I don’t exactly know what just happened.  A few minutes ago I was playing Tom Clancy’s Endwar after ripping open the package that came from Gamerang over the holidays, and now all of the sudden it’s frickin 2009 and I still haven’t told you how much this game totally rocked!  I guess it’s high time I “don’t” review it after the jump.

Endwar isn’t your grandma’s RTS, although if your Grandma HAD an RTS you would be the descendant of one badass bitch.  The game plays, from the very beginning, in a way that goes beyond any sort of gimmicky peripheral or massive motion controlled chair could ever accomplish.  Instead, YOU provide the gimmick in the form of voice control.

Ubisoft are such users.

Without having to actually join the armed forces, and then endure an entire career of battle and accomplishment, EndWar makes you the General from the word go, with hundreds of loyal, lemming followers willing to die or live based on whether or not you’re paying attention to what the f*** is going on.  Concentrate, and they will be spared.  Go to the fridge mid battle for a diet coke, and you’ll come back a bloodbath that is all your fault.  Yes EndWar requires a lot less manual control, and a ton of concentration to make it through the ridiculously long campaign successfully.  THAT, or you can set it to EASY like I did about halfway through, and always think you’re the best thing to happen to war since Eisenhower.

Really the only crappy part of EndWar, is the bass-ackwards camera angles you must endure in order to get the right vantage point on a battlefield.  Unless you roll in sporting a MCV-like thing (I can’t remember the real name and don’t care to) you don’t even get the common courtesy of a top-down map.  At times, you can’t see who the hell you want to attack, even though you know they’re there.  Kinda like that dream you’ve been chasing and will never reach.  (Sorry to be the naysayer)

The game is balanced and relies heavily on a refreshingly classic Rock Paper Scissors approach. (Farkle anyone?)  Transports beat helicopters, Helicopters beat tanks, and tanks beat the living snot out of transports.  If you keep that in mind during your virtual battles, you’ll only lose SOMETIMES.  I salute the developers of this game for not making it too in-depth to be casually enjoyed, while at the same time, building in a really addictive and deep rewards system that will have you constantly on the hunt to improve your units.  Haha.  I said improve your unit.

Back to the voice controls.  Immersing doesn’t even begin to describe what it feels like once you get the hang of telling people that don’t exist what to do, and having them loyally follow every command.  Very few times was I misunderstood by my troops, which stands in stark contrast to my life.  By the end of your first session, you’ll have it all down pat, and be ready for whatever comes your way.

Multi-player was fun for me when I was playing against Lono (WINNING) but lost its lustre when I took on opponents who had played before.  If you’re a Starcraft or Command and Conquer online junkie, this fix belongs in your BUY list.  If you enjoy, as I do, the slower-pace od AI battle, you’ll be very satisfied just renting this one.

Hats off to Ubisoft on a game-well-done.   I give EndWar 2  meh’s up!  Either way you get it, you really need to be able to say you played this game.

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