The next tool provided to aid you is a picture-in-picture camera. You can place
a camera on a section of the map and keep tabs on the area through a small view
window at the lower right of the screen. This lets you monitor a critical
location for early signs of trouble and it turns out to be a fairly valuable
aid.
A new war planner screen allows you to coordinate attacks with allies by drawing
attack arrows on a strategic view of the game map. After marking up and sharing
the map, your ally will have no doubt as to where he or she is supposed to
attack. This is a great aid to team coordination, but remember that the time
spent drawing arrows on your map is taken away from managing other areas of your
complex empire. Also aiding teamwork is a diplomacy screen that lets you make
alliances, give transit rights, trade, or share line of sight views. Again this
is a good aid to coordination and again it also adds to the game’s overall
complexity.
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| The new weather effects in action. |
Empire Earth II can be a game of information overload. You’ll have to be able to
respond to diplomatic overtures while constantly checking your citizen
management screen and keeping an eye on the picture-in-picture view, all while
managing your armies and production centers. If you’re new to strategy games
this will all be way too much to handle. It can even be taxing on gamers who’ve
played their share of strategy games. If you want depth and complexity you’ll
find it here, but just be sire that you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Empire Earth II comes with a tutorial campaign and three regular campaigns set
during four different epochs. These provide collections of related yet
individual scenarios more than ongoing campaigns or sagas. There is of course a
skirmish mode as well, where you can take part in battles of up to ten players,
human, AI, or a combination of both. There are numerous configuration options
that give you a lot of control in shaping the gameplay of the match, including
nine different victory conditions. Online multiplayer gaming can be pretty
intense, so make sure that you thoroughly master the game’s interface before
trying to take on other humans. The AI will give you plenty of challenge while
you hone your gameplay skills offline.
Graphically the game has not changed much from the original Empire Earth II.
Units and buildings are not very detailed and can look downright blocky when the
camera is zoomed in. One area in which the graphics shine is with the new
weather effects. Wind, rain, and snow not only add some graphical spice to the
game, they can affect the gameplay and seriously hamper visibility as well.
Whether or not you enjoy Empire Earth II will depend a lot on what type of
strategy gamer you are. If you’re a casual or impatient gamer, the game’s
complexity will feel overwhelming and you will find yourself quickly frustrated.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for complex depth of play and a real
challenge to your strategy gaming skills, then you just may have found exactly
what you’re looking for.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
80%. Empire Earth II is a sweeping, deep, and complex game best left
to those who revel in sweeping, deep, and complex games.
System Requirements: Pentium 4 1.5 GHz; 256 MB RAM; 64 MB
Video RAM; 1.5 GB Hard disk space; 4x CD-ROM.
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