Article Type: Preview
Article Date: June 12, 2001
Previewed Version of Game: Pre-Release Demo
Keepin' It Real, Baby!
As a longtime follower of the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre, I felt a tingling anticipation for this newest RTS offering by Rival Interactive. No, not Westwood with their basic inventing of the genre with the whole Command & Conquer series. Nor Cavedog, with their excellent foray into the category with Total Annihilation. No, those titles were based on either altered realities or future fiction.
What sets this strategy game apart from the aforementioned classics is the modeling of weapon systems currently in use by the US military services. According to Rival, "Real War is the commercial version of the official military Joint Forces game being used to train the US armed forces."
The only fiction in this game's storyline is the opponent force, or "ILA" as they are called who are a homemade terrorist group whose aim is to bring down the US. In the demo there are three single player missions available, but the campaign and net games are unselectable.
First Mission
As there is no readme.txt in this 96MB download, the first mission is a tutorial of sorts. You start by learning the use of the demolition vehicle/mine sweeper, M1 Abrams tanks, M109 Artillery, and MRLS.
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Hints are given about movement.  |
There are a few infantry units, but I just let them take a break. On the aerial front are Apache attack helo's, sea-based fighters, camouflaged F-14 Tomcats, F/A-18's for strikes, EA-6B Prowlers (which are incorrectly called AEW [Airborne Early Warning] aircraft). They are what the Prowler is, a jamming unit, and are effective when in range of a Rapier site. The opposition fields various Russian inspired armor units, and gliders(?) . . . it is the tutorial after all.
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| Wiley glider evades an AIM-9! |
Not much in the way of opposition, but it gives the basics.
A Rafael-looking brown-camoflaged jet makes an appearance at the end of the first scenario, and can be a challenge to your units.
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| One in the tailpipe! |
I have found that the CTRL # scheme used to groups units in most RTS games also works in Real War.
Second Mission
The second mission is a challenge as there is a time limit, and the price of failure is a nuke launch! The Rapier missiles are everywhere and the land mines are hidden until discovered. There is a nicely laid out and detailed briefing.
Opposition comes in the way of T-90-looking MBT's backed up by copious quantities of SAM emplacements. Brown-camouflaged Hind look-a-likes are quickly eliminated with a single hit from the IFV's called Linebackers. The ability to request additional units via the aircraft carrier icon is a plus. The targeting of slippery air units via the menu is also very handy. Calling in a B-52 strike to carpet bomb the battlefield is a very gratifying way to finish up!
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| Hi-Density Ripple! |
Third Mission
The snowy environment of the last single player scenario is a departure from the jungles of the first two missions. Brown and green camouflaged vehicles give way to blue and gray patterns. The ability to call in cruise missile packages is added and this greatly assists in the neutralizing of defensive SAM's surrounding the enemy's airfield.
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| F-16 polishes off an AFB |
It does not necessarily get rid of all air opposition as bushels of Su-25 Frogfoots show up to oversee the central plain and generally harass any air units you send to eliminate them. Their gunfire effects look pretty nice and do bring down the hit points on air and ground units alike.
Behind the Scenes
I rummaged through the demo's install directory and it looks like tweaks will be fairly easy for future add-ons. I even converted a couple of the .TGA images to .BMP's, then renamed them to .ICO icon files and used one image for my "My Computer" icon and another for my "Network Neighborhood" icon on my desktop!
Conclusion
Overall the demo offered a good taste of what looks to be a great addition to the category of Real-Time Strategy games. Great graphics that can be 3D accelerated up to 1280 x 960; real world air, sea, and ground units; and a very user-friendly and intuitive interface (I've heard all the menu choices have keyboard shortcuts too). What more could you want from an RTS? We'll find out in August . . .
