Real Time Strategy on the console – can it be done?

Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 03 March 2009 03:12

Opinion and Analysis

Turner points out the recent departures from this unsuccessful formula; “World in Conflict which brings a shooter style pacing and attitude to strategy and Tom Clancy’s: EndWar, which binds the camera to the units and limits the total number of units under your command. Both have a greatly reduced emphasis on logistical elements like base building and resource management and I suppose could be more accurately described as Real-time Tactical (RTT) games. This fast pace and closeness to the action is ideally suited to consoles.”

Turner sees The Creative Assembly’s new franchise as an evolutionary progression; ”Stormrise offers the next step along this path. The camera is down in the action and the Whip Select interface allows for direct and responsive control of your units, even when the battle heats up. Eight-way multiplayer is extremely fast and intense, yet we’ve also seen some really intelligent strategies and teamwork emerge.”

“Console RTS is only just starting to find its feet, but give it time to mature and I think it will truly be a force to be reckoned with” Turner concluded.

I’m yet to be convinced, Halo Wars I enjoyed, but didn’t feel the same sense of deep tactical enjoyment I have felt trawling through a game such as Rome: Total War.  But maybe we are just talking about a different experience, one that leaves room for deeper strategic, keyboard and mouse only titles whilst providing the opportunity for more accessible god-style games across many platforms.

And whilst we are talking about ‘many platforms’ why wouldn’t developers want to target the Nintendo Wii for an RTS style game? 

I for one think, that with the addition of the Wii Motion-plus peripheral, providing added accuracy of the Wii-mote, that it should only be questions about the Wii’s performance holding back any army controlling games in the future.