Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom Review

Once I performed and reviewed the earlier Strategic Thoughts sport to floor on the Xbox, Strategic Thoughts: The Pacific, I wasn’t massively enamoured of it. However by no means ones to let a dissenting voice sway their launch schedule, the following sport within the collection has limped onto the massive black Microsoft field, from builders Starni Video games and the Klabater publishing group. 

The massive query we’ve to ask ourselves although is whether or not this new instalment, Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom, is any higher than the final one, or whether or not it’s a case of recent theatre of struggle, usual gameplay? 

Wanting on the story of the sport first and there are two views attainable in Struggle for Freedom, relying on who you select to facet with at the beginning of the sport. You may have the selection of being the British, with the motion going down in the beginning of the struggle, with Hitler rolling into Poland, or you’ll be able to select to be the Individuals; the motion of their marketing campaign takes place in the direction of the top of the struggle. 

Whichever you select, there aren’t many surprises to be sincere, as everyone knows how the story of the Second World Battle ends, however at the very least with the American marketing campaign, there’s a little little bit of a “What if…?” state of affairs on the finish, with imagined battles between the USA and the USSR. Other than these flights of fancy, the motion is rooted in historic truth, and so the story is fairly set in stone. 

Now, the presentation and, frankly, there isn’t any form approach to say this, however the way in which that the voice overs play out in Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom is virtually felony. I haven’t heard such dodgy voice overs because the authentic Resident Evil on the PlayStation, with the well-known “You, the grasp of unlocking” and “Hope this isn’t… Chris’ blood!” strains sounding like a manufacturing from the Royal Shakespeare Firm in contrast to what’s on provide right here. The British generals sound like they’re from Hungary, the Individuals presumably from Mars, and the lip syncing for the lower scenes is even worse. 

The sound is unhealthy, there isn’t any doubt, however after we come to the way in which the sport appears to be like, it manages to worsen. Typically, the motion is considered from a distant perspective, on a hexagon lined battlefield, and right here the motion isn’t too unhealthy. Nevertheless, from time to time, the motion will zoom in in your unit because it performs no matter motion you will have chosen, after which issues worsen. For one factor, why is my tank the dimensions of a city? And why does the digicam dive into the panorama and refuse to come back out till one other unit has been chosen utilizing the shortcuts on the backside of the display screen? Aside from that, the graphics are serviceable at finest, but not a patch on Command & Conquer from twenty 5 years in the past, thoughts. 

Sure, the presentation of Struggle for Freedom is woeful, however we are able to overlook this if the motion is engrossing, proper? Properly, maintain on to that thought, as a result of there are points right here too. To start with is the entire lack of any form of indication about carry out primary actions. In most video games, you choose a unit with A, then select what to do with mentioned unit, be it transferring or attacking. You’d then press A once more to verify, sure? Properly, not right here. I sat there for an excellent 5 minutes, urgent each button on my Xbox controller till I lastly stumbled throughout the proper mixture of buttons to make issues occur. So that you don’t have to fret, right here is my high tip – choose the unit with A, as you’d count on, then use the Y button to make the unit carry out its motion. 

That works initially, however then the second mission for the British is even worse, as you have to “Deploy a headquarters unit”, by which it means an plane provider. I can’t for the lifetime of me work out which is the “deploy” button, and so the British marketing campaign very a lot stalled. Fortunately the American one is a little more simple. Not a lot, only a bit.  

Coming from a PC background, as Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom clearly does, you’d hope that the builders would have achieved a good job of translating a keyboard and mouse onto a controller map, wouldn’t you? Properly, loosen up, as a result of they haven’t. Shifting the models round with the left stick shouldn’t be too unhealthy, as a result of the hexagons are fairly giant, however attempting to get your models to truly assault the enemy is an train in frustration, as if you happen to aren’t on precisely the correct pixel, the unit will simply transfer as much as the enemy and get shot to items. Attempting to get an plane to shoot one other one? Good luck!

Now, chances are you’ll really feel that I’ve a little bit of a downer on Struggle for Freedom, and that’s for an excellent motive – it’s a large disappointment. I like a method sport, having performed many, from the easy reminiscent of Advance Wars, to all of the Command & Conquers and so forth and so forth. I like the concept of attempting to recreate a World Battle 2 setting, and I actually like the concept of reimagining a number of the battles from that period. I simply want that somebody with some concept about make a sport work on the Xbox had taken this on. 

I’m certain that on PC, Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom might properly be a advantageous sport, nevertheless it simply doesn’t work on the Xbox, and that could be a large downside. I truthfully thought it will be unimaginable to make a poorer sport than Strategic Thoughts: The Pacific, however sadly plainly it’s attainable. 

Do your self a favour, and discover one thing else to play apart from Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom. It’s really unhealthy, and really, really disappointing. 

Strategic Thoughts: Struggle for Freedom is on the Xbox Retailer