Why do they criticize such a great game?
Story and Campaign:
EndWar doesn't have much of a story, rather a scenario that sets the tone for your campaign where YOU decide the outcome of World War III. The Theater of War part of the game is an actual story setup with missions, telling the story about how World War III came about. But it comes down the the World War III part of the game. Now I don't understand why this game is penalized by so many not having a story to go along with it. THE WHOLE POINT OF THE DAMN GAME IS SO THAT YOU TELL THE STORY OF WWIII, IT WON'T BE SCRIPTED FOR YOU. And I'm about to compare this to other RTS games and reviews now, how come no one said this about the Total War series? Is it because it is set in the past and not the future so its okay? The game is letting you change history without a script and no one said a word. Funny. But I digress, maybe, the point is, the story has little to do with the game except set the tone for war and it might as well not count in the end. Take command of one of the many elite battalions that fought in the Third Great War and write history!
Gameplay:
I have to mention the voice-command, the most impressive feature of the game. It works well (despite the occasional misheard order), its efficient in a fight because with out it, you might be annihilated in seconds from all the button-mashing. The camera-view is interesting because it brings you down to a soldiers level, the entire game, which I haven't encountered in most RTSs. Also, the camera view also calls for a realistic view of the landscape. While the normal RTS usually uses the fog of war, this game instead uses the stretching landscape in front of you to block your vision. Since the game keeps you at a soldiers level, this always works. And one more thing, the sites of the battles in this game are amazing. It's great to fight in Paris, New York, Washington or Moscow in massive battles, to sum it up it just feels right. The mission types are what are expected; kill all, capture this or that.
Graphics:
Along with the camera view, the graphics make your feel like you are participating in a battle that will decide a global conflict. Everything looks so real and cinematic.
Multi-player:
First off, it just feels right to customize your own personal battalion. give them a motto, see what they specialize in and then show off your men to the players all around the world. I assure you, you will soon grow some sort of attachment to your men. Campaign and battles online are okay and you feel like you are into something more than fighting the AI.
All the Cons:
- Yes, there are points in time where it is hard to find someone online.
- There are a couple cheesy explosions but the rest is great.
- Missions sometimes feel repetitive, but the maps and graphics make up for the experience, thankfully.
- Voice-command may be a deadly thing to your men. (Especially when dealing with nukes!)
So in conclusion, I highly recommend this game if you like RTSs, and hopefully aren't too stingy about a story, and above all willing to try something new.