Tom Clancy's EndWar (Page 3 of 3)

Here's how it works: The general (a.k.a. you) has a tactical map of the entire battlefield, laid out in holographic-style 3D blocks and shapes. From this map, you can give squad-level orders with the added benefit of being able to see all the elements of an engagement. As you give orders, the AI takes over and sets off, moving units into position and working towards the goals you define -- taking control of waypoint A, establishing a beachhead at waypoint B, and so on. As your troops go to work, you can then switch to a battle view, which is beautifully rendered in an extremely modified version of Unreal Engine 3 (allowing for the simultaneous display of over 1000 units on the screen, in FPS-worthy detail, at any time).

The battle view, unlike the tactical map, is at ground level, so you can give specific orders to units in response to the ebb and flow of an engagement, and counteract any obstacles that might get in their way. The thing is, while you're worrying about one of your squads, your other units are all performing their own functions, constantly updating you with their progress over the radio. And because EndWar will allow players to give orders over a headset, you'll be able to command any unit or group of units on the battlefield around without finding them in the battle view or switching back to the tactical map. All you'll have to do is speak to them.

The war to end all wars.

The war to end all wars.

This one feature will enable a speed of gameplay unlike anything seen outside Korean Starcraft tournaments. Those who use it will have a huge advantage against their human opponents; the ability to use your voice to command your soldiers will make a world of difference in EndWar's multiplayer matchups. As it is, those matchups will be quite unique anyways: Multiplayer engagements will take place on a persistent global battlefield in which the outcomes of individual battles will redraw international borders. Viewing the success or failure of superpowers and their respective players will be as easy as looking at an in-game map of the world.

"To End All Wars"

When EndWar is finally released, the eyes of gamers everywhere are sure to follow its progress. The game represents a new direction in RTS gameplay that Ubisoft is hoping will appeal to console die-hards -- an audience not well known for indulging in the PC-favored genre. No matter how good the game turns out, though, it may not find that audience. If it does, EndWar won't be the end of anything -- it'll be the beginning of a new chapter in the saga of Tom Clancy blockbusters.

Comments [3]

post a comment

  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last
  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last

Post a Comment