by: Michael Ogunnubi

May 13, 2008

Universe at War: Earth Assault is the next sci-fi real-time strategy (RTS) game from Petroglyph. The award-winning studio comprised of team members that developed the original Command & Conquer and C&C: Red Alert. The latest strategy game from these RTS pioneers features unprecedented levels of customization and an epic storyline set on Earth in the near future. You take command of several unique factions with awesome powers and spectacular units, control massive-scale alien war machines that are fully customizable, and with "Tactical Dynamics," Universe at War's on-the-fly customization system, you can dynamically swap out weaponry, rework your tech tree, and retrain units in the middle of combat to gain the upper hand on your foe and seize the advantage.


Universe at War features large-scale environmental destruction in a persistent world - level a city and when you come back, the area will still be a smoking ruin. Universe at War also introduces numerous innovative new multiplayer features inspired by today's top MMOs and competitive online games, giving players achievements, rewards, and medals in a balanced environment with intelligent matchmaking.


The game is set in 2012, when a powerful alien force, known as the Hierarchy, arrives to Earth and launches a massive campaign against the planet's populace. Outnumbered and overwhelmed by a technologically superior enemy, the entire human race is forced to flee at the sight of the Hierarchy. If you were an alien force, would you choose to save the Earth or consume it? In Universe At War - Earth Assault, Earth stands on the brink of destruction as you join one of three alien forces struggling for control of the planet. The aliens of the Hierarchy have descended upon the planet with outrageous hunger, casting aside all human resistance as they consume and destroy everything in their path. The army of sentient machines called Novus seems to be the nemesis of the Hierarchy. The ancient Masari are aliens who fled to Earth millennia ago during the hierarchy's first rise to power and played forefathers to Earth's earliest civilizations.


This RTS title is at heart an updating of Starcraft for the 360. If you played Starcraft for a few thousand hours way back when like I did, it will all be very familiar to you.
You might think it would be unplayable without a mouse on a PC, but they have devised a control system that is fairly workable, the trade-off being research trees and building/unit options that are a little less detailed than you'd like.


It occasionally runs slowly even in solo mode the more filled and complicated the screen becomes, but the unit designs and landscapes are all vastly visually superior to most titles of this type, and you can smoothly zoom in and out of your overhead view to get a good look. Multiplayer wise, the game can get a little more jaggy and slow. In a few battles I played, it was almost unbearable. You have little control over the marching order and formation of units into battle (which can be really irritating when weaker units constantly run out in front,) but there is also a battle-cam for when you'd like a more exciting view of the action.


The three battling alien forces are unique and all have their own learning curve, though the story missions are very short and can be completed in a day. But as any Starcraft fan knows it's all about the multiplayer. And even solo scenarios you choose versus AI (outside of the story mode) can last forever if you set them up right. Think of the story mode simply as training. By the time you complete it you will have a good idea how to use all 3 forces and what they are capable of.

This is a time burner for sure; the trade-offs make this a workable solution for this type of RTS on the 360, and gives me some hope for Civ-Revolutions. The lag I experienced at times (even off-line), and the lack of control over certain things can become a serious issue. One of the essential elements of any game (be it a shooter, strategy or otherwise) is a halfway decent plot, appealing central characters and an engaging universe. Universe at War has all of that. The story has its cheesy moments, sure, albeit it should keep you playing and that's enough if you ask me.


The single-player portion of the game is divided into three key campaigns, each of which follows a different race. This pretty much sounds like the standard concept fitted into almost every other RTS on the market. The good thing in UaW is the campaigns emphasize unique abilities of each race, which gives you plenty of room to experiment with battle tactics. Simply put, each race triggers a new style of play. As you reach the third campaign, you'll unlock a third playable race - the Masari. At this point, the single-player changes from a traditional scripted campaign to a more open-ended conquer-the-world type of strategy. You choose territories you wish to conquer, while battles are fought in real-time. This is really the best part of Universe at War. Each campaign feels new and different, so you won't get bored.


Glitches aside, the AI works quite well throughout the single-player game. It rarely gives you a chance to take a breather and will force you to stay alert and alter your battle tactics as you go along. The voiceovers are pretty good too and fit each in-game character perfectly. The music might come of as a little weird, but it works fine


Wage war across familiar Earth cities and landmarks Numerous innovative new multiplayer features inspired by today's top MMOs and competitive online games, giving you achievements, rewards, and medals in a balanced environment with intelligent matchmaking Unique multiplayer achievements that improve players' online avatars Dual-layered game play featuring intense tactical battles and a strategic global mode where players manage resources, consolidate territories, and maneuver armies Xbox users can take on PC opponents in all-out multiplayer action. The multiplayer is entertaining indeed, especially when you've mastered all the advantages of a particular race. You'll find the usual skirmish modes, which are fun too. Conquer-the-world mode is the pinnacle of the multiplayer though, where players fight over individual territories throughout the globe. But there’s one sad part about all that, this mode is restricted to Live Gold members. Of course, to become a Games for Windows - Live Gold member, naturally, you must pay up just like on the Xbox. But if that’s no problem with you, you’ll really enjoy the multiplayer portion.

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Overall the result is an enjoyable real-time strategy game. Universe at War: Earth Assault comes recommended even if just as a rental, you’ll find yourself enjoying the game though it’s not one that will set any groundbreaking records due to the slip ups mentioned. Though not reaching full and expected potential it ranks very close to doing so. Once again the ladies and gentlemen at Petroglyph haven’t disappointed consumers.

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