'Tom Clancy's EndWar' (Xbox 360)

Also Available On: PC, PS3
Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: November 7

Whether you're a hawk or a dove, a war monger or a peacenik, you've probably at some point imagined what might plunge the world into the next global conflict. Could it be the quest for oil, power, or just a good mortgage deal which launches the world's superpowers into another bloody tug of war? Ubisoft's real-time strategy game Tom Clancy's EndWar claims to not only show you what triggers World War III but also enables you to influence its outcome; or that's the idea at least. The game doesn't ultimately deliver a militaristic revolution in RTS titles, but it does offer a solid, polished and enjoyable place for a good skirmish.

Tom Clancy's EndWar is set in familiar Clancy territory of subterfuge and conflict between passive-aggressive superpowers. The game's opening cinematic sequence reveals that the world of 2017 has split the world into three colossal superpowers - the US, Russia and the European Federation - which exist in a fractious sense of detente. Gamers enter the Prelude stage just as the US is about to establish a satellite missile shield to keep the rest of the world at bay. However, a mysterious and well funded power emerges to destroy the launch station, which propels the world into a third global conflict.

During the Prelude, players get the chance to control all three factions while fending off the advances of the mysterious force. Unfortunately, all three ultimately control the same way, which doesn't provide a great deal of contrast beyond the different accents and agendas in the mission briefing. This is significant as after the Prelude you must opt to play as one of the three factions for the entire campaign. As there is little difference between the three factions in gameplay terms, the option to complete the single player campaign again with a different power does not prove particularly appealing.

On the whole, the story underpinning Tom Clancy's EndWar's single player campaign is not particularly engaging. The title bandies around clichéd old ideas about contentious political issues, such as oil and intercontinental conflict, and touches on a backdrop of protest about the bickering superpowers. However, it never really develops these ideas in any detail,which is a shame considering the potential and the writing pedigree of its namesake. Visually, though, Ubisoft Shanghai has done a fantastic job in making the game look extremely slick and well presented. The overall polish is impressive, right from the opening cinematic to the battlefield action. A real triumph is the camera angle, hich places the player right in the heart of the action as the melee of bullets and bombs reigns down overhead.

The control system is accessible but not a quantum leap compared to other RTS titles. However, the voice command system is a genuinely innovative aspect of the title. Using a headset, players issue a series of pre-set commands to complete a range of battlefield operations, such as sending units in to attack, calling in reinforcements and even focusing the camera on certain aspects of the combat arena. On the whole, the voice recognition is good and the whole experience proves pretty enjoyable (despite you feeling a tad foolish at times). The game can be played solely with the control pad but this does exclude one of its genuinely greatest features.

The audio is impressive, which is to be expected with the voice command system. Infantry units constantly give feedback about their status, including pleading for help when under heavy fire. A smooth frame rate and quality soldier and vehicle animations add to the overall quality of the package. Each superpower has basic infantry divisions of riflemen and engineers, as well as tanks, gunships and armoured troop carriers. The hierarchy of destruction is that tanks can beat transports, gunships beat tanks, transports beat gunships, and infantry get obliterated by everyone if they are not in cover.

Missions are split four categories. Assault involves straightforward annihilation of the enemy; Raid tasks players with obliterating or protecting a certain designated building; Conquest offers the most sophisticated challenge involving capturing marked uplinks on the map ahead of the enemy; and Siege takes the same idea but instead tasks one player with defending an uplink from an assaulting force. Uplinks are present in all missions and can be taken by infantry, which earns command points to be redeemed against summoning reinforcements or ordering special attacks, such as a rather marvellously destructive short-range nuke.

On the whole, battlefield tactics are fairly straightforward and will not push the cranial limits of the most experienced strategy players. If you take away the voice command system, the game also feels fairly standard when compared with other strategy titles. However, there is a good sense of push and pull in the combat which gives the feel of a genuine battle. As the enemy pushes and probes in various areas, it's about spotting the weak points and then being merciless in the execution. Tactics can also be sharpened up in the Theatre of War, which can be played offline but the online version is the more obvious pull.

Battles are played out on the global map and it is satisfying to watch the spread of your chosen superpower bloc into enemy territory. There is certainly sufficient variety in the online multiplayer to suggest that it will prove popular among gamers in the months ahead. Tom Clancy's: EndWar promised to bring World War III to a console near you, but an unengaging story means that this has not completely transpired. Instead, the game proves a well made and polished RTS which with an innovative voice command systems, excellent visual presentation and a solid online multiplayer makes it well worth a battle for real-time strategy fans.


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