War Times Hands-On

There have been quite a few WWII games hitting the market this year, a majority of them being RTS titles. Not ones to be out done, we got our hands on the latest beta build of Strategy First’s RTS game, War Times, which thrusts gamers in various historical missions that took place during World War II. Although the concept of a WW II based strategy game has been done more times than I can remember, War Times brings several refreshing elements to the classic RTS genre.

Watch your step, men!

Our boys are not doing well at the moment.

Spanning through the turbulent times of the Second World War, the game allows players to go through two lengthy campaigns, playing as either Axis or Allied forces. Of course, the Axis obligates players to complete numerous objectives that will ensure a successful expansion of Nazi territories throughout all of Europe. Choosing Allied forces gives you a chance to experience the battles of World War II through Russian, American, and British military campaigns.

One of the things I enjoyed about this game was the variety of historically accurate missions to complete. Most of the missions are complex and divided into certain tasks that need to be accomplished under often extremely tricky conditions. The press demo we were allowed to test, offered us a chance to play through three missions from each of the campaigns, so we were able to examine the benefits and drawbacks of both sides. There are over 80 units in the game, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages in combat. Infantry units on both sides won’t survive long unless they are assembled appropriately on the battlefield. This is exactly where the challenge of the game lies - finding the best possible way to outsmart your enemy, even if you are outnumbered. Certain infantry units have their specific role during combat and, if you want a majority of your manpower to stay in one piece, you’d better utilize these units well. German forces are well-known for using many cunning tactics to gain the upper hand. One of their specialties was to leave heaps of armed mines lying about. If you wish your troops to keep their limbs in tact, it would be wise to let skilled technicians scan the area and disarm any mines that might obstruct the path up ahead. When you order a capable technician to comb the sector for mines, red highlighted areas will appear if there’s any danger within a particular spot. Immediately after that you can issue an order for the unit to start deactivating the mines.

Another important unit type in War Times are, of course, the air units. As you progress through the missions, you'll get the option to construct an air-field. Planes have a limited amount of supplies, so they'll have to return to the base every once in a while to resupply and rearm. Coordinating a powerful and swift aerial assault is the most effective way to take your enemy by surprise. But, it's wise to bring along a few ground units into the action to take out AA defenses before it annihilates all your airplanes.

Each side has a number of unique, faction-specific units. If you happen to be playing the Axis campaign, you’ll be able to recruit soldiers with flamethrowers (a touch of Wolfenstein never hurts, eh?). These suckers are a powerful addition to your squad and can usually prove effective against a great number of foes in tight formations. The U.S. forces have been strengthened with the so-called elite (commando) units, which are very effective in combat and considerably more resilient than ordinary infantry troops. On top of that, the U.S. also has soldiers equipped with rocket launchers - these artillery dudes can cause a great deal of damage to armored vehicles.

She’s unsinkable I tell ya!

C’mon everybody, group hug!

Thanks to this wide variety of units, the game can keep you busy for hours. A great deal depends on how effectively you learn to use your key units. But an additional duty is to make sure you have enough supplies and resources to feed your army. There are two main resources you must look after at all times: fuel and iron. Fuel can be drained from the land by building oil pumps on areas that contain natural oil. Also, your workers will need to locate mines if you intend to stock your HQ with iron. As in any RTS, accumulating resources allows you to build up your base subsequently increasing your army's strength.

War Times is set in a classic RTS 3D environment; similar to games like C&C: Generals, World War II: Frontline Command, etc. To be honest, we've seen games that look better than this, but it's safe to say you will be happy with the overall quality of the graphics, particularly if you push the resolution all the way up to 1600*1200. There's a huge variety of highly detailed and well-rendered unit models. Additional effects have been incorporated into the background - such as trees and plants swaying in the wind, realistic looking water effects and so on. We've also seen some decent explosions and particle effects, which convey an authentic sense of large scale combat. The exciting atmosphere was supplemented with an excellent soundtrack, which kind of reminds me of those good-old war movies (like The Dirty Dozen).

If things should eventually get dreary in the single-player campaign, gamers can always enjoy various types of matches against each other in Internet and LAN multiplayer modes.

As you can see, War Times has everything an RTS needs to ensure some solid entertainment. Let’s just hope that the gameplay is engaging enough to keep us interested throughout our time with the game. War Times is still in beta, but we expect the final version to ship in November. Hopefully, War Times will be able to distinguish itself from other similar games that are currently on the market.