Tom Clancy's EndWar Review
by Russ Fischer
Designers have struggled for years to find an unimpeachable method for translating real-time strategy (RTS) to home consoles. Certain titles have found more success than others, but all but a few of the best console RTS titles have felt like a compromise. The genre, which has players looming over a battlefield like a near-omniscient warlord, requires a multitude of keys and commands to control scores of combat units spread out over huge maps.
Enter Tom Clancy's EndWar, which takes significant steps towards redefining the console RTS. First, the entire story, which tells of a massive global conflict involving American, Russian and united European forces, is broken into bite-sized and multiplayer-friendly mission types. Second, instead of an overhead view littered with tiny units, the game's visual perspective is entirely third person. Essentially, you'll see what each of your units can see, from their perspective, in real time.
Third, and most important, Tom Clancy's EndWar allows every game command to be issued by voice. Sure, you can play the game in a more classic style, and the core suite of button-based commands is quite well designed, so if you chose to ignore the voice option, you wouldn't necessarily feel as if anything was missing. But when the action gets thick and hectic -- which happens very quickly -- voice commands are the way to go. You can zoom from unit to unit, issuing attack, garrison and retreat commands with incredible speed.
The mechanics are simple. Pull the right trigger, issue a command, release the trigger. Commands are all formatted according to a Who/What/Where setup, so to send your fifth squad of riflemen to occupy a map point designated 'Alpha' you'd say 'Unit 5 Move To Alpha'. When you begin to speak a drop-down menu will appear for each stage of the command, so you'll see a menu with possible units to order around, then when you've specified the unit a further menu will appear with possible commands like 'Move To', 'Camera', 'Attack' and so forth. (For some reason there is no 'Halt' or 'Hold' command, which is frustrating.) Once a unit is in motion you might want to switch the point of view to your third unit of tanks. 'Unit 3 Camera' will do the trick.
The branching set of drop-down menus sounds intimidating, but in practice you'll pay attention to it for about five minutes. The command structure is so well designed that any player should grasp it within moments, and the possible commands are easy enough to learn that after a tutorial mission or two you'll ignore the drop-downs altogether.
But does it work? Definitely, for the most part. In the heat of battle, when you're tempted to talk fast, enunciation becomes less than perfect and the game will balk at commands. But speak clearly and the system performs well. Moreover, creating groups of units is easier via voice than controller. Generally speaking, the only things that were easier to do via controller were sending units to a point not designated with a code letter on the map, and stopping the progression of a unit in motion.
Real-time strategy often emphasizes the details at the expense of a thrilling, engaging experience. EndWar seeks to turn that equation upside-down, and often succeeds.
EndWar is spiritually related to the Ghost Recon series, and you'll see a few hallmarks of the tactical shooter pop up here. Notably, in the display layout; peer into the distance and you might see a moving red dot representing an enemy unit. Focus on it for a moment and the dot will expand with details of the unit and a target number, 'Hostile 5' for example. The ID number is critical to the voice command system; you'll tell your own units to attack or move to 'Hostile 5'.
You'll see dangers when each unit does; because units will move and report autonomously to some degree your headset might crackle with surprised exclamations when a new threat comes into view; flipping to an imperiled squad's perspective via voice commands turns out to be a thrilling experience. It is like being in the Lieutenant's command seat during the first assault scene in the classic film Aliens. Hopefully, unlike the outcome of that raid, you don't blow it.
Long-time RTS fans might find the basic unit array to be lacking, as EndWar features only seven types of units to command. (Additional support options can be called in, but not directly controlled, and there are WMDs to be launched at enemies, as well.) But you'll earn cash in successful missions, which can be spent to upgrade units in a variety of ways. Upgrades branch out the hardware tree considerably, and can tailor the basic squads to your style of play. Like urban warfare? Buy upgrades for infantry that allow them to quickly clean out enemy units garrisoned within buildings.
The limited squad options also help keep the multiplayer skirmishes lively. Instead of constantly looking for new technology you'll be looking for inventive ways to use and upgrade the limited squads available. (Unlike many RTS titles, there are no resources to mine and technology to research; the only 'resources' you'll collect are data uplink points.) Fortunately, incapacitated units can be rescued and redeployed with experience and upgrades intact for the next battle. That is, unless you're facing a ruthless opponent, as downed enemy units can be executed, forcing you to replace them with fresh, inexperienced squads for the next encounter.
Real-time strategy often emphasizes the details at the expense of a thrilling, engaging experience. EndWar seeks to turn that equation upside-down, and often succeeds. From the integrated, Ghost Recon-style info on your HUD to the third-person camera and voice command system, everything is designed to keep you right in the game with the squads on the front line. The strategy pays off, making EndWar a unique and challenging new weapon in the Tom Clancy arsenal.
Posted: 3 Nov 2008
