Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde

Proof that real-time strategy can work on a console?but not without some compromises.

In an attempt to squeeze real-time strategy gameplay into the confines of a console (and its evil little RTS-hating controller), Jaleco has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a very cool game of smart little compromises. It plays outside the ancient RTS boundaries and deftly avoids the wild things waiting to tear apart its tender little throat.

The Benefits of Pack Mind
Goblin Commander?s philosophy basically boils down to one of immediacy: less to worry about for the long term, a lot more to worry about right now. It?s much simpler than your average RTS in that there can be really only six effective ?units? under your control at a time. The tech trees are straightforward, and base-building and resource-gathering are severely limited. It?s more complex in that these units constantly require your attention and, in the case of the giant Titan units, your direct control. Strategy is actually more obviously imperative: You have to plan your battles and pick your positions carefully as your goblins are so limited, and you can?t just adopt the usual ?just make a bazillion units and send ?em over all at once? tactic found in other RTS games.

The game?s single biggest achievement is in wrangling the controller. Rather than using the old tried-and-true PC method and trying to force interfaces that simply don?t work, Jaleco has designed the game around the controller. Each clan is assigned a button (the three bottom buttons in the four-point controller diamond); waypoints are assigned simply by holding down the L1 button; the directional pad is used to warp instantly to skirmishes or home points you?ve placed, check mission checkpoints, or access the excellent context-sensitive help.

Direct possession is accomplished by tapping Y while hovering over a unit. While you?re in Commander view, you?re a simple, easily controlled cursor with no camera control so that you?re instantly oriented to your surroundings. Once a unit is possessed, however, you can get as close or as far as possible as the right analog stick is suddenly assigned to free manual camera control. Possessing Titans gives you a new set of options specific to that Titan?options for smashing, rotating catapults, transforming into a tornado, or simply self-destructing. Getting units to follow your Titans is a simple matter of double clicking the clan?s button?an easy way to get yourself an instant massive army.

The graphics aren?t the best, but that?s not really important in a game like this. They?re simple, but they?re clean and?most importantly?not cluttered. The word ?efficient? comes to mind. The sound design is really good, however, properly manipulating the rules of 3D audio, throwing lots of amusing goblin chatter into the mix for good measure.

The Campaign Trail
The single-player campaign isn?t the best showcase for the game?s design achievements?and that?s one of the game?s big weaknesses: There are a fair number of missions (17 all told), but a lot of time is spent introducing the player to new concepts (there are a lot to deal with). As a result, the major three-clan frenzies and coolest Titans aren?t really available until the final four or so missions of the campaign game. The story isn?t StarCraft, either.

Traditionally, the multiplayer mode is where these RTS things really get to shine, and that?s the case with GC, too. It has a very fun two-player split-screen mode in which you?re given access to all the good stuff right from the get-go. It?s the kind of game that?s a natural fit for Xbox Live?but, alas, the support?s not there.

Clash of the Titans
Goblin Commander is bursting with great ideas that are implemented with brains, but it?s not quite fully realized. Still, it?s tons of frenetic fun while it lasts, a really awesome way to kill an hour with a friend, and something unique in a game world dominated by hordes of the same.

Also on the PS2 and GameCube

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