Looking Ahead to 2008
Strategy Games Classic strategy game The Settlers 2 receives a tenth anniversary makeover in The Settlers 2: The Next Generation Uber-RTS Supreme Commander may be making its way to the Xbox 360, but there's no questioning that the PC is an ideal platform for contemporary strategy games. 2007 was a good year for fans of the thinking man's genre, with a few new releases (such as Supreme Commander, World in Conflict, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars) and a number of expansion packs (Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance, just to name a few). For a genre that's allegedly been dying for at least as long as PC gaming itself, the new year will bring a wide array of strategy titles - some more promising than others. Separating the wheat from the chaff leaves just over a half-dozen titles worthy of mention. Germans love their strategy games, and they've been snatching up copies of Die Siedler, and its sequels, since its release in 1993 on the Commodore Amiga. The under-appreciated Amiga may have died an early commercial death, but developer Blue Byte Software moved the series to the PC in 1994 and never looked back. It's been an inconsistent 15 years for The Settlers, and the series' releases have received varying critical reception (most recently, The Settlers - Rise of an Empire, garnered average reviews). Publisher Ubisoft is banking on the nostalgic appeal of 1998's Settlers II with the January release of a remake, appropriately titled The Settlers II: The Next Generation (Tenth Anniversary Edition). Strangely, the game was first released in Germany over a year and a half ago, but with additional polish the remake has the potential to cure the post-holiday strategy gaming blues. If nothing, it may be worth checking out for nostalgia's sake, though reviews of the German release indicate that the gameplay hasn't aged well. A more likely scenario is that current RTS kings World in Conflict and Company of Heroes will continue to dominate hard drives until the Spring releases trickle in. March and April are shaping up to be banner months for the genre. THQ plans to drop the third expansion to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, the Relic Entertainment-developed Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm. With some new additions (such as aerial units), two new classes (the Dark Eldar and Sisters of Battle) and a new setting, the expansion pack looks like pure fan service for existing fans (tabletop gamers are familiar with this marketing strategy).
And speaking of fan service: did you enjoy this year's Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the Command & Conquer series' triumphant return to the pre-2000 gameplay that made the series popular? Unsurprisingly, you're not alone, and Electronic Arts heard your cries for an expansion. Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is slated for a March release as well, and with it will come more of the campy cutscenes that the series is known for. Joseph Kucan reprises his role as Kane, but the real treat is the lovely Natasha Henstridge, who is no doubt taking on a variety of roles in preparation for an Oscar-worthy big screen role. Gameplay-wise, the usually linear story mode will is replaced with a more open global conquest mechanic (think Rise of Nations with persistent armies). No RTS is complete without new units and factions, and Kane's Wrath brings both: powerful Epic Units will complement the six new sub-factions (two per existing faction). Though the franchise has been spread thin over the years, Tiberium Wars is great fun, and any additional content is gravy (albeit pricey gravy).  Paradox Interactive takes their flagship strategy series to ancient Italy with Europa Universalis: Rome Swedish developer and publisher Paradox Interactive, the team behind such series as Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron, are known primarily for their historically accurate (and intellectually demanding) first-person strategy games. Though novices may shun Paradox Interactive titles, their self-published games are some of the most intricate and well-supported strategy offerings available. Europa Universalis: Rome, targeted for a second-quarter release, is set - wait for it - in the Roman era, and will allow players to play as one of 10 cultures in what will surely be a complex empire- and nation-building test of wits. With a responsive development team and fervent fan base, Europa Universalis should be on every strategy fan's tryout list for 2008. Also slated for a second-quarter release is Supreme Ruler 2020, published by Paradox Interactive but developed by Canadian game house BattleGoat Studios. If you're wondering, "Who's that, eh?", then let me refer you to their 2005 release, Supreme Ruler 2010, an extremely complex real-time war simulation. Though its roots remain firmly planted in turn-based board games, Supreme Ruler 2020 retains the real-time aspect of its predecessor while adding a more scalable (and hopefully approachable) experience. The meek need not apply, however, as the game will still be steeped in minutiae. Reading the manual is not an option here.
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