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Strategy games have had a loyal following among the more patient gamer who prefer to outmatch opponents in a most cerebral and well-calculated manner and then bash some heads in when the moment is just right. The Xbox has seen its share of strategy games but the most recent offerings come from LucasArts who is better known for their action-packed adventure games. Along with Gladius, a strategy RPG set in the age of Roman gladiators, Wrath Unleashed offers more of what strategy fans look for in their strategy games.
The game’s premise revolves around a feud between four elemental overlords that draw their power from the elements of creation (Earth, Wind, Water and Fire). These Gods find under the banner of chaos and order and light versus darkness and in the game’s story mode, Campaign, we find out that the two dark Gods Durlock and Helamis plot against the good Gods of the Light, Aenna and Epothos. The result is an epic battle between these great forces and the armies they command.
The game features four different game modes: Campaign, Battle, Versus and Team Fighter. Campaign is the game’s story mode that has you assuming the role of one of the Gods as you win battles and complete a list of objectives while you’re at it. Battle pits you against other players (be it another player or the computer controlled AI) in a single match while Versus leaves the strategy aside from just plain tail kicking arcade-styled battles. And Team Fighter allows gamers to create their own teams to duel in the arenas. There’s also an Army Builder option players can use to design their dream army. My biggest complaint is that they did not include a map editor so gamers can design their own playing map.
For the most part, Wrath Unleashed plays like a more interesting game of chess. Your “chess” pieces, though, are made up of beasts and unique monsters of both good and evil. The game places you on a world map that is composed of hexagonal grids and each map comes complete with various terrain types (swamps, deserts, plains or mountains) and special structures (like citadels or temples). You move your army across the grid while taking enemy structures in a turn-based game of wits. And much like a game of chess, you must carefully rethink every move or risk loosing important positions on the playing grid.
Depending on the God you choose to play, your monsters will have matching elemental powers. For example, if you choose Epothos (the God of Fire) your more powerful monsters will be endowed with the elemental power of fire. Also, depending on whether you align yourself with those who embrace chaos or order, the assortment of monsters will also vary. If you choose a God that is aligned to Light Order you would have a powerful Ogre Mage in your army. Those aligned to Dark Chaos would have a powerful Chaos Demon among their ranks.
Strategy gamers will enjoy the extra twists that allow your God to cast spells such as Wrath (that inflict heavy damages to your enemy) or Teleport (to teleport to parts of the grid you can’t reach quickly enough). Yet the game quickly changes when two monsters collide in the same spot on the grid and thus turning the game into a fighter. Each one-on-one battle takes place in an arena filled with elemental dangers as well as terrain hindrances and you’ll be able to fight on your terms. Depending on whose side of the grid you are on a special advantage point is awarded to the fighter who is challenged in his or her own turf. The fights are far from being as smoothly executed as a Tekken game, though. In fact, they can be rough in certain spots but hardly bad enough that gamers will be turned off by the battles.
Another rough spot found in the game is the difficulty. Playing Wrath as a single player game is really hard and this is due to the opponent AI that makes quickly calculated moves that will leave you astonished. In the blink of an eye, the opponent already has the drop on you. While this makes for a better challenge, it’s an unfair advantage. The game also possesses some really long load screens.
Wrath Unleashed is also a very good-looking game . . . that is, if we’re only talking about the arena battles. When battles erupt, you’ll be treated to beautifully detailed arenas and fighters. Really, this is one heavily detailed game filled with bright colors and impressive special effects as your monsters clash. It’s quite stunning to see elemental attacks in action and they won’t fail to astonish at all. However, when you‘re moving your army across the world map, the wonderful level of detail and bright color drops significantly for a somewhat plain visual experience. The only thing visually impressive about the world map is when magic spells are cast--they look amazing even from afar.
Sound-wise, Wrath scores big points with its epic score that’s both dramatic and cinematic. From the opening theme music (that reminds me a lot of the original Conan the Barbarian film score) to the music that plays during battles, it sets the mood just right. The voice acting is also really good but it’s the sound effects that are the sound’s noticeable strongpoint. You’ll hear axes strike iron and flame elemental attacks sizzle the flesh as a monster howls in pain. This is good stuff that could have been handled a lot better while playing on the world map.
As far as strategy games go, Wrath Unleashed manages to deliver the goods and thus makes this title a worthwhile purchase for any fan of this particular genre. With game modes aplenty and enough maps to play along solo or with a group of friends, you’ll be playing this for a real long while. The game does, however, make battles and encounters very long so if you’re not a patient gamer then this game is not for you. Otherwise, this is a more than decent strategy game for those Xbox gamers looking for more strategy titles.
Gameplay: 7.0
Graphics: 8.7
Sound: 8.0
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: 7.5
Multiplayer: 7.0
Overall: 7.5 |
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