Men Free Blog

The second World War has fueled a nearly uncountable sea of video game titles, but while most have drawn inspiration from the same handful of historic events, none yet have captured the reality that was Joseph Stalin. But reality is boring, which is why we’re much more interested in a new RTS by a trio of Russian devs (Wing Foundation, Dreamlore, and N-game) that takes an alternate history stab by pitting the Soviet leader’s Red Army against an invasion from outer space. Wait…what?

The brilliantly titled Stalin Vs. Martians is billed as a simplified game designed “for anyone who just hates the strategy genre,” with fun and action taking top billing over the kind of micromanagement that’s normally the genre’s calling card. Says the game’s website: “The only resources you can find on the map are power-ups. They look like they should: like shiny rotating coins of bright colors.” The devs even state that Stalin himself will be a playable unit in the later stages of the game, as he lumbers on the field as “a huge colossus, five times higher than any other creature. Just like it was in the real life.” We can all look forward to driving the extra terrestrials out of Holy Mother Russia when the game ships for the PC this fall.

Read

If you remember World in Conflict from last year, expect more of the same in this fall’s World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. If you don’t remember it, you might have been washed over by a dozen other great games. The real-time battle strategy takes gamers into an alternate 1989; the Cold War turns into a firefight.

Two changes define this update: 360 and PS3 gamers can play, and a new campaign lets you play from the Soviet perspective. PC gamers who have the original can opt for a download-only Soviet expansion, while those new to the title can get a bundled, PC edition. Console gamers will get the full, original game in this version, too.
The control scheme is the big challenge for console gamers. I tried flying the camera around and issuing orders on a 360, and it generally worked well. The movements were mapped to fairly standard first-person-shooter commands, although gamers won’t be able to reassign the layout. I nudged the sticks to fly around, and selected troops with the A button.

I had a few ways to select multiple units, including D-pad hot-key assignments and a way to expand the selection cursor into a large circle. This worked, but it’s just not as easy as a keyboard and mouse. It’s close. It could suffice. But it’s not the same.

I’d expect PC gamers trying to adopt the controller to complain the most. If you’re not used to PC RTS games, you might not notice a difference. While not demonstrated, developers said they were adding optional voice commands to issue certain attacks, so that might also help make up for a mouse.

360 and PS3 multiplayer matches will allow five-versus-five battles between like-consoles. PC gamers will get 16-player fights. All editions will ship in Fall, 2008.

Read