Officers Review

Officers: World War II is another game trying to take the Real Time Strategy (RTS) genre by storm. However, while it may seem like a new title, it was actually developed by Peter Games and released in Russia approximately 2 years ago, so against today's competition it may find the going tough. The question is, can Officers command its way to victory against difficult odds, or will it suffer a bitter defeat?

The premise behind Officers is relatively simple. The player takes control of Allied forces in six historical missions that took place during World War II, with the first mission being the Omaha Beach landing. It's a bit disappointing that other forces couldn't be controlled in the single player campaign, and it may seem as though the campaign is actually quite short, but it's very deceptive. Missions can take a considerable amount of time, sometimes approaching 5 hours in length, or even longer if a strategy doesn't work out as planned.

While a mission's length highlights the extreme amount of depth and size found in Officers, it also highlights one of its biggest flaws - that it's arguably too big. Some of the maps accurately represent 15 square miles, and because of this, the time it takes units to get to their objectives is also relative. There are various strongholds scattered across maps, and it can sometimes take over 5 minutes for units to get between them. After losing a massive battle, it's slightly annoying having to wait such a long period of time to get another crack at the whip.

On the subject of depth, map size isn't the only area worth highlighting. There is a wealth of units at a player's disposal, with the selection of troops, tanks, planes, artillery and other vehicles totaling at around 70. It can become a bit overbearing at first, especially if a player has a limited knowledge of World War II, but it's easy to get up to speed. Choosing the right combination of units to send into battle is the key to victory, as unless extra strategic points are captured, resources are very finite. On top of this, the player can only call 16 different units at the same time (8 vehicles and 8 troop types) and the cool down is relatively long. If effective use isn't made of the chosen units, it may have dire consequences and it adds an extra layer of pressure on the player to achieve all he can with what he has.

Once more strategic points are captured, resources can be transferred between them. It's not necessarily as simple as it sounds though, as the supply route must be kept safe as the convoy transferring resources can easily be destroyed. There are a vast amount of smaller locations scattered throughout the map which can give smaller rewards, such as a smattering of units, or some resources which have been stashed away, but these also need to be captured to reap the benefits, which leads on to the actual gameplay.

There are the basic attack commands, but other units also have individual commands. All troops can repair vehicles, but only engineers can do it effectively. Land mines can also be placed and picked up, to add another strategic component. The game uses a fog of war system, so recon units need to be used to scout out enemy positions, but it always seems as though the enemy knows exactly where the player's units are. Whenever combat is engaged, the enemy can always attack way in advance of player controlled units, which means that a large majority of their forces may be wiped out before they even have the ability to fire back.

As expected, strategy is paramount in this game, much more than typical RTS games. Using resources such as bombers and artillery can effectively win or lose a battle, and the enemy will make sure they use them to their advantage too. Having engineers on hand to repair vehicles mid-battle and having enough medic trucks for soldiers is also a must. Paying attention to all of these factors in one battle may seem very tricky, but it gets even worse as there may be numerous conflicts happening at any one time so it's easy to get lost, with reports popping up all the time.

Graphically, the game's age shows. It has a commendable level of size, but by today's standards it looks very average. Units all have identical animations, and if there are 100 soldiers running side by side, it looks very comical. Units also had a tendency to face the wrong way and run through objects such as walls and fences. The voice acting is sometimes good, but inconsistent. General infantry have an American accent, but engineers have a bad Russian accent and an even worse tag line. There is also little variety in the music and since the missions are exceedingly long, it can get a bit monotonous.

There may only be six missions available, but rewards can be unlocked depending on performance during the mission and objectives completed. Die hard players will enjoy trying to get all of the various achievements available and for more casual players, there is also the option of multiplayer. Unlike the single player campaign, both the German and Russian forces can be used in this mode.

7

Average

Officers: World War II is definitely a game for RTS enthusiasts and it will test their abilities to extremes. However, for more casual gamers it may seem a bit overbearing, as its sheer size could be enough to put some off. The level of micro-management needed to achieve objectives borders on unnecessary, and the graphics are a bit dated, but Officers is definitely a worthwhile addition to the RTS genre and a must for hardcore fans.