The Wargamer

Introduction

Welcome to The Wargamer's feature article series, "The Raw Recruit." This weekly feature offers release dates for upcoming computer and board games. The list doesn't include every computer or board game being released, however it does include almost all of the games we believe The Wargamer's audience will enjoy. The release dates presented in this article are for North American releases only and indicate "shipping" dates, not necessarily guaranteed in-store dates. Most major PC titles are released on Tuesday or Wednesday and are widely available across the country by Friday. These release dates are provided in association with The Wargamer's affiliate merchant partner, GoGamer.  Please send any new game release announcements to news@wargamer.com.

The Raw Recruits for the Week of February 12th

Hello!  Remember me?  Remember this column?  

The reason this column has been in hibernation is simple: following the mad rush to retail shelves, game developers and publishers all took a long and well-deserved break.  Knowing that consumers had too much to play and that retail shelves were completely overstuffed, publishers made the right call and refrained from publishing anything until this week (or something like that). Ironically, it's Valentine's Day week: a hint from publishers to "gamer nation", perhaps?  

There are five titles being released this week to the PC, including World War II: Tank Commander, Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy, Rome: Total War Gold, Star Wars: Empire at War, and Rainbow Six: Lockdown.

We'll start with the most widely anticipated game in all of PC gaming, Star Wars: Empire at War.  This Star Wars meets Command & Conquer real-time strategy game has the backing of George Lucas' game and publishing biz and the know-how of a team of developers from the studio that brought us the famed RTS series of the past decade.  The formula is a straightforward one to understand and the companies put it out for all to see in a single player demo.  The early buzz is tentatively favorable, so it's still too early to tell if the 3D RTS will be more than a re-skinned Star Wars built on the Command & Conquer engine.  However, we'll go out on a limb and call this one of the best Star Wars RTS games in many, many years (because, really, when's the last time there was a good one?).  Fans of Star Wars should already be lining up to the $50, but RTS fans may want to experiment with the demo and wait for a few reviews.

One game that is looking to take more of our hard-earned money is Rome: Total War Gold Edition, the new bundle from Activision and The Creative Assembly.  There's nothing really new, unless the original and its new expansion pack are news. Both are/were excellent examples of the height of strategy gaming, so really, these games should be owned by every single person reading this column.  The bundle pack solves that with a convenient $30 price tag, available in most retailers across North America this week.

Continuing on our strategy bent, Vivendi released the new expansion pack to Empire Earth II, The Art of Supremacy.  This first expansion pack follows last spring's 3D RTS of the same name, complete with new empires to lead, rule, expand, and conquer.  The Art of Supremacy includes several epochs of civilization and four empires from those times: the French, Russians, Zulu, and Maasai tribes. Other new features include multiple new gameplay modes (such as "Tug-of-War"), nine new maps, special historical scenarios known as "Turning Points" (Rorke's drift and the battle of Kursk), new battles systems and units, as well as various technological improvements (advanced lighting effects, new animations, and voice-over-IP communication).

For those grimacing at the thought of buying another RTS title, Ubisoft has responded with the first FPS of the year: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown.  The fourth game in the series that's now stretched across eight years of gaming history once again follows the tactical play that's made the series famous: slow and steady wins the race, with careful aim and tactical decision-making making the difference.  This new FPS was also the subject of a new demo, which should prevent gamers across the globe from leaving their decision in flux.  The PC title will be available across the nation in a few days, priced at $50. 

If strategic and tactical decisions don't appeal, Merscom has published this week an answer: World War II Tank Commander.  This action shoot 'em up is a simple, no-nonsense arcade whack-a-mole, set in the turret of a Sherman tank marching through German as part of Patton's Fourth Armored Division.  Don't expect much from this budget game, including the budget price of $19.99.

The Volunteer Recruits

Here's the current crop of game demos released in the past few weeks (some links may expire over time):

• Battle for Middle-earth II [1.4 GB] - This 3D RTS is based on Tolkien's literary works rather than Jackson's movies.
• Panzer Elite [330 MB] - It's not a simulation like the 2000 game, instead it's an action game, tank bustin' style!
• Rainbow Six: Lockdown [500 MB] - The third counter terrorist FPS from Ubisoft is now in demo format.
• Star Wars: Empire at War [742 MB] - Hoth, Tatooine, and Dagobah!  Star Wars is back, this time as a 3D RTS.

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