![]() Real War's unit production offers something new to the RTS genre, as supply crates must be flown into depots to provide resources to buy arms. ![]() Grouping units is possible, but the lack of customizable hotkeys stymies gameplay in the thick of battle. Though the HUD is innovative, selecting the key unit is frustrating due to the small pictures used. A HUD allows you to sort through air, land, or sea units with only a few clicks, while accessing build tables away from the base. ![]() Trying to bridge the gap between training simulation and RTS entertainment title, some interesting tools are used for unit control. Where are the ground-shaking explosions and bloodcurdling battle cries? Vehicles leap absurdly high into the air when hit and land without any appropriate cacophonic crash. Buildings are not very distinguishable, but the terrain is suitable, though not memorable, as a strategic challenge in defending bridges, choking the jungle clearing, and so forth.īeyond Emery's contribution, sound effects are weak, with tanks popping shots and helicopters quietly bursting into flame. Aircraft look the best, especially in flight, but infantry units are miniscule and nearly worthless in action. Real War features real weapons, though few are recognizable to the non-military eye, due in part to the mostly dated graphics which are only slightly better than those in 1995's Command & Conquer. Finally, a lack of difficulty level settings and the absence of a speed adjustment option makes the unrealistically fast movement of all units, particularly aircraft and helicopters, uncontrollable. Even more puzzling are the units that avoid returning fire when under attack, or simply allow the enemy to run past onto your base. Units wander aimlessly, often getting lost or blocked, and vehicles attack targets and then sit still rather than press the attack. The box proudly proclaims the game is based on a training program utilized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but it seems unlikely that such a program marred with terrible path finding and incompetent computer AI could adequately prepare any force for actual global conflict. Lee Emery, who barks out commands, jibes, and "hurrahs" with laughable conviction. The American storyline is narrated by the brazen drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket, R. Armchair generals will appreciate the lack of futuristic weapons, as each of the over 60 units available are drawn from real Army, Navy, and Air Force arsenals. Taking today's headlines to such extremes could become a disturbing trend if not treated with common sense.įor gamers with the stomach, a dozen such terrorist missions stand along side an equal number of American-based scenarios. Cole a year before the game's release might be coincidence, but, if so, it's a highly suspicious one. Sound familiar? Perhaps the similarity of the suicide attack which cost American lives on the U.S.S. Indeed, the first mission is to execute a suicide run with an inflatable raft that's meant to blow up a ship to create a diversion away from the main attack force. Real War, on the other hand, not only puts you in the role of an American commander struggling against the Independent Liberation Army, but also gives you a chance to work for the terrorists. Fighting terrorism on a PC isn't a new concept, as evidenced by excellent squad-based warfare titles like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. Television studios, moviemakers, and even videogame companies took a step back, but publisher Simon & Schuster Interactive failed to recognize the inherent pitfalls of releasing Real War just two weeks after such a traumatic event without serious consideration of the story and gameplay.Įven without the faux pas, the game is severely hampered by flaws that should have, at the very least, delayed its release. ![]() After the terrorist acts of on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States, the entertainment industry took a rare moment to re-evaluate the release of new products that could appear distasteful or disrespectful in light of the tragedies.
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