The Vanguard feel like a pretty typical XCOM squad, relying on firing lines and overlapping fields of overwatch to gain ranged superiority.
Other hybrid 4X games could learn a lot from Planetfall in that department.īattles are long enough to build some excitement and allow for fun and tactical decision-making, but quick enough that each turn doesn't get bogged down.Īnd the battles are a lot of fun, too – especially considering how different and interesting each of the factions are once the plasma starts to fly. This is long enough to build some excitement and allow for fun and tactical decision-making, but quick enough that each turn doesn't get bogged down with several XCOM missions' worth of combat. Developer Triumph Studios has triumphed in striking a tricky pacing balance, with battles usually lasting around three to five turns. On the bright side, getting to the end has a great flow whether you’re on story or random maps. There are a variety of victory conditions, from political unification to deploying a doomsday device, but without those meaningful storylines steering me toward them I just wasn’t as excited to get there. The one downside is that once I looked beyond these hand-crafted scenarios (of which there are 13 in all and take anywhere between one and several hours to complete) the random maps that make up the meat of Planetfall felt lacking in comparison.
I found these to be the most entertaining part of Planetfall, challenging me to explore ancient ruins, get to know named and voiced characters, chase forbidden secrets, and navigate sometimes complex politics that often pit different ideologies within the same base faction against one another. You can get to know each of the factions through a handful of well-written, quest-driven story scenarios set on pre-made maps that help flesh out their place in the galaxy. But if you want to get weird, there are plenty of intriguing alternatives, like the melee-focused insectoid Kir’ko, and the creepy-as-hell cybernetic Assembly. The Vanguard are standard-issue humans who have been in cryosleep since before the collapse, and they offer a great starting point both for their familiar style of conventional warfare with guns and tanks, and the fact that they know about as much about the current state of things as you do on your first campaign. Hundreds of years ago, the galaxy-spanning Star Union collapsed, and each of the interesting and distinct factions of Planetfall represents some splinter group of survivors that went their own way in the aftermath. The far-future setting has layers of complexity without feeling overly complicated. A little more sense of tech progression and deeper base building wouldn't have hurt, though. From its six over-the-top sci-fi factions spewing lasers, acid bile, and personality all over the randomly generated planets to the way it manages to finely balance its pacing between a traditional 4X campaign and XCOM-style tactical battles, there is plenty to praise. Tune in to The Game Awards on December 12th to find out who wins, and don’t forget that Checkpoint will be having their far superior Game of the Year episode live on air, Saturday December 14th.It didn't take long for me to take a liking to Age of Wonders: Planetfall. We wish all the nominees good luck, especially Melbourne made Untitled Goose Game and also Sayonara Wild Hearts, a sure shoe-in for best music if there is any justice in the world. With the next generation launching at the end of 2020, could we see some big reveals from Xbox or PlayStation?Ĭheck out the other nominations below: Best Action Game As always we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the show for some other big announcements. Will it go to a critical darling that really tried to do something different like Control? Or will naked Norman Reedus just have too much pull?įan voting is open now so be sure to have your say on this year’s Game Awards. It’s certainly a mixed bag, and even in our discussions this morning, we’re not sure which way the judging will go in the end. The games up for the big award of the night are:Ī big release from 2018, a remake and a divisive Kojima experience all make the list, along with three of our favourite releases from the year in Sekiro, The Outer Worlds and Control. 2019 doesn’t feel as clear cut as previous years in terms of the titles that would be up for contention for the big main gong of “Game of the Year”, and even the list itself could be seen as potentially divisive. It’s that time of year again – The Game Awards are just around the corner, taking place on December 12th, and the nominations have been revealed.
0 kommentar(er)
