Dark Reign

Summary

Genre: Strategy
Number of players: 1-8

Review

Dark Reign is a real-time strategy game featuring two distinct teams, who are locked in an epic and rather brutal struggle to destroy each other. The usual fare, really. The two teams - the Freedom Guard and the Imperium - each feature a large number of different units, all with differing abilities. As usual in RTS games, you must gather resources - precious water, which can be sold for money, and taelon, a fuel which is used to power your structures - and build up a mighty army with which to defeat your enemies. There's not too much deviation from the average strategy-game format, so is the game any good?


Gameplay: Well, the game plays pretty well. Unlike several strategy games, it makes a real difference which team you choose to play as, as both the Imperium and the Freedom Guard have quite different strategic possibilities. The Imperium tend to go for all-out power, with several very strong units, and most of their vehicles are endowed with 'hover' technology, which allows them to cross expanses of water but not to climb steep hills. The Freedom Guard are more tactical, with units such as camouflaged scouts and spy planes. The FG don't have many hover units, but many of their troops have the ability to 'phase', allowing them to hide in the ground when enemies come past. They also have access to medics and repairmen.

The units, then, are interesting, and all perform totally different functions. Combat itself is certainly fast-paced, but actually somewhat shallow. Flinging a vast number of units at the enemy is pretty much all it boils down to. There are a few tactical units, such as the artillery vehicles which fire shells over a gigantic distance, but as a rule individual units are unimportant, and it's more down to strength in numbers. This makes for a rather simplistic experience, and makes it more a question of speed in building up a force than strategic ability. It's still enjoyable to send in masses of units and watch the carnage, but there just isn't much depth.

Another problem, particularly in multiplayer play (see below for more) is the ease of 'rushing'. Rushing basically involves you starting up a game, then three minutes later having a horde of enemy units enter your base and demolish it. This is easy to do, since it's quite possible to quickly put up a factory and buy a few cheap attack units within a minute or two. This kind of play invariably wrecks even further the strategic possibilities, because it's much harder to get a good defence network up and running in the same time. Again, it's the quickest who will win, not the most tactical, and this is a problem in a 'strategy' game. In addition, because the resources in the game never run out, merely slowing down as they are used, players can 'sit tight' on their water and taelon deposits without being forced to move out and commandeer new deposits and fight over fresh sources. As a result, anyone surviving the early rushes can just sit back and make a large army of units, and end the game with a single massive strike. Hmmm.

One feature which is a bonus to the game is the Custom Mission creator. This allows you to design your own maps, and set out starting conditions. Supposedly, you can also design special objectives and such, but a diploma in programming is apparently necessary, as the system for making AIs, triggers and events is not described at all anywhere in the manual or help menu, nor is there any apparent place where you can enter coding. However, merely designing a map is fun, and adds a lot to the enjoyment.

In short, the game is big on action, but small on strategy, and the battle often goes not to the strong.


Challenge: Challenge is so-so. The general lack of tactics makes winning a mission more about brute force than careful planning, but there are a fair amount of single-player missions to get through, and some of them are quite tough to complete. Many require you to do things other than merely eradicating the enemy, such as rescuing a person or base, or stealing the plans for enemy units. As for long-term value, there is quite a bit to do, but it does start to wear a bit thin eventually, and it certainly isn't timeless.


Graphics: The graphics aren't bad, but not especially good either. The units are quite detailed, and their various attacks all look vastly different, and the maps look fairly good as well. However, there's nothing that stands out, and the various dirt and grasslands are rather nondescript. The cinematic sequences too are functional, but not stunning in any way. Graphics overall do the job, but not much more.


Sounds: The background music is perfectly satisfactory, with some appropriate tunes which provide a good accompaniment to the action, but never dominate the game. They aren't exactly dramatic or powerful, but gently add to the experience without ever being intrusive. Sound effects are quite good, with each unit having a different voice and a fair few lines, although not exactly brimming over with personality. The various weaponry and explosion noises are adequate, and at least fairly varied. The overall sound of the game is pretty good, and fits the game very well.


Multiplayer: Playing multiplayer Dark Reign is an enjoyable experience, and is extremely easy to get into. The internet setup is very well-designed, and very straightforward. The gaming itself is fun, although the prevalence of rushing tends to make for many short and unsatisfying matches. Longer games are still possible, and tend to be great fun, particularly successful combined attacks with your allies. A fine multiplayer mode, and one that greatly enhances the package.


Summing up: A competent strategy game which may not be a classic or have deep gameplay, but still a fun, if lightweight, experience. Plenty of variety between units and teams, and a nice map editor. Multiplayer is highly enjoyable, too. Not bad at all.


Gamesmark: 79%


Reviewer: Maverik



Tangycheese's opinion: As you may have gathered from Mav's review, he's not the fastest of games players around. Dark Reign isn't too bad a game, but compared to something like StarCraft it isn't even worthy of a mention. The Custom Mission thingy is pretty good, though, but gameplay itself is not so much tactics as building hundreds of the same unit and storming a base. Not too much fun in the long run.