Commanders: Attack of the Genos (Xbox Live Arcade) Review
Posted by Rod Oracheski on 03.06.2008
It's the turn-based strategy title you've been waiting for, Art Deco fans!
The first thing you'll notice about Commanders: Attack of the Genos is the simple yet stylish look.
The game isn't shy about its use of color, with bold primary colors that really pop - especially when compared to most modern games. It's pretty basic, with blue friendlies and red enemies, but it really works.
The bright colors are complemented by good animation and solid unit design, with a decent variety of unit types to contend with on both sides of the war. And then there's the explosions, those glorious explosions...
You see units in Commanders: Attack of the Genos don't go quietly into that good night. Instead they explode into a nova of fire, smoke, and flying parts. Awesome stuff, especially for an XBLA game.
Style shock doesn't end with the color palette and explosions, however. The audio is also a surprise, with decent sound effects and menu music that is remarkably upbeat. The music, even more than the game's appearance, is polarizing - you'll either love it or hate it, with few left in the middle.
For my part, I loved it. It's got a real 'feel' to it that, combined with the game's artistic choices, worked for me. It's far better than the bland martial themes I'd expected.
Beyond all that, there's a fairly solid gameplay engine at work here. You're granted control of a Commander unit, with up to eight available, each with their own special abilities. Some are offensive minded, some defensive, providing gamers with a decent chance of finding one that's right up their alley.
While the Commander unit is the most powerful you'll control, it's not the key to victory. Instead you'll need to carefully maneuver your other units, scouting out enemies hidden by the fog of war, and strategizing how best to attack while minimizing losses. There are occasionally some tough choices to make, sacrificing troops by not moving them so they can take two shots at an enemy instead, for example, and the game offers the possibility for a fair amount of tactical thinking.
There's not much new here in terms of gameplay, making the game seem very familiar and very easy to pick up and play. Units move farther on roads than grass, for example, and there's the typical rock-paper-scissors ranking of unit strengths. If it's not broke, why fix it?
There are 15 missions in the single-player game, with difficulty varying from mission-to-mission. There are some that you'll smoke through in no time on your very first run, while others will blindside you and leave your forces in shambles. There's also multiplayer, both same-screen, pass-the-controller style and over Xbox Live, and it works pretty well. The strategy crowd also tends to be less about trash talking, so it's safe to plug in the mic and headset for this one.
The 411:
If you're a turn-based strategy buff, there's really not that much out there for you these days unless you're into the handhelds. That makes Commanders: Attack of the Genos, already a decent pick-up, even more attractive.
The game plays it safe on the gameplay side of things, but makes some bold choices on artistic design and audio selections. All in all, it's worth a look at the demo and I'd recommend strategy fans give it a shot.
Graphics
7.5
The art style and bright color palette is a striking standout among today's games.
Gameplay
8.5
Some AI exploits and camera issues keep it from being higher.
Sound
8.5
If you're tired of boring music that drones on and on, give this one a listen.
Lasting Appeal
7.0
Getting full marks on every aspect of single player missions gives it some replay, and multiplayer adds some life.
Fun Factor
8.0
Strategy fans will have a good time with this one, warts and all.
