I started playing the game for the first time few days ago as I decided to play through the campaign(s) for my twitch stream (same name). in the first session, just under 5 hours, I reached about the middle of the single player campaign. About 13 or so missions. My experience with the game was mostly positive up to that point. The game though didn't have an art style I liked, was good looking enough and had overall good presentation. Up to that point there were two things only, that I didn't like. The first was the complete lack of a pause function out of pressing Esc to check the menus. Not just no pause to give orders which would probably help a lot with this game, but no pause in general where you can at least check the map or something. The second thing was the complete lack of cutscenes. I realize this isn't the type of game to have the budget of previous Westwood games, but it still feels like they are missing to me. So, some negative things, but overall a good semi-classic style RTS. Then the BS started. The game starting every mission with you having close to zero base buildings and the enemy having several ready to go bases and armies, with super weapons ready to go in a couple of minutes. Yes a couple. I played 2-3 more missions like this till I just couldn't take it. In my second stream night of this game after less than 2 hours I just gave up in anger. The amount of BS was too much. I am not new in RTS, I played them since ever and even played 100s of hours multiplayer Generals/Zero Hour (by Westwood). The single player campaign sucks. The missions are basically multiplayer skirmishes, greatly outnumbered and out developed where you get rushed with several armies in 3-4 minutes. It just isn't any fun for me. I give it 3 stars out of 5 and I think I am very kind in doing so. I can tolerate lack of features and polish, but this BS campaign is just too much for me.
I played the game for good, once. Few days ago I decided to stream it over the however many days it would take to complete it. ( www.twitch.tv/trusteft/ ) The driving takes a bit to get used to in races, but eventually I got the hang of it. I liked it and enjoyed the racing parts. My main problem with it is the problem I have with other racing games which have tiered/locked "career" behind events which have nothing to do with actual racing. For example Drity Showdown. There are events in this game where you have to do certain things, acrobatics, with your vehicle. At that point the vehicle not only controls different, but it feels like physics don't apply to it. I finished the first cup, but approaching the end of the second cup (few hours in the stream) I just was not having any fun with these events. Give me racing, but don't force me to "jump through hoops" to play the rest of the game. I have no doubt if they weren't there or at at the very least if I could continue the cup(s) without having to win these events, I would give the game at least a 4/5. The game can be fun, but as it is, not for me.
I don't have the game/collection. I might get it if I have the money in the future and if it gets much lower priced/sale. Much. The main reason I am pissed off with it is the complete abandonment of anything in the Atari 16-bit computer lineup. From the ST, STE, all the way to the Falcon. There is nothing here. For Atari, whoever is in control of them they don't even exist. So they are going to get exactly zero money from me. Unfortunately I have to give it a star rating as I can't just post this. Don't take my star rating as important.
I mostly played this on the ST in the late 80s, but it is identical. The game is two in one. I will explain. You have a platoon of M1 MBTs with usually some support vehicles or general support like helos, artillery calls, and close in air support (A-10 baby!) You play campaigns, which are dynamic and you play against Warsaw Pact forces. Depending on the result you proceed till you win or lose the war. Great so far. Oh yes there are training missions and blah blah, but the meat of the game is the campaign. Now, when you are in a campaign mission you get to use any post on any tank, commander, gunner, driver, while the A.I. controls the rest. Yes it is cool, yes it is super cool. However, there is another way I mostly played this game. If you watch the trailer you will notice a map with some icons etc. For me this was the favorite way to play the game. You can play it as a tactical real time strategy game. Give orders to your units, the 4MBTs plus any other vehicles (Bradleys, M113, A-10, Apache, etc) like a pure strategy game and let the A.I. in them fight it out with the enemy. It's glorious! Mind you, it is not an arcade game. This is a simulation. This is not Battlezone, this is not Ikari Warriors (as great as they are). If you have played flight simulators of the time, like F-16 Falcon, Fighter Bomber (FFS GOG bring this game here!), only that of course here you are in control of a tank(s). My favorite type of missions in the campaign was in defensive missions where I had support with Bradleys and A-10s. If you managed to create a kill zone..oh how glorious to see the pure destruction of enemy forces! Now the negative parts. The sound is very PC 1980s. It's just bad compared to even the mid 90s. The graphics were very impressive mostly due to the scale of the thing, each battle was huge in 3D, but as with all 3D games, it has not aged well. But if you are willing to see past that, it's a hell of a game! READ THE MANUAL.
There are two main things one needs to know before playing or buying this. 1) It is mostly a walking simulator. You walk, you hear a story and you locate items to read. It does feel like a game, but Alan Wake this isn't. The story is mostly well made and the controls work well. 2) The game is depressing. I am not even kidding. If you are suffering from depression (like I am) then I would avoid playing it. While I could see more or less what was going to happen from the first few minutes, it only got worse as the story and the very good acting tried their best. Do I recommend this one? It's a short game, I finished it for my stream in under 2 hours. In 1 hour 42 min to be exact. I didn't pay much money for it as I got it in a sale. For even the full price it is worth it for the quality of the acting alone. The graphics are good too. Just remember the two things I mentioned. Oh and the game did manage to scare me in a couple of occasions. But the most serious thing you need to remember is that this game is depressing. The game warns you when you start and I laughed at it. I have proof in my vod of my stream https://youtu.be/Rft70EEBXQc I was not laughing at the end of it. I got too depressed to do anything else that night. If you know you have no such issues, then I easily suggest this experience.
I give this game a 4 out of 5. For what it is, for what its genre is, for what it tries to be and how much it succeeds at it. The game is a hidden object game, with several added puzzles in it that are not hidden objects puzzles/games. It has an interesting story with some good acting and excellent music. The graphics are good, though technically only 5:4/4:3 aspect ratio. You can still play it at 16:9 as it comes out of the box (ie GOG), but I suggest changing it to a native resolution that isn't stretched. Played it to completion on the harder difficulty setting, with limited experience with similar games. It was fun, though not very long at about 5-7 hours long. The game has a hint system and a bypass puzzle option in case you get stuck. The only major issue for me, and the reason why I didn't give it full 5 stars, the ending is lackluster.. A let down. I also made a video review if you want to have a closer look, at about 10 min long. https://youtu.be/PIzcoy820I8
Good game. Worth playing if you like a combination of Tomb Raider, Resident Evil though not as good as either. I kid you not it is worth playing. I did a playthrough of the first few parts (4) of it and while I had to stop for other reasons, I enjoyed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2gcXXIc3is
If you like the previously released 5 Star games (aka the General games) then this is a must, especially if you like the modern (for the time) setting. The game engine and GUI is more refined than ever and it plays really well. The game plays in the known semi branching campaign way and it is a joy to play if you like the setting. If there is one thing I never liked with the more new games of the series was the more "realistic" map design/graphics. I always prefer the way the maps show in the original Panzer General, Allied General, Star General. Still, I admit this is a great game in the series and a must for any fun of turn based strategy games, or wargame genre. You won't be disappointed. I haven't played the GOG version yet as it was just released and I just found out about it, but if there is nothing wrong with this release from a technical point (and I have no reason to believe there is any issue), I highly recommend it. The only reason I don't put 5 stars is because of my preference for the map style/presentation. I can't take half a star off, so...
When the game was brand new I didn't get to play it as it wasn't released on my computer of the choice. I got to play it a couple of years later (94ish) and liked it, even though I didn't have much time to really get to know it. From what I remember it was good. Gameplay wise it was basically a game similar to another classic of the era, Empire (and) Empire Deluxe. More detailed, more units etc from either of them. If you like strategy games, go for it.
Pure mid to late 90s arcade rail shooter, updated for modern systems with upgraded looks. I played it last night for my twitch stream and was expecting something longer, but then again I didn't know it was going to be a pure arcade game. Even the lives you have are called credits, which you can win more when you finish a level, depending on how well you played. I played with the mouse and kb while there are more options. You control the camera angle for shooting with the mouse, but you HAVE to use the keyboard too to swap around the four quadrants, forwards, backwards, left and right. Think of it as picking different turrets only that you have one person. There is a radar helping you showing you where the enemies are and even the danger level of them, with red being the higher. The enemy shoots you and you can shoot the enemy missiles down, if you want to eventually defeat the whole game. You see the actual movement of your flying dragon is very limited. It is an on rail shooter after all. You can avoid some enemies, obstacles, missiles, but for the most part you are a sitting duck than a flying dragon. I am not complaining, just explaining how it plays. Each credit you have is good for one life and you can't replenish your health. You earn more credits as you play. I managed to defeat the game on my first go, at normal difficulty. It felt the right amount of challenge, as soon as you learn the game. To shoot the enemies you have two ways of shooting, one click for each shot, or hold the fire button to lock on targets and release to shoot them with homing missiles at the same time. Most targets can be done with the easier way (lock), but enemy missiles and at least one boss, you have to use the click per shot way. It's not easy, but it is not very hard either. The game is very well balanced and totally worth buying IMO, even though the length of a single "campaign" is around an hour length. Here is my stream, uploaded on yt. https://youtu.be/IknCOJyBTiY
