 |
 |
||||
|
|||||
eal-time
strategy games have really taken off over the past couple of years. Software
stores are littered with different types of these games. At times it can
be a very difficult decision to choose the best one. That decision just
became a whole lot easier with the release of Total Annihilation.
Being the first game in a long time that actually takes the strategy genre and revamps it for the better, Total Annihilation is definitely a game worthy of your money. While most games of this type have an extensive story telling about a conflict of sorts, this title doesn't seem to dwell too heavily on the details. You can choose to play either the Core or the Arm side. Depending on the side you play, you will have different mech fighters and assault vehicles. Both sides seem fairly balanced and have similar attributes.
|
|
 |
Playing Total Annihilation is nearly identical to every other real-time strategy game out there, with a few twists thrown in for good measure. Each stage has a different objective to complete. In most cases you'll start out with your Commander robot. He is able to build the various buildings necessary to complete your missions. What's cool is that since he's a robot, he can move around. This makes construction of buildings much easier since you are able to build in remote areas. Your Commander also has a strong defensive weapon, and chances are you'll need that if he ever gets caught in a battle. If the enemy kills your Commander your mission will have failed. Construction of buildings and vehicles uses up energy and metal, two resources you'll need to harness. You can build solar panels and windmills to gain more energy and you will need to build metal extractors over metal deposits to mine it. You can even create a metal maker, which transfers your energy into metal. A nice feature is that you can tell the construction building to build more than one unit at once so that way you don't have to constantly come back to your base and build more. Believe me, this saves a lot of clicking!
The objectives in each mission differ, but one thing stays the same; you'll need vehicles to destroy the opposing side. The two basic kinds of vehicles are Kbots and tanks. The Kbots are versatile mechs and are quite useful in many situations. Later on in the game you'll be able to build even more types of vehicles, including subs and planes. One of the best things to build is a construction vehicle. You can take this vehicle anywhere and build more metal extractors, laser towers, missile launcher, and other goodies. They are also used to build advanced construction yards, repair damaged vehicles, and reclaim the metal from any wreckage that may result from the battlefield. The addition of these construction vehicles really makes playing the game more fun. You can literally sneak up on the enemy's base and build a couple of artillery towers to keep the them confined.
The graphics in Total Annihilation are extremely detailed. Instead of a flat terrain, there are huge mountains, steep slopes, hills, boulders, trees, and everything else you can think of to get in your way. In addition there are different 3D-modeled vehicles that must be used to travel over the various landscapes. Each vehicle and mech is detailed, but they do tend to look similar to one another. Passing your cursor over the vehicle will show you the name of it, but it's frustrating at times when the wrong ones are sent off to do battle because you couldn't tell the difference between them. The explosions are nice and big, often times causing the entire screen to shake. Even watching the construction of buildings is entertaining.
 |
|
The music is different from most games, but helps set the mood. Instead of throwing in some techno beat, the developers decided to use some very creepy and ambient soundtracks. As you get into big battles the music will change to a more upbeat and urgent tune. There aren't any voices while playing the game (in-between missions there is usually a short narrative), but each of your units makes a different sound when starting up and when shutting down, which really adds to the game. Every sound effect in the game is done to perfection.
Total Annihilation is packed on two CDs. There are over a hundred different units in the game. To keep gamers coming back for more, there are fifty single player missions and thirty multi-player levels. The variety in each level is astoundingly good and welcomed. By having 3D terrain each mission will vary according to the level, which will dictate what you build and your strategy involved in killing the enemy.
Overall, Total Annihilation delivers the goods. It has beautiful graphics, eerie music, and a very low learning curve. Each level is different enough to keep the gamer interested. Once you finally get sick of the various vehicles in the game, you can even download new ones from their website for free at www.cavedog.com (only adds vehicles to multi-player modes). Who needs expansion packs anyway? This is simply the best real-time strategy game released so far this year.