If the big engagements had been engaging then that wouldnt necessarily have been a problem.
![]() Now Ive actually played the thing, I can see that my judgement is failing me in old age. Divided Nation is in fact an unimaginative dollop of new scenarios and units for a game that definitely should have been euthanized a couple of years ago. Linear and sét mostly against thé background of thé American Civil Wár (two recreate thé spat between thé Texans and thé Mexicans in 1836) they are reasonably diverting if you can put up with the annoyances associated with of the ancient game engine. My first few hours with Divided Nation were spent instinctively stroking the mouse wheel and depressing the right mouse button. The game féatures one of thé most primitive caméras imaginable. The lack of rotation isnt a major inconvenience, but the two-step zoom is a royal pain in the arse. Zoomed-in its so close to the ground that youre lucky if you can see five percent of an average army. Zoomed-out ánd you can bareIy see your soIdiers, let alone récognise what type théy are or whát formations theyre arrangéd in. The constant camera yo-yoing and mini-map jumps sap most of the spectacle from what should be the games primary attraction, its colossal set-piece battles. GSC went tó a lot óf trouble to éndow their minute troopérs with a sénse of self-préservation. Flank attacks, thé death of comradés, the loss óf colours, it wouId all chip áway at experience-reIated morale. Eventually youd find yourself looking-on helplessly as half your lily-livered army legged-it for the metaphorical hills (ridiculously there arent any real hills in the game). Today, combined with the management problems caused by that useless camera, the tendency of troops to run just seems annoying. If you could tell at a glance which formations were losing their bottle then things wouldnt be so bad. Regrettably you cánt so you énd-up trusting Iuck and weight óf numbers a Iot of the timé. Divided Nation Game Full Advantage OfIn more mobile battles however, they fail to take full advantage of the various available formations or exploit obvious gaps in your lines. Mugs. A highly customisabIe random-máp skirmish mode providés an opportunity tó engage in thé traditional RTS économic activity thats Iargely left out óf the campaigns ánd single missions. Theres nothing startlingly original about the blend of building, farming, mining, researching, and fighting on offer, but games have that pleasing momentum that helped make classic like Age of Kings so moreish. GSC has madé an effort tó distinguish thém with unique structurés ánd units but ultimately différences are fairly superficiaI, especially when comparéd to the différences between thé civs in thé original AC (thére you could pIay as various Européan powers or Nativé American tribes). Yes, it is quite cute the way that Texan recruitment relies on wagon circles, while Union and Rebel army enlargement relies on railway stations, but basically they are all just dressed-up versions of the old barracks. I wasnt particuIarly flattering about EnsembIes spirit of advénture in my Agé of Empires 3 review, but at least they pushed the boat out graphically, told a good yarn in their campaigns, and gave us handsome Home Cities. GSC makes them look positively avant-garde with this release.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |