Tom Clancy's EndWar
Preview
Bring your voice to the battlefield
by CCM30
previewed on X360
Don't panic... much (cntd.)
EndWar in some ways resembles a strategy board game that has been moved onto your TV screen. You will find yourself caught in intense battles even if they are a bit dull in design and graphical quality. EndWar gives you all you need to rain fire on your enemies. Supplied with infantrymen, tanks, helicopters and the occasion "kill-all-end-all" WMD, you won't find it hard to rip through enemy defenses. There is a lot going on at the same time and your troops need constant attention from their commander. If you would have to locate and give them orders through the clunky and frustrating menu structure, you’d go crazy in no time.
And this is where Ubisoft brings in something that makes the experience more worthwhile than I had anticipated: Voice Command. Be thankful you have that headset of yours because you will need it to successfully complete your missions. Sure, you can go through the painstaking in-game menus to give orders to your troops, but why should you tolerate this when you can just shout your commands in seconds? As long as you can memorize every single aspect of the voice commands, you will be flying in clear skies. As the game advances, you will get more accustomed to the Voice Command system, making it easier to deal with the ever increasing demand on your skills as a commander.
Screw it, just blow everything up
Thanks to some ingenuity on Ubi's side, EndWar has a quite ophisticated multiplayer mode for all of you hardhats that feel like bringing the destruction online. With each match, you will be sent into the fray with essentially everything the campaign offers you, plus an opponent that could either be smart enough to destroy you in minutes or one that is as dumb as a half-dead monkey. While you may just have fun running around destroying things and hoping to win, I suggest reading up on the multiplayer as much as you can if you are planning to win. There are many different objectives and knowing what to do is half the battle.
EndWar ups the ante with score and ranking records that make the experience more personal and more fun, if you win of course. The game does lose a bit of an edge, since while you have the helpful Voice Command system in play, you lose the ability to mock your opponent, no matter how well you are doing. Don't be frustrated though, EndWar seems to be just as fun without that kind of communication.
Fire up your tanks
RTS fans, be ready for massive drooling. That's what this game will induce. I can't say the game is that welcoming to newcomers of the genre, but seeing that the game has a lot to offer, many will be happy with what they see this November. Don't miss what could be the war to end all wars.
