When I fired up this game, it immediately took me back to those days of wonderment when I had a Commodore 64. I would load a new game, and there would be mysterious alien sprites flying across the screen. One never knew what they would do next. I of the Enemy gave me a feeling of nostalgia and filled in all the gaps with newer gaming technology that computers of the '80s lacked. I like this game.
You are Colonel Yereg Verkkal, the commander of the Lokob armies, and you are in alliance with the tough Rag'ha and the highly advanced race of Y'Dray, who are as arrogant as they are technologically superior. Also, your voice in the game might sound very familiar if you are a fan of science fiction movies. The enemy wants to take your people and use their essence and being to keep their own technology moving forward. You are bantha fodder, buddy.
I've got infantry, armor, artillery, engineers, and air cavalry. I also have the transportation corps to keep my troops moving back and forth over enemy lines. The support trains are vital to the mission, but darn it they are so slow sometimes! That is realism right there. Thankfully, the game does not get into the aspects of gathering and controlling assets. (Anybody ever play M.U.L.E.?)
At first, I was fooled into thinking that my guerilla warfare tactics of striking fast and moving would carry me through the first five chapters. Sure, they worked great in the first four scenarios, but as I forged forth into my Appomattox during the fifth engagement on the planet of Ackinaen, the Unath quickly handed my head to me on a platter. They didn't even bother with polite conversation. Only two more planets to go!
This real-time game requires you to get those troops delivered in a timely manner and moving them to the right place. Okay, it's not all about that, but it is extremely important, as my men seemed to get wiped out at every early engagement. I had to learn quickly from my mistakes in order to defeat the enemy, as they seemed much more adept at multi-tasking and moving spy planes into range of my guys and dropping long-range artillery on them.
And give me a giant flyswatter, so I can smack those little spy drones out of the air. I can't seem to shoot them down fast enough. They keep flying into my territory and spotting for those big guns a mile away. You wouldn't believe the holes they are putting into my armies!
It is imperative that you follow that tutorial, as even the first scenario seems impossible to defeat without it. My nine-year-old son enjoyed watching over my shoulder as I built temporal holes and upgraded the gates, fighting enemy supply convoys and shouting at my computer as skirmishers came in with their devastating firepower. Only my experienced troops could save me from those brutes.
Combat experience is vital to mission success. Your troops start out as Green, then move up the ranks to be Veteran, Crack and Elite troops. The higher they rank, the more effective they are in combat. When you lose a guy, wipe that tear of sadness from the corner of your eye and keep pressing onward!
I took advantage of the ability to replay beginner scenarios to upgrade some of my troops. This made future battles a little less hairy for my vets, but these were still tactically challenging engagements. There was no question that I needed to put together every last one of my resources before moving into battle, and paranoia on my part was a distinct advantage before moving into unknown territory.
Refreshingly, the story of the game carries well. You are creating history on a distant planet in an unknown time, and the different races are trying to move together like a well-oiled cog. Too bad for the leaders that it probably feels like two rusty wagon wheels. The writers did well - watch out for treachery in this plot.
This game is good bang for your buck. I wish I could have watched the guys who put this whole thing together. They took a small idea and made it militarily grand, and they let the play evolve. It's like starting out in a future version of the Battle of New Orleans and slowly making your way to Gettysburg and then D-Day. Trust me that this is not an easy game to master, but you'll like it.
However, not everyone is going to enjoy this game. It has too much of a homey feeling for Xbox or NES, and it required a little bit too much unit articulation for my son. But for those of you who enjoy personal control of your troops and get a sympathetic tear in your eye for a veteran troop who falls in combat, this game is going to appeal to you.
I am a writer who spends a lot of time home brewing, strumming guitar, and playing Xbox with my 9-year-old son. We have been a big fan of the series of Disciples and Disciples II games and their expansion packs for the PC. We also enjoy cooking exotic foods and taking Mandarin classes on the weekends.
