Making History: The Calm and the Storm
Preview
Not so calm, this storm
by William Thompson
previewed on PC
War has shattered many a young mans dreams...
For a game that has been marketed as having "Groundbreaking 3D graphics", this game is hugely disappointing in its current form. The unit graphics may be detailed, but they certainly are not in 3D. The only thing that makes this game even remotely 3D is the fact that you can tilt the map, so that you can look front on at the map (similar to sitting at the side of a table-top boardgame), or can look at the map from above. I'm usually not one to say that graphics are totally important in determining whether a game is good or not, but, at present, the graphics in this game are comparable to Civilization 2. Yes, that's right, a game that was released over 10 years ago is better graphically than Making History. Each of the major powers is depicted with variations of the basic units though, such as the English use a Spitfire whilst Germans use a Messerschmitt, but this variation is like having toy soldiers painted different colors.
Battle graphics are also disappointing. Well, I shouldn't really say that, because there are no, and I repeat, NO 'in-battle' graphics. In fact, the only way you can tell there is a battle going on, is that the two opposing forces are separated by an explosion graphic on the map. Of course, you are also notified in your information panel.
Made him disabled bitter and mean...
The audio in the game at this point is not much better either. True, there are some good points. After selecting your playing nationality, you are played a tune that represents that nation (the UK gets 'God Save the Queen', the US has 'The Star Spangled Banner') and gets you in the mood for that particular nation. But that is where the good points end. The in-game music isn't all that bad, giving a warlike ambiance, but this becomes monotonous after a short while. The unit sounds are similar to that of the fore-mentioned Civ2. Aircraft have a typical airplane buzzing sound, ships are given a ringing sound and troops have a marching noise. All pretty standard fare. Nice enough, I suppose, but very plain.
Life is much too precious to spend fighting wars these days...
Winning can be achieved in a variety of ways. There are three victory conditions that enable a win. Firstly, after a certain period of time, the country with the most points is declared the winner. Secondly, alliances could help to achieve the Alliance victory, calculated by adding all points from nations involved in alliances. And thirdly, an Ideological victory can be obtained by the group of countries that share the same ideology.
War can't give life, it can only take it away...
Bart Simpson once said "War is neither glamorous nor fun. There are no winners, only losers. There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: The American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy." There have been great games based on each of these wars. Unfortunately, at this point, Making History is not one of them. World War 2 history buffs may enjoy its detail, but regular gamers could get too bogged down in the endless detail screens. The fact that visually Making History feels like you are playing 'Risk!? on a table-top board game doesn't help the enjoyment of the game either. Having said that, one saving grace for Making History could well be the multiplayer games. Having the ability to play online against players from different parts of the world could really make this game more entertaining. And the number of scenarios and playable nations will give this game some lastability. The game is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2007, so there is certainly time to make some improvements in the game.
Thanks to Edwin Starr's "War (What is it good for?)", for the paragraph headings.
