The best strategy game ever made - and it's free :D (Warzone 2100 (PC))

Member Name: 4pintfoss

Product:	Warzone 2100 (PC)
Date:	29/06/09 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thousands of different vehicles and structures to research, good story, great gameplay.

Disadvantages: Graphics aren't brilliant - but it's over 10 years old!

I have been playing games for over 12 years. I loved the old strategy games such as command and conquer (the original, red alert and red alert 2). Recent strategy games haven't lived up to my expectations (command and conquer red alert 3 for example). There is one game though that was my favourite game ever when it was released, and continues to be my favourite game ever, even to this very day. I still play it because it blows all other strategy games out of the water.

This game is 'Warzone 2100'

Before I talk about the game I would like to point out that this game is now FREE online (the source code was made public) and can be found at:

http://wz2100.net/

If you are curious about the game then I suggest that you download it because it is quite simply immense.

'Warzone 2100' was developed by 'Pumpkin Studios' and released in 1999 for both the PC and the original playstation. It is a real-time strategy game which is set in a post-apocalyptic setting. Basically a cascade of events set off nuclear war with nukes being fired at all major cities around the world. The survivors banded together into groups in order to try to restore stability and rebuild the world. One of those groups, 'The Project' is under your command.

Your mission is to scour the land for 'artefacts' in order to enable sufficient technology to start rebuilding the planet. An artefact can be anything from a new turret for a tank, to an improved material for base construction, to a new propulsion system (wheels, tracks, half tracks, hover propulsion etc). There are literally thousands of artefacts in the game. One you have found an artefact you have to research it. Once you have researched it you can use it to design new vehicles, improve the firepower of a weapon, or improve your base etc. Unfortunately there are other groups out there that are also looking for artefacts and have their own agenda, which leads to confrontation. In most strategy games you have a handful of unit types that you can create. So things tend to get pretty boring and repetitive after a while. In 'Warzone 2100' there are literally thousands of units to create, so things always stay interesting and fresh.

The game is split into 3 campaigns with about 10 missions in each one. Each mission can last anything from 10 minutes to 2 hours (with the option to save your progress part way through a mission). The 3 campaigns are set in different locations - western dessert, an urban environment and the Rocky Mountains. Each campaign is very interesting and there are many plot twists to keep you interested. Upon reading this review you may think that this game is complicated, but there is a tutorial system which will teach you the basics, and the campaign starts off slowly to ease you into things.

At the start of each campaign you create a basic base which will evolve over time as you collect more artefacts. Unlike most strategy games where you build a new base for each mission, in 'Warzone 2100' you just add to your existing base. Also you do not always move to a different map for each mission (although sometimes you do), the existing map often expands, revealing more landscape. The 'currency' for the game is 'energy' derived from oil. There are limited sites to tap oil but once tapped it creates a constant stream of energy (as long as you have a power turbine built). You can increase the amount of energy produced by 'tapping' more oil sites or by researching upgrades for your oil turbines.

The game is fully 3D. You can rotate the camera and zoom in too which was very advanced for the time. Graphically the games visuals aren't brilliant when compared to today's games, but you must remember that this game is 10 years old. But the gameplay gives any modern game a run for its money.

My favourite feature of the game is the ability to build and design your own vehicles. At the start of the game you are limited to two types of vehicles, but by the end of the game you have the ability to design thousands of vehicles! To design a vehicle you simply click on the design tab, choose a body (there are many types of light, medium and heavy bodies - each has its own advantages and disadvantages), choose a propulsion system (wheels are very fast but vulnerable, tracks offer good protection but are slow etc) and finally choose a turret (e.g. machinegun, heavy machinegun, light cannon, medium cannon, heavy cannon, bunker buster, lancer, pulse laser, rail gun, mortar, repair turret etc. to name but a few). You can then produce this vehicle. The more advanced the vehicle the more energy it will cost to produce.

Each tank you have gains experience as it kills enemies. Experience makes the tank tougher and more accurate. If a tank is low on health you can repair it (if you have the necessary technology) or you can recycle it, whereby the tank with go back to the factory and disappear. The next tank you produce will have that experience associated with it (like swapping drivers). This is useful if you have a very experienced low level vehicle and you have just researched a high level vehicle - the experienced driver will then be able to drive the higher level vehicle. There is also an innovative system for giving vehicles commands (other than by just pointing and clicking). For example you can select a group of units and tell them to 'do or die', 'retreat at medium damage' and 'retreat at heavy damage'. If for example if I tell a tank to 'retreat at medium damage' and the tank takes medium damage, the tank will retreat to the nearest repair station for repair (if available) or to the nearest base. This is useful because it can save your more experienced tanks from being destroyed.

There is also a multiplayer (skirmish) element to the game (although I would like to point out that the campaign is the main thing and the multiplayer is just a nice little extra). You can play against computer opponents or online. This works just like any other strategy game, but the difference is that you can create thousands of different types of units (although you have to research upgrades first). I found this very fun, but quite complicated as by the time you had finished building a tank, you will probably have researched something better. Computer A.I. is quite good and attacks often, but they tend to build hundreds of base defences all around the map making any attacks of your own slow and tedious.

In summary this game is brilliant, with great depth and the ability to customise your army. I know that it seems quite complicated but once you start playing you will be hooked. Don't forget that this game is free online, so give it a try.

Summary: The most fantastic strategy game ever made. Don't believe me? It's free on the internet, so try it!