the engine not being able to give the quality required, WiC uses in-game rendered scenes and maps using a voice-over by Alec Baldwin (Hunt for Red October) to tell to carry the story. While some might think it overkill, all are used and done well. The in-game renders are the soldiers on the battlefield talking about their plan of attack for the mission. The CGI is used for major action scenes such as choppers over Liberty Island, New York in a fire fight. The painted scenes are a soldier’s story and the strategic maps are the Alec Baldwin parts as he speaks as a soldier talking about the mission you are just about to undertake in the past tense. All give an incredible amount of story that put other games to shame.

IN terms of gameplay, there are a number of settings, from a Russian shipyard to the city of Seattle, with the action taking place at all times of the day and night. The graphics are of a high standard and you can zoom right in on the action or take a wider view from above. There are a number of vehicle classes from Artillery to Air with Armour and Infantry also included. There are also tactical support options that gain power as you destroy enemies allowing more options. You gain the points needed to use tactical support by destroying enemies and capturing points of tactical importance. An added bonus is the destructible buildings surrounding you. There are a large number of missions in single player mode, which should take a few hours to complete and then you have the massively enjoyable multiplayer giving endless fun.

World in Conflict is well worth trying as one of the few examples of how to make a strategy game. The only downside is the short single player option, but let’s hope an expansion or two is going to be considered.

Verdict: How strategy should be done.
Rating: *****

Specs: 2.0 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB HDD Space, 128MB DirectX 9.0c Compatible Graphics Card, Windows Vista/XP, Mouse, Keyboard and Internet Connection.

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