Publisher: Activision
Ages: teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
war action
Among the most compelling games on the market are real-time strategy games. And in this regard, Activision's Empires: Dawn of the Modern World delivers great strategic gaming that's based on great historical civilizations. This one will appeal to die-hard players as well as to those who are just discovering the joys of these titles.
The game spans five eras that include the Medieval Age, Gunpowder Age, World War I and World War II and includes seven civilizations that range from England, China, Korea and France, to Germany, Russia and the U.S. The designers have done a great job of creating nine civilizations with different special powers, units, and economic traits, which keeps the conflicts interesting.
Players take full control over military, economic and strategic developments and lead their nation in battles on land, sea and air utilizing the weapons and strategies from each timeframe. Weapons may include longbows and charging knights in early incursions to Tiger Tanks and stealthy submarines in the modern era. As players progress from age to age, they get to build more powerful land, air and sea units and research new technologies.
The historical emphasis is strong. Gamers get to command some of history's heroes in three story-based single-player campaigns that include Richard the Lionheart's quest to unite England during the Medieval Age; Admiral Yi's attempt to defeat Japan during the 16th Century; and General Patton's triumphs from North Africa to Berlin during WWII. All three are well scripted and offer missions that give a sense of the difficulties facing the military leaders of the era
The game features two modes of play, an action mode that offers fast battles, and an empire builder mode that delivers larger battles that require more resource management and conquest. Players also get to battle up to seven AI or human opponents on randomly generated maps.
The 3D graphics are exceptional for a real-time strategy game and are flexible so players may view the action from just about any angle. Since the game is all about war, it's got its share of violence.
There are lots of great real-time strategy games on the market, but Empires: Dawn of the Modern World offers a historical experience that is mostly fresh. This one is definitely worth a look.
1/7/04 Daytrum Editorial Staff
