At a glance...

Greed Corp review

The reputation of capitalism has suffered somewhat in the last couple of years as a result of the global recession. W!Games' Greed Corp isn't a game about the financial crisis, bankers, or even sub-prime mortgages (and let's hope no one makes a game about that last one). It is, however, a game about industrial capitalism and its destructive impact.

Greed Corp is a turn-based hexagonal strategy game, slotting nicely amongst Carcassonne and Catan on the Xbox Live Arcade. However, unlike those two which are based on board games, Greed Corp is an original creation of Dutch studio W!Games. It features the simple idea of being the last team standing as the world around you, including your foes, falls apart following your actions. It's set in a fictitious land where resources are limited, but cooperation isn't the name of the game, as each team battles to expand its territory, and more importantly, survive. The land, which itself floats in the air, is made up of 3D hexagonal tiles with height. As land is mined for resources - which equate to currency for the player - the tile and nearby hexgaons are pulled downwards, until they eventually crack and disappear into the ether below. Thus you are torn between mining in order to buy units and buildings, and thus win the war, and limiting the destruction you reek on the land which will be your (literal) downfall if you don't keep moving your units. This constantly changing land provides an exciting and dynamic flow to the game, that certainly makes a turn-based strategy title feel more alive.

As stated, the aim is simply to be the last one standing, and as you might expect, you are eliminated when all your units and buildings are destroyed. You earn an initial amount of credits on each turn which can be used to construct buildings such as turrets (which you then need to purchase ammo for) and mining facilities. The greater the number of mining facilities in use, the greater the number of credits you receive when you start your turn. But it is the process of mining, which also takes place at the start of the turn, which does the damage to the land. So by having more facilities, you will erode the ground much quicker, so the number and placement of your mining facilities plays an important part in the strategy of each match. Between turns you can spend your money on new units, as well as buildings, who are used to explore and take control of nearby tiles, and eventually enter battles with the rival factions. These skirmishes take place in the usual turn-based manner, with numbers creating an advantage, but its essentially the roll of dice behind the scenes that determines the winner.

The original ideas and clever dynamics make Greed Corp an enjoyable, if sometimes tough game. The gameplay seems rooted in multiplayer, but it still contains an extensive single player campaign, including a tutorial which familiarises you with the controls. When you've got enough practice (and I do recommend spending some time playing alone first), you can head on to Xbox Live to take on three other humans. If it is successfully adopted by the board game crowd, you can expect plenty of strategic games ahead, but hopefully lots of fun too. Multiplayer, however, isn't restricted to online play - you can grab three friends to play on the same system, and you can even mix up your battles with local players, online players, and some computer-controlled players too.

The level of polish in Greed Corp can make it surprising to discover that it is an emerging indie developer behind the game. Everything is put together very well by W!Games, with pleasing presentation, and a wonderful art style. The graphics are crisp and colourful, and the animations bring life to the different factions, which all have their own visual style. You can play as different sides, each with their own units, and yet the game feels well balanced.

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