Dark Reign Preview

You've got to admire their courage. Activision is entering the real-time strategy market with a new gather and smash title called Dark Reign. Up against some of the biggest players in the software industry, entering into a genre that they have no experience in, Activision has some serious plans to come out on top. In this market where companies already have their engines built and their universes created, Activision has only one real advantage: They can start from scratch. Unhindered by any past problems in design or storyline, Activision has the luxury of checking out the competition and designing a game that has everything a gamer could ask for, and some things they may not have even thought of.

Dark Reign spends a lot of time unfolding a twisting narrative - this being the first of a planned series of titles. Josh Resnick, the project director explains, "We're trying to build a whole universe around this property, so we're going to spend a lot of time telling the story and introducing players to the world." This world revolves around a group of forgotten scientists who left Earth to continue their studies of a substance that could unlock the secrets of matter itself - Element 115. Led by an uber-scientist named Bole the group was attacked by the overpopulated Earth's new dictating force, the JDA. After damaging Bole's craft beyond repair, the JDA broke off, leaving the rest of the colonists to continue on their way to their new home. Now it's hundreds of years later, and you lead the children of this rag-tag crew. After receiving information from a probe that hinted that Bole may still be alive and in suspended animation, your culture is preparing to use its advanced technology to take on the warring forces of the Imperium (the new face of the JDA now controlling over a thousand worlds) and the Freedom Guard (the disgruntled remnants of the Imperium's exploration force). In the end, it's a three-way fight to determine the fate of not only Bole, but also of humanity at large.

Okay, so it's a cool place, but how's the game? So far it's beyond anything we've seen. The initial plans for Dark Reign include true line-of-sight warfare (no more watching people sneak up behind you), real hills and elevation, terrain that actually affects the way your soldiers move (Them swamps is real hard to run through Sarge!) and, best of all, an interface that allows players to set up to 14 waypoints, then move their troops in a single movement order. This means that players can finally engage in a much more strategic plan than the typical 'gather all of your troops in a large mass and storm the compound.' By using the waypoints players will be able to flank their opponent, by hiding under the ground cover they can set up functional ambushes, and by taking advantage of the elevation they can find superior positions to gun down anyone stupid enough to face them head on. Better yet, players will be able to go at each other with some of the coolest new units yet.

Designed to encourage creative approaches to warfare, Dark Reign's units include just about everything a wargamer could dream up. Ranging from advanced personnel that includes spies who can steal an enemy's technology, suicide bombers who load up with explosives to run headlong into danger, and hoversuit marines who can tackle rough situations from above to powerful automated units that unleash hideous amounts of damage from afar (did someone say tactical nuke?), Dark Reign's weaponry will impress even the most violent of gamers. Those who are looking for something a little more subtle will find solace in the ranged death-dealing abilities of the sniper and the ultra sneaky antics of the scout, a unit who can actually change into the shape of any of the local flora (rocks, trees, etc.) to stay hidden from enemy view. All of these troops can be ordered directly, or given basic orders that include sentry (protect your immediate area), hunter/killer (seek out and destroy), harassment (shoot something until attacked, then fall back and start all over again), escort, suicide, and protect HQ. A unit's tenacity - which represents how much damage they will take before yelling for help - and a unit's autonomy - which determines how likely an individual is to react to a situation on their own - can also be set with convenient sliders during play. All of this activity takes place on maps that are to be four times the size of those included in Command & Conquer, with art and sound effects that are both sharp and fast moving and add a great deal to the overall military atmosphere of the game.

Another new (and fairly realistic) feature of Dark Reign is the concept of command headquarters. Each group of 50-100 troops (the final game balance is still being worked out) requires that one HQ be built. The more troops you have, the more HQs you need. This adds a whole new element to the game, as players must devote a certain amount of resources to defending the bases they need to keep the fight alive - go with a large army that requires a lot of resources and defense, or keep it lean and mean.

There's a lot more to say about this title - for example, the game is to include a construction kit that enables players to design their own levels, it's going to include multiplayer support for eight opponents simultaneously and features true alliances, along with loads of little extras that Activision won't let me mention right now, but it really boils down to one thing. If you've been waiting for a real-time strategy game that someone has really sat down and thought out, not as device for showcasing their company's artistic ability or licenses, but as a gameplay problem, then Dark Reign has a strong chance of being the game you're waiting for.