When the real-time strategy genre debuted on the PC, it caught the imagination of strategy fans the world over. Strategy games could now be played in real time (hence the name). Gone were the days of waiting your turn to build a unit or to move your tank a couple of hexes closer to that vulnerable infantry installation.
Many gamers (and developers) thought real time would turn out to be the Holy Grail of strategy gaming. Franchises like Command and Conquer and Age of Empires saw real-time strategy gaming build a huge following almost as quickly as the action that took place on the PC screen.
Unfortunately, like any other genre, real-time strategy is now made up of titles that range from the sublime to the just plain terrible, with the majority of games sitting somewhere in the middle.
Some titles force the player into a race against the computer (or other players) to see who can build the biggest army first and then destroy everything in sight. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does lack the finesse that the earlier turn-based strategy games offered the discerning strategist.
On the opposite end of the scale, there are titles that overwhelm the player with micro-management. Some novices believe that micro-management is an evil of the modern strategy era and refuse to play titles that contain these features. However, I believe that when micro-management is done correctly, it can enrich the strategy experience by immersing the player in the gaming world.
When Sierra`s Empire Earth was released in November last year, it drew an unprecedented response from the strategy gaming community. The scope of the game turned out to be huge. It allowed the gamer to play through 14 epochs from the pre-historic (500 000 BC) to the nano age (2200 AD) using any one of 21 civilisations.
Empire Earth took the best elements of turn-based and real-time strategy gaming, added in a historical lesson of the world and offered players a title that had the potential to become one of the most popular games of all time.
With the recent release of the Empire Earth expansion, Age of Conquest, fans and competitors alike were interested in what Sierra could add to an already large game. The answer is not all that much.
The expansion features a 15th epoch, space, that covers events after 2200 AD. Players are now able to build units that include space turrets and robotic farms. The new epoch also adds two new heroes, a warrior and a strategist, the meteor storm calamity and the orbital space station wonder.
Age of Conquest also features updates to the standard Empire Earth civilisations. The majority of these updates come in the form of civilisation-specific powers. Ancient Grecian bowmen for example can now shoot flaming arrows that cause buildings to catch fire which can spread to other structures. These powers add some extra functionality to the civilisations but not enough to warrant an expansion pack. Maybe Sierra could have made these updates available as a paid-for download?
Two civilisations, Korea and Japan, have also been included in the expansion. In fact, the entire Age of Conquest has a distinct Asian feel to it with one of the three new single player campaigns dedicated to Asia. This campaign covers the formation of the United Federation of Asian Republics and its attempts to colonise Mars. Being able to take the Empire Earth experience and duplicate it in space might seem like a misplaced attempt to make money off an expansion, but it works well and is a nice addition to the franchise.
The other new campaigns feature the Roman Empire and World War II. It seems Sierra has admitted its oversight in not including a Roman campaign in the original. However, the World War II campaign seems to be a bit of overkill since it was covered to some extent in the original game. Perhaps the developers could have included a historical campaign that does not feature as prominently in many other games.
While Art of Conquest is a worthy addition to the Empire Earth fold, I was expecting more from it. It must be said that building on the success and scope of the original was always going to be difficult, but gamers are a fickle (and unforgiving) bunch at the best of times. Having said that, if you are serious about your real-time strategy gaming and a fan of Empire Earth, then Age of Conquest is definitely the title for you.
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