Foreword & system information

After the two-part alien Metzlerei ground control the Swedish developer massive entertainment on behalf of Vivendi dare games (Sierra) in the same segment on a somewhat more realistic scenario is universal: “warfare of the superlative”, a great graphics thanks to the hotel’s own MassTech engine and an exciting multiplayer against the background of the third world war, fought in 1989, those responsible for world in conflict (WiC) promise.

Sounds so far, very good. On the following pages, it should be clarified whether massive universal actually could keep their promises entertainment and Publisher Vivendi and whether world in conflict is seen in the genre can be.

Test system for world in conflict:

• Windows Vista Ultimate (32 bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 @ 2.66 GHz
• Gigabyte GA-965 p-DQ6
• GeForce 7900 GTX (512 MB)
• 2 x 1024 MB crucial Ballistix (PC2-8000 DDR2-RAM)

Manufacturers recommendation for world in conflict:

• Operating system: Windows XP or Vista (32 bit)
• Processor: 2.5 GHz or higher
• Memory: 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB for Vista)
• Hard disk: 9 GB of disk space
• Video card: DirectX 9.0 c compatible video card with shader 2.0 and 256 MB video RAM (Note: ATI Radeon 8500, 9200 and NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX are not supported)
• Sound card: DirectX 9.0 c compatible sound card
• DVD-ROM: 4 x DVD-ROM drive
• Control: Keyboard and mouse
• Optional: Cable or DSL Internet connection for online gaming

Plot & atmosphere

The one or the other legendary arises not only historians with a view to the course of history often “what if?”-Question. Also, the plot in the world going after exactly such an of conflict. WiC is asked: what would be if the Soviet Union was not simply accepted their disintegration in 1989 but would have the 3rd world war started. “Invasion” instead of “Glasnost”, “World power aspirations” instead of “Perestroika” – this could be the quintessence of the story.

Instead of accepting so the continuing rural exodus and the ruined economy as symptoms of a failed system, mobilized their armies to the Soviet leadership in world in conflict and occupies great parts of Europe and Asia in the coup de main, the surprise effect on the own side. It is the archenemy of United States not much better: in a kind of Soviet variant of D-day storming maritime land units to the East Coast and threatening to take North America.

This muddled situation released the player in the person of newly crowned US officer Parker aiming to push back the Russian invasion and helping to end the war in favour of the Western powers in the world of world of conflict.

An in principle more exciting background for a real time strategy game. Already during the first missions here hidden weakness emerges: The plot is, not least because you fight throughout the campaign exclusively on the US side, quickly to an all too much black and white painted story that is so cliché-carrying, that she could run as a B-movie production on this infamous TV channels to the witching hour.

So, the player in any way, why the Soviets choose the ultimate war experiences. Is it actually because that is the system de facto at the end? Or a leadership that has become crazy is behind it? Instead, the very frumpy enemy of nasty, vicious, striving to world power Russians is built, who has as an opponent of any profile or logical purpose, but only shines by his wickedness. This very clear and yet undifferentiated separation of good and evil takes a lot of depth unfortunately the game story technical level and contributes not just to a so important in the genre realistic atmosphere – here one might have expected a little less clumsy storyline just by Swedish developers.

Plot & atmosphere (continued)

The mission design, it can fortunately again purely to bring the deficiencies in terms of the atmosphere. The player is always under pressure, constantly have to deal with surprises such as a new mission in the current mission and fight after first scenarios quickly on several fronts. Here the difficulty at a reasonable pace continues to steadily, so that man, is confronted with a variety of hotspots and still care must act as soon as the operation well sits. By this circumstance you feel involved in the action – the pressure under which the NATO forces are, is palpable. This feeling is reinforced by the absolutely successful graphical application, which leaves nothing to be desired (see section “Graphics”).

Also the truly authentic knitted characters must ensure that the B-movie plot is quickly forgotten. In addition to Parker, there are a dozen of other persons, which always accompany the player throughout the crisis and which one learns more and more in the course. There is the leg hard Colonel who had some success with a radical warfare, is sometimes but for narrowly, and must take some drastic decisions; a major who leaves his secure position as an instructor during the crisis against the wishes of his wife, under his old Colonel to fight against the “Commission”; two simple soldiers of the National Guard, which symbolize the small man in the war and a tank commander, who is the tragic person of the game and becoming of the failure to the national hero. Here generated depth is another aspect, which ensures that captures world in conflict until the end.

More authenticity WINS world in conflict by the game principle known in parts from ground control, which requires no base or unit construction. Instead, it is to master the missions with a known amount of point about the units “can be bought”. A unit is destroyed, the amount paid tickert slowly on the account back. Who wasted his army to quickly, is there quickly without dots and without supplies. The tactics dimension is thus promoted and the, although actually tactical elements such as the construction of a complete infrastructure is largely abandoned.

World in conflict is summarized in terms of “Plot & atmosphere” colorful, fast and action-loaden – forces the hobby General but at the same time to the grandness and strategic approach. This is made possible Visual on the one hand by a proper implementation, but also and above all by the mission design, the authentic characters and the gameplay, the latter also once again offers a nice change to the standard in the real time genre. Due to these advantages the plate story was forgiven therefore at this point the game.

Units & special shots

World in conflict lives on a variety of units, which are all due to various advantages and disadvantage for various combat scenarios are different. Accordingly, the right choice of classes may decide on the success (or at least the duration of a mission). As so often in the real-time strategy genre is rewarded in WiC with carriage, who does well to its units. Unfortunately, you can take, so that the effect only of short duration is the transported troops but not in the next mission.

Infantry
The foot soldiers are likely to be underestimated as a whole first in world in conflict. Here they suited to the fight in the narrow streets and in forests. In addition, the infantry can attack helicopters as well as ground units and even heavily armored vehicles have much of a chance against anti-tank units. Also for the fight against comrades from the own class, the infantry with a sniper has to offer an adequate. Special units (Ranger), which can be dropped on a special attack, serve as reconnaissance aircraft and can request artillery strikes – ideal for so many optinalen side missions, where mostly targets far away from the actual battleground to be switched off. The disadvantage of the soldiers is clear: in the Open box, and in direct combat with heavy tanks and MG-equipped troop they have quickly looking up.

Armored vehicles
Where the infantry reach their limits, armored cars are in demand. Of the troop transports and Humvee about different classes of tanks to the repair tanks and various mobile Flakgeschützen, WiC is lacking in nothing. When using these classes is to on a good mix: who relies only on heavy armour, is quickly becoming the easy target for Soviet helicopters and also has a problem with field repairs. What in the open fight with an other Panzer army an advantage is (the great firepower with less mobility), is in the City Raider and impassable terrain to the case; Here, armored cars are often easy targets for anti-tank infantry or special shots.

Helicopter
In addition to a pure helicopter mission you get awarded to fly in helicopters the opportunity in world in conflict after some missions by default. This distinguishes between a heavy helicopter which acts primarily against armored vehicles, a medium-sized vehicle against enemy flying objects, as well as a light reconnaissance aircraft. Helicopters are suited very well to support the activities of the soil, as well as artillery reconnaissance, but very fast are launched as soon as they come too close of enemy air defences, which is found in every larger armoured train.

Artillery
For tactical ambitious players it represents actually a duty, to throw off an artillery vehicle when available. No matter whether light or heavy artillery – the devices can the course of the mission due to their reach crucial influence. While fire on moving targets is rather difficult, the vehicles excellently for suitable, eliminating enemy infrastructure such as bunkers or Flakstellungen from great distance and prevent any such losses. The real art is to lead, that she can be protected on the one hand yet, on the other hand, but so far from the main force, that targets within the combat zone at all can be targeted artillery always behind own lines.

Special shots
The many special shots are the most important equipment of each WiC hobby General. On strike at the enemy to get points with which they can request that blows steadily. The morning of a Napalm-, pitch, or cluster bombs dropping, as well as the request by artillery shots of different coverage up to the large scale bombing with a B52 bomber can support its own forces in this way. Here it depends on a particularly circumspect approach: who wasted his points for the small vanguard, will in the attack of Soviet main forces properly sweat come in.

The number of units selected by the programmers ensures overall a good degree of change and improvement of tactical depth, because the mission different classes must be brought to use.

Graphic

As mentioned in the first pages, world in conflict with the MassTech engine not ahead of the competition in the real-time genre needs to hide. Realistic light-shadow games, detailed textures and spectacular explosions and Rauchentwicklungen ensure that WiC in the premier class, which is occupied mostly by first person shooters, tallying. The game supports the Direct3D 10 API and has no difficulty to apply anti-aliasing on the new platform. Send the game shader (for example, beams of light through the clouds, which illuminate the surroundings so throws the Sun) as well as decorate detailed textures and a realistic representation of the shadow. The animations of the characters are well managed, what be in combination with a cinematic cut order in the atmosphere of film sequences. On the test system used for this review, world in conflict was in 1280 * 1024 resolution and very high detail in a constant adequate frame rate.

How WiC works on a number of different graphics cards, can be found below the benchmark results from our current graphics card test. Not the built-in benchmark function was used as a test sequence. Instead, we used the cinematic intro to the first campaign of the demo.

More performance impressions in 1600 x 1200 on graphics cards of the type of ATi Radeon HD 2900 XT and GeForce can 8800 GTS 640 MB our Catalyst-or ForceWare driver comparisons are taken from.

If you would like to test his system advance rather with world in conflict, the approximately 1.4 GB is laid great demo on the heart. In addition, a variety of video content – including a DX10 video – provides more graphical impressions.

KI

World in conflict does not much wrong in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). As a single shortcoming should be mentioned at this point that the enemy AI is unfortunately not consistently respond to losses. Who is to keep, for example, a waypoint and primarily expected armoured vehicles as an attacker, should post best a few squads anti-tank infantry in a nearby wooded area. This strategic move should notice to the opponent actually at the latest after the second time – but instead the case identify the gar, he sends continue blithely defenceless vehicles at this wooded area past his actual goal. Apart from this weakness its own units as well as that of the Allied and enemy NPCs behave logically as far as possible.

Control

Control of world in conflict goes to quite classically, so that you can give the relevant points in the tutorial of conscience. Use the WASD keys is navigated on the battlefield; zoomed with the mouse wheel and the mouse is used to change the viewing direction. Classically, it will do the rest with the left mouse button. For advanced players also control via keyboard shortcut offers itself.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer of world in conflict requires real teamplay: at the beginning of each round, all players from one of the class described four among “units & special shots” select one. Only in this, they have then unrestricted access to all types of units. Only if the team has selected balanced, it can succeed against a good opponent. Example, too many players with heavy tanks in the battle go instead to repair and anti-aircraft units, so the team will be decomposed quickly the enemy helicopters. More important is the communication, which can take place in addition to the possibility of text chat also via integrated voice chat in multiplayer of world in conflict. The communication on both sides to work reasonably, so you can make cool on exciting multiplayer battles, which again can provide just in the single-player after a few hours, days or even weeks more fun.

Unfortunately one finds entertainment, dimensional gate, currently only a few servers with a reasonable delay on the hotel’s massive multiplayer platform, so that currently still in purchase, must be taken at zuckeln – a ping from 200 in the area especially as pioneer mostly already gone is not a pleasant experience, because the enemy, before ever the command to fire could be granted.

This situation should change but with increasing spread of the game, so that safely can be a top grade multiplayer of world in conflict. As a nice gimmick a demo version is included in by the way in the standard version the WiC DVD, that invites friends of the buyer to the lively multiplayer game. The key for the tryout version is valid for only 10 days.

Conclusion

World in conflict is great. Even if a conclusion is probably never so quickly come to the point, much more is needed actually it is not to say it. Who seriously plays WiC, can actually hardly different than to rejoice: the action captures one after the first mission and ensures that you would like to play through the campaign prefer in one piece. The first and only damper, the crude story, is quickly forgotten in the middle of the fray and also afterwards you forgive this small deficit like, although the question remains, why those responsible here chose a slightly less cliché-based way. However, there are fortunately also enough positives, that’s mildly right: great characters, an overall authentic atmosphere, a sophisticated mission design and a pleasant varied gameplay on the one hand – a sophisticated graphic, which can shine under DX10 and also at the test system has adopted a stately figure, many different units, a successful multiplayer and a very good tactical depth on the other hand.

What you want even more? Like to ask an addon or even a second part – but with a somewhat more innovative plot. In terms of story both would it loose, because the war is in world in conflict not long since past. We are looking forward.

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