Many developers tried to come up with an innovative system that will make a strategy game work properly on consoles, but so far very few achieved something remotely satisfying. I don't know how Stormrise's control scheme works on the Xbox or PS3, but it is only fair to say that it is nothing short of an epic fail on PC. Instead of delivering a versatile RTS, fast paced and fun to play on every platform, SEGA managed to ruin an otherwise intriguing concept rendering it virtually unplayable.

Set in a post apocalyptic world, Stormrise pits Echelon forces against the Sai in the aftermath of a devastating explosion caused by a failed experiment to control the Earth's weather systems. The first are survivors of the cataclysm that were lucky enough to find shelter in underground bunkers while the others were left outside, to suffer the consequences. Against all odds, the Sai survived but suffered mutations that prevented them to reintegrate in the newly born society, becoming outcasts.

The plot is quite simple and offers the first hints about SEGA's lack of imagination in developing Stormrise, an overwhelming sensation that will only amplify after a couple of hours of gameplay. The campaign set puts you in the position of playing the Echelon troops, trying to fend off the relentless attacks of those left behind and hungry for vengeance. After a couple of missions the Sai forces also become available but by that point, one will be so fed up with the control scheme that will most likely give it up altogether.

It is called "whip select" and was intended to be a fast and effective way to shift from one group of units to another, quickly travelling great distances over the battlefield. This might be the most widely optimistic idea SEGA came up with lately and unfortunately it was a failure. Basically it works by holding the right mouse button and hovering a yellow line towards the unit you must select, releasing it once the icon lights up.

The problem is that strategy games tend to revolve around medium sized armies at best, and quite frequently one will be leading a vast force across the battlefield. Constantly knowing the position of every unit is the cornerstone of any successful mission, and confusion caused by miss selection results in unwanted casualties. Add to this grim scenario the shocking detail that a group can be comprised of no more than three units and you'll easily figure it up that sooner or later everything will result in a jumble.

 

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pope - April 27, 2009

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