Angel Jerusalem
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 09/22/00 @ 12:00 AM
Dear surfer, if you are a both a die-hard WWII fan, and a fellow Ager, then you will probably want to download this scenario. If not, then I regret to say you probably wouldn't.
As far as it concerns playability, fighting your enemies on the shores and looking out for a soldier who has gone through enemy lines was not outstandingly fun, but was okay, yet a tad on the frustrating/tedious side. Slightly below average, the designer could have thought of all kinds of plot-twists to make me want to continue playing. Call me the dramatic type, but I enjoyed finding the person behind enemy lines more than I did fighting a plain battle.
The balance was pretty bad. One starts off with units galore, and yet recieves, from some odd reason, a fort with villagers, in case he'll need anymore. Thoughtful, yet, unfortunately, useless.
No players, besides player 1, get villagers or can build up, which normally makes a good multiplayer game.
Here we come to the good point in the scenario - creativity. As I started the scenario, I was sure I was going to be the allies, landing on the shores of Normandy... but on the contrary, I was surprised to discover I was actually the Germans trying to withstand the invasion. Good thinking!
As I mentioned earlier, I liked the idea of finding a stray allied soldier behind my lines. Some plot-twists and it would've recieved a 5.
The map design was pretty bad too. Just a fort, some roads leading to the shores, an enemy fort and an island with some enemy units. No trees, no eye-candy, nothing to stop me from straying away from the roads and walking upon the barren grass on my way to stop an allied invasion. It shows that the designer took time in designing, (he walled off the shores) but he invested it in the wrong places. If he would've made a more interesting map to play (elavation, shallows near the shore, decorations of all sorts, etc.), maybe I would have enjoyed this more.
The Story/Instructions was a disappointment. Merely something like "Beat the enemy.", (though I forgot the exact phrase). The hints were neither numerous nor helpful. The history was hardly objective, extensive or informative. Definately a point to work hard on.
Overall, I suspect the designer misplaced this scenario. I would not advise Agers to play this over the Zone or any other network. This belongs to the "single player" section of the blacksmith, since the triggers and map suggest that it is intended for one player to play himself, rather than a couple human players to play together.
Download and play whether you're a WWII buff or just plain interested in D-Day. Not to download if you intend to play this with your friends on the zone. |