Supreme Commander returns with more action and strategy than ever before.
Supreme Commander 2 is about what you'd expect from a strategy game such as Command and Conquer or Red Alert. There are 3 factions and you have the opportunity to play all of their campaigns. Unlike most other strategy games however, Supreme Commander 2 takes notice of the commander's personal life and what their goals are during the course of the game. This is an ambitious attempt for a strategy game. It works but is not well executed. The voice acting is very ordinary and the cut scenes consist of a small square in the top corner of the screen. This lets you get to know the characters, but doesn't present itself in a way that you care for their story.
There are three factions: The UEF, Illuminate and Cybran. The UEF is rather similar to Command and Conquer's GDI, the Illuminate to the Scrin and the Cybran to the NOD. These factions all have their own units but are essentially fulfil the same purpose with a different exterior. You can wage war however you please with the large, open environments provided. Whether it be Land, Air or Sea, you will more than likely find a unit which fits the task you are aiming for. Gunships, tanks, missile launchers and experimental monoliths are some of the many units you'll get to use in order to decimate your enemy.
The standard base defence structures, power stations and research labs are all here too, as well as a structure which will provide you with funds to sustain your battle. These are called Mass Extractors. Mass is the currency used for battle and can be quite difficult to obtain if you do not address problems correctly. What's good about Supreme Commanders base building is that it is unrestricted. All structures are made by either your ACU or an Engineer. Buildings do not have to be built in close proximity to each other and you can create many bases simply by ordering you ACU to build at a specified location. Though this strategy has positive outcomes, you must make sure you ACU is well protected at all times, as it is the housing for your commander and if destroyed, the battle will be lost.
Something positive to be addressed is the fact that Supreme Commander can hold much larger scale battles than most other games in the genre. You are able to create up to 250 units and large army against army warfare makes for some very entertaining and more realistic gameplay.
Like other strategy games, research will give you a very good chance at emerging victorious from the battlefield. Supreme Commander 2 has a very robust research and upgrading system which is far superior to that of its competitors. Upgrades are purchased with research points and the more points you have, the more upgrades you'll be able to buy. Research points are gained through research stations. A greater amount of research stations will boost your income rate and let you upgrade your units faster. Upgrading plays are large part in this game due to the fact that it can make your units much more powerful and give you more room to try different strategies.
Despite being very good gameplay wise, Supreme Commander is not perfect with the technical side of things. While the graphics are good and a step up from most strategy games, it bears witness to some awful looking textures and zooming in makes everything look only half finished. Understandably, strategy games are zoomed out most of the time, but developers shouldn't assume that the player will do only this. They should address potential problems before the release of the game.
Selecting units also poses a problem due to the fact that they are sometimes unresponsive and will not follow orders correctly at some points. There are also times where the sound will abruptly cut out and leave you with silence unless you find some way to fix it. These types of issues make it difficult for the player to feel compelled and will often frustrate them rather than give them enjoyment.
To conclude the points outlined here, it is obvious that Supreme Commander 2 is a strong contender in the Real Time Strategy market for consoles. It deviates from standard formulas but still lets players feel familiar enough to play it. There are a number of technical issues that needed to be fixed before release which brings the overall rating of this game down significantly but if you can get over these faults, it is a certainty that you will be satisfied with what this game has to offer.