An addictive and fun game that will leave you wanting more.
The first few missions give you the basic low-down on how to play,and basic descriptions of how to use each unit, so don't expect too much. It is when the Xylvanians come into play when the game gets hectic. The thing that keeps this game alive is the variety of missions. Unlike games like Halo 2, the missions aren't run, kill, run, kill, kill, kill, run, run, run, cutscene. There are missions like Search and Destroy, Search and Rescue, Base Assaults, Base Defending, Freeing Prisoners, Destroy this, this, this and this, then you can kill this, and many others. The game is at its finest when it is hectic. You have Heavy Tanks assaulting your troops from the north, Gunships taking down your Battlestation from the east, Flame Vets blasting your Grunt Rifle units from the south, and you're just working that C-Stick like Pam Anderson on a cock The one down-side, however, is that the C-stick interface can sometimes be unwieldy to use, and the game can sometimes get a little too difficult. However, practice makes perfect. The only significantly bad thing that I can think about when it comes to the gameplay is that there is no multiplayer. That would've been a nice touch.
Now, the artwork.
Finally, a military game that doesn't take itself seriously. I, personally, am getting sick of all these shooter games that are so serious, they're sometimes depressing to play. This game does take itself seriously, but in a lighter way. The artwork is obviously inspired by Nintendo's Advance Wars series, and I'm not complaining. It is easy to tell friends from foes, as each side has their own distinctive colours (Western Frontier in green, Tundran Empire in red, Xylvania in blue and purple tones, and the mysterious Solar Empire in yellow). Sticking to these almost one-colour schemes is very simple, it looks good, and it gives the game a little energy.
Oh my god the graphics!
The graphics in this game are hard to describe. They don't have the stunning realism of say, Call Of Duty, but they have a certain thing to them that I like. Much like the artwork, the graphics are very friendly looking. There aren't many rough edges, the vehicles and units are all smoothed out, and the overall look of it is very appealing. The explosions, gunfire, bombs, all look very cool, and when they all go off at once, it is crazy.
Let's check out the sounds.
The voice acting in this game is rather good. However, some voices in this game can get annoying (Shut up, Brigadier Betty). The Western Frontier CO's all have American accents, the Tundrans sporting Czar-like accents, with the Xylvanians showing off their stereotypical German accents. The gunfire, explosion, and bombing sounds all sound startlingly real, but once again, with a friendly touch to them.
Let's check out my overall rating.
Story: 8.3/10
Gameplay: 9.1/10
Graphics: 8.9/10
Sound: 7.8/10
What was right: Friendly graphics, artwork and sound, hectic gameplay, great addictivity, replay value is strong, all with a good story to back it up.
What was wrong: Somewhat annoying CO voice acting, no multiplayer.
Overall: 8.6 A great game.