At a glance...

Previewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Release Date	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PC	Ascaron Entertainment	Digital Reality	1-10 (LAN, Online)	8th September 2006	Here

War Front preview

In my recent Glory of the Roman Empire review I commented on how there are approximately 904,753 World War II games out there now. Well, War Front: Turning Point would make it 904,754, but this isn't World War II as you know it. Digital Reality have in the past concentrated on realistic interpretations of the conflict in games like Desert Rats vs Afrika Korps and D-Day, but this time they've taken the Alternative History approach. In this version of the war, Hitler was assassinated early on, and while the Germans successfully invaded Britain before this occurred, the Soviet Union is moving in from the East. This leads to an eventual alliance between the Germans and the existing cooperation between the British and Americans, and thus a very different war pans out.

In fact, from the offset it is clear that technology is a little different here than in other WW2 titles; the front cover of the box of the preview code contains a picture of a German bipedal weaponised machine, with images of German stealth bombers appearing prominently on the back. War Front pitches itself as a "Sci-Fi/WW2" RTS game, which is a fairly accurate description, with its sci-fi element putting it more in line with the Command & Conquer series of games. Gameplay-wise War Front is of a more traditional RTS style, with the standard tech tree, bases to build, and a single resource — Gold — to collect. This makes it very similar to Command & Conquer: Generals, complete with a similar construction method (both in how the buildings rise, and the construction by an individually controlled unit), a rotatable and zoomable 3D engine, upgradable buildings, and even a Propaganda Tower for the Communist side. However, the genre is not known for completely original approaches, with more emphasis on the story and the units, something which War Front seems to be getting right.

This isn't some simple clone, though; it does add to the standard experience with a range of small, but interesting, touches. Firstly is the inclusion of a day/night cycle, as well as weather, affecting visibility of the surroundings of your units, as well as your RADAR system. There's also the inclusion of hero units, who seem more powerful, but are often essential (and sometimes irreplaceable) in the campaigns. An original idea is the ability to take direct control of the turrets in a first person view. In this view they are 50% more powerful, and allow you to get right into the heart of the conflict. The same courtesy, unfortunately, isn't extended to other units, though a third-person mode is offered for vehicles, allowing you to a gauge the action more closely.

The main story, which is written by Hollywood screenwriters, is split into two main campaigns following both the Allies (Britain and France), and the Germans. The Soviet Union is only the enemy in these, but is available for play in both the skirmish and multiplayer modes. Those wishing to engage in player-versus-player action can have up to 10 participants in their games, in a variety of combinations, including 5-v-5. However, I found some of the colouring on the map to be rather confusing when playing this, finding what I thought were my units — or at least my allies — attacking me unexpectedly.

Currently there are only very minor issues like this affecting War Front, and while it has the basis of a generic RTS title, the interesting story, imaginative units, and some added features should make this a title worth looking out for upon its release this September.

Copyright Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, except where otherwise noted.

Some screen captures on the site were made with HyperSnap-DX by Hyperionics.

Smileys taken from Crack's Smilies.