Battlefield

.: By: Shaun Beane :: Device used: iPAQ H3650 :: November 21, 2001 :: Buy this game :.

For the PC game enthusiasts out there that have been waiting for a Command and Conquer-style RTS (real-time strategy) game, you might end up waiting just a little bit longer. Until an RTS game with a strong storyline and extensive missions is available, Battlefield from Pocket-G might fill the gap. Right now there aren't too many RTS games available on the market (and they all claim to be the first!); my favorite right now is Invasion, but everybody else seems to be waiting for Argentum.

Installation is a breeze using a standard ActiveSync install. Options are very scarce - you get to toggle the sound, and that's pretty much it.

Battlefield is a top view RTS war game with decent graphics and less than fantastic sound effects. There really isn't a story. You are in control of a spaceship (and any other units that you build) and your mission is to simply destroy the enemy. There are no added objectives like protecting someone/something (except your base) or searching for hidden power ups. Your spaceship can also be changed into a warbot which can be used to kill ground enemies.

One of the biggest roadblocks developers of RTS games encounter is how to work with the very limited screen space of the Pocket PC. Battlefield's screen layout is as follows: the main window is a top view which stays centered on your spaceship, preset command buttons are displayed on the lower left side, your credits are displayed below the buttons, a list of equipment is listed on the lower right side, and the top displays energy levels from both sides. With the buttons, you can order new weapons, view a geographical map, or look at a radar screen.

When the game begins your ship is hovering over your base. To control the ship, drag the stylus in the direction you want to go; moving the stylus further away from the ship makes it go faster. For accurate maneuvers, keep the stylus close to the ship. Tap on your ship to change it to a war bot. To fire your weapon, you can use the directional pad or one of your programmable buttons.

At first all you have is your spaceship. To build more troops or equipment, press on the order weapon button. You'll be given a list of equipment/troops to choose from. After selecting a unit, you'll have to choose how to train the unit: Stand Your Ground, Aggressive Defense, Capture Fort, Fight to Capture Fort, and Attack Enemy base. You can always change this later on. While a unit is being trained a picture of a wrench will be displayed in the top center of the screen. Once the unit is complete, a check mark will be displayed.

After you have some units to attack with, you'll need to go find the enemy base and start fighting. Be careful not to run out of fuel, because your ship will blow up. To refill, just go back to your base or one of your forts and hover over it. You don't get much mileage out of each tank, so get used to filling up.

Your enemy will have several forts on each level. To capture them, enter the base with at least four units. To destroy the enemy base, build units that are trained to Attack Enemy Base.

The controls weren't exactly intuitive to learn. I found myself playing several times just to get a hang of the controls. Having to fuel my spaceship every few seconds was a real pain. It would take most of my fuel just to fly down to the enemy base and I would have just enough to fly to a friendly fort to refuel.

Although I didn't really find any problems with the game, I just wasn't that impressed with it. My interest was easily gone after a couple days of playing this game. I found it difficult to move around quickly, and was always running out of fuel.

For the high cost of this game I was expecting a much deeper game. There just wasn't a whole lot to it. Kill the enemy; end of story. I see the developer is already working on more weapons and units, so maybe this will spice things up. I would like to see some mission objectives other than just destroying the enemy. The sound and sound effects were nothing to get excited over either. Again, for the cost, I expected a lot more.

So for those of you looking for a great RTS style game, you might have to wait just a little bit longer. Give Invasion a shot or wait until Argentum.

Pros:

• Nice graphics.

• Good instructions on web site.

• Good use of screen landscape.
  

Cons:

• Cost!

• Lack of interesting missions.

• Not very intuitive controls.

• Why do I have to refuel every five seconds?

.: Game category: Strategy Games :: Reviews Index :: Buy this game :.