What all hard core RTS fans know, however, is that the real essence of the game is to be felt in the multiplayer modes.Īct of War: Direct Action took what worked in the past and stuck to those rules like glue. It’s long enough to present a wide variety of missions, it is interspersed with many a cut-scene, most of which are rather entertaining to watch (a lot of cut-scenes merge seamlessly into each mission), and it gets you used to the tech trees and capabilities of the units. Though it isn’t what most RTS freaks start drooling over, the Campaign is nicely laid out.
Eventually, as the plot thickens, you get control of Task Force Talon, all the while battling the Consortium as they wage war on American and foreign soil alike. The Campaign starts you out as the American Army, with the first few missions leaving you in control of only infantry to get you used to the interface. Suffice it to say that all three sides, despite what they represent, are all very much equal in terms of gameplay. The American Army and the Talon Force are more or less on the same side, but the storyline is a bit twisty and explaining it all would take too long and reveal too much. There are three different sides in Act of War: the American Army, the Consortium (terrorists), and Task Force Talon (hi-tech special forces). Of course, terrorist attacks are at an all-time high, domestic defense is being beefed up in America and the U.K., and not surprisingly, an outbreak of violence in the very heart of one of these nations spurs the American military and its special forces divisions into action. All in all, not only are the bells and whistles great, but they bring with them a kind of nostalgia for those who were big fans of Command & Conquer.Īct of War: Direct Action pulls its story from the book of the same name by author Dale Brown. The music has the same hard, military air about it, and the effects are crisp and clear. Units replying to your selecting them pipe up with unique and amusing responses. The collection of dialogue, music, and effects also emulate the C&C games in almost every aspect. The explosions are so extravagant that they tend to obscure the targets around them, disallowing the player to quickly select new targets next to exploding vehicles and buildings. The special effects, which are nothing short of extreme, are both a blessing and a curse.
Finely detailed 3D buildings and vehicles populate the battlefield, and they don’t just look good from a distance. The in-game graphics are also very similar to those found in Generals. The same style of borderline tacky FMV cut-scenes are used here, complete with no-named thespians that develop into recognizable characters over the course of the game. If this is true, the developers at Eugen must really like the Command & Conquer franchise, because Act of War: Direct Action looks and sounds just like Command & Conquer: Generals.
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.