Battlezone

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1998
• Genre: Strategy
• Style: Action Strategy
• Similar Games: Armored Fist (IBM PC Compatible), Outpost (IBM PC Compatible), Armored Fist 3 (IBM PC Compatible), Battlezone II: Combat Commander (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

In Battlezone, you take the role of a tank commander leading U.S. or Soviet forces to gain control of precious metal. The "Stars and Stripes" units under your control include NSDF scouts, three types of armored assault tanks, self-propelled turrets, heavy strike cruisers, APCs, howitzers, bombers, minelayers, reclamation and cargo units, bio-metal fabricators, construction facilities, and more. The "Red Brigade" forces feature similar units with differing properties and unique abilities.

In 1952, a meteor shower struck the Bering Strait. The celestial event was overshadowed by the conflict raging in Korea, yet United States and Russian scientists surreptitiously recovered and studied odd metals resulting from the impact. After testing by the National Space Defense Force (NSDF), a super-secret organization empowered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the so-called "bio-metal" was found to be a product of alien sentient manufacture.

Because the "bio-metal" was determined to be the result of a cataclysmic explosion of an alien structure some 100 trillion kilometers distant, it was deduced that fragments had been captured by the gravitational pull of every sizable planet in the solar system. Accessible bodies such as Mars}, Venus and Jupiter's satellites Io and Europa, as well as Saturn's satellite Titan and the earth's Moon, became instant targets for mining the material in a race to win the Cold War between the Soviets and Americans.

In a secret deal, Arkin Industries was given the task of discovering exactly how the "memory-resilient" Bio-Metal 11 could be used for military weaponry systems. New and never before seen indestructible all-terrain vehicles and futuristic weapons could be manufactured easily if more of the material were available. Thus the race to retrieve usable quantities of the material was born.

Weaponry includes mortars, cannons, missiles, solar flares, mines, dampening field generators, snares and cameras; building types consist of power plants, silos, towers, barracks, depots and hangars. Four training missions are available to learn gameplay and 3D acceleration is offered but not mandatory. Game customization features include three skill levels (easy, medium and hard), automatic leveling, target positioning assistance and detail, object, shadow and cockpit settings, as well as multiplayer options (LAN, Internet, modem) with a wide choice of game options.

Roots & Influences

This title is based on the Arcade game of the same name, which was released in the early 80s. Battlezone blends the first-person shooter and resource-management strategy genres together; while blowing away the opposition, one must collect resources and deploy troops.

Review: Overall

If you miss the romance and intrigue of the Cold War but are looking for something a little more high-tech than campy James Bond-style gadgetry (e.g., cigarette rocket launchers), Battlezone may be worth a look. It's a golden opportunity to exorcise those residual capitalist/communist tensions in your psyche, only this time, you can do it all over the solar system with fancy floating tanks.

In the alternate future, not only are the United States and the Soviet Union still at each other's throats, but the fight has taken on a new tone of desperation, as both countries attempt to excavate alien ruins on other planets and exploit the technology found. The story of the aliens is revealed bit by bit, each discovery intertwined with the progressing hostilities.

Fortunately, there is a lot more going on than the neo-cold war gimmick. First and foremost, the game successfully incorporates elements of real-time strategy into a first person combat simulator. In most missions, you assume command of a small group of military and support units. The Recycler serves as the center and gets power from geysers on the planets' surfaces, then produces Scavengers that collect scrap metal (raw material for the Recycler), defensive turrets, and ammunition and repair capsules. When enough scrap is collected, unit factories, armories, repair facilities and various reinforcement units can be built.

The method used for issuing orders to your units is impressive, with each type assigned a number in a main menu. Thus, to issue an order to a utility unit, you select the number 3 and get a menu of the units currently available. Each unit has an assigned number, and, when selected, acknowledges and waits for orders. You can send it somewhere specific (like a Navigation Buoy), or simply out of the way, tell it to collect scrap, or have it follow another unit. Each order is assigned a number as well.

The same process is followed to direct military units to attack targets. It's all simply a matter of choosing from menus, and can be done at the same time you're busy blowing something up. Initially, the control scheme takes a bit of practice, but, once mastered, it adds character to the game. This aspect essentially allows Battlezone to successfully bridge the gap between the two genres, combining both the complexity and planning angles of RTS games, as well as the immediacy of a first person shooter or simulator.

While there are certain mild disappointments, such as the silly introductory voiceovers in which a gravelly voice spouts war clichés and the lack of much detail on the planet surfaces, nothing seriously detracts from this very enjoyable game.

Review: Enjoyment

Strikes a very good balance between complexity and ease of play.

Review: Graphics

Generally good, but planet surfaces aren't diverse enough to keep it fresh.

Review: Sound

Explosions and voices are nicely done.

Review: Replay Value

The game is long, and replaying from the beginning is a viable option considering the divergent possibilities in unit development.

Review: Documentation

Large manual offers good, detailed information on most areas within the game.

Production Credits

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