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Logo by Max Layne Photography
| PC |
Some games are created to be enjoyed, but other games are a lot easier to simply admire than to actually enjoy. Sometimes players
have to give developers a tip of the hat simply for the vision and their ideas, especially when they are trying to create something new and
creative, going outside of the box of the typical. “WorldShift: is one example of a game like this, one that is based on an interesting
concept that attempts something very unique by mixing together the game play elements of a typical real-time strategy with the
determination of a massively multiplayer online game. However, good intentions put into a game don’t necessarily make it a fun game
to play. Even though the core concept of “WorldShift” is quite clever and unique, but sadly the game play is extremely flat, just like its
technology versus magic storyline.
The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that has been dominated by the technology based humans, nature worshipping Tribe
and the sinister Cult. “WorldShift” at its core is a very simple real-time strategy with all of the base building elements removed. Players
control a group of characters that are moved around a map, right clicking on everything on the map that the player wants to kill on the
way. The twist to the game play is that the player discovers artifacts in every game mode that they can use to permanently buff their
units, so they are always improving the abilities of their army, which they can then take online in order to battle with or against other
players.
It is clear that “WorldShift” was designed with multiplayer game play in mind and the single player campaign is so bad that very few
players will be able to work their way through it before going online. Removing base building may make the game play easier for new
players, but removes any type of strategy at all. There is no balance between attack and defense, players will simply build a large army
and hunt down all of the bad guys. The story is very unoriginal and boring, and the mission objectives are just as bad, oftentimes
involving players needing to avoid enemies with stealth which isn’t a very easy task with poor path finding abilities that the units have.
The multiplayer mode in the game removes some of the frustrations in the single player campaign, such as the terrible AI the enemy
has, only to exchange it for a new problem, balance. Since the game features an skill progression similar to that of a typical MMO, the
more players play, the more powerful their units become. However, new players won’t be going onto a level playing field. Anyone that is
able to play the game more will be able to start at a higher level.
Worse yet, “WorldShift” features no type of level based matchmaking system, so players won’t know if they are playing against a new
player or a veteran with high level unit until they meet them on the battlefield. In one match players may have enough skill to beat
someone of the same level and in the next the player’s opponent will be able to win without any trouble because they have much more
experience and higher level units. It is all quite frustrating, especially for someone that is looking for a fairly evenly matched game.
Even when players lose a match, they are able to keep the artifacts that they discover along the way, but only through winning will
players earn a reasonable amount of battle points which are needed to improve skills. With the uneven playing field, it will take a new
player a long time to get an army powerful enough to compete reasonably.
If players are able to find a somewhat evenly matched player to compete against in the game’s small community, then there is a little bit
of fun to be had with the online component. The game’s maps are large and dense, with random item drops that awards the player for
exploring even in the middle of a Death Match. Even better still it the cooperative mode which allows players to build up a team with
other player against AI enemies in objective based missions similar to MMO raids. As with all other modes, cooperative games provide
players with artifacts and battle points that can be use to improve their units. Unfortunately, most of the online community seems to
focus on Death Matches, so finding an available cooperative game can be quite rare to find.
The worst thing about “WorldShift” is that is has so much unfulfilled potential. The concept of a real-time strategy with an online role
playing game is a great one, but too many factors hold the game back from reaching the full potential of the concept’s appeal. Even if
there was a fair matchmaking system, the core game play is far too simple for experience real-time strategy gamers. There is little
strategy to the matcher other than using the small handful of special abilities against the toughest enemies first. With a little more
depth to the game play and a better online matchmaking mechanic, “WorldShift” could have been a very interesting evolution in the real-
time strategy genre However, in the end “WorldShift” is just another mediocre game that began with a great gaming idea.
have to give developers a tip of the hat simply for the vision and their ideas, especially when they are trying to create something new and
creative, going outside of the box of the typical. “WorldShift: is one example of a game like this, one that is based on an interesting
concept that attempts something very unique by mixing together the game play elements of a typical real-time strategy with the
determination of a massively multiplayer online game. However, good intentions put into a game don’t necessarily make it a fun game
to play. Even though the core concept of “WorldShift” is quite clever and unique, but sadly the game play is extremely flat, just like its
technology versus magic storyline.
The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that has been dominated by the technology based humans, nature worshipping Tribe
and the sinister Cult. “WorldShift” at its core is a very simple real-time strategy with all of the base building elements removed. Players
control a group of characters that are moved around a map, right clicking on everything on the map that the player wants to kill on the
way. The twist to the game play is that the player discovers artifacts in every game mode that they can use to permanently buff their
units, so they are always improving the abilities of their army, which they can then take online in order to battle with or against other
players.
It is clear that “WorldShift” was designed with multiplayer game play in mind and the single player campaign is so bad that very few
players will be able to work their way through it before going online. Removing base building may make the game play easier for new
players, but removes any type of strategy at all. There is no balance between attack and defense, players will simply build a large army
and hunt down all of the bad guys. The story is very unoriginal and boring, and the mission objectives are just as bad, oftentimes
involving players needing to avoid enemies with stealth which isn’t a very easy task with poor path finding abilities that the units have.
The multiplayer mode in the game removes some of the frustrations in the single player campaign, such as the terrible AI the enemy
has, only to exchange it for a new problem, balance. Since the game features an skill progression similar to that of a typical MMO, the
more players play, the more powerful their units become. However, new players won’t be going onto a level playing field. Anyone that is
able to play the game more will be able to start at a higher level.
Worse yet, “WorldShift” features no type of level based matchmaking system, so players won’t know if they are playing against a new
player or a veteran with high level unit until they meet them on the battlefield. In one match players may have enough skill to beat
someone of the same level and in the next the player’s opponent will be able to win without any trouble because they have much more
experience and higher level units. It is all quite frustrating, especially for someone that is looking for a fairly evenly matched game.
Even when players lose a match, they are able to keep the artifacts that they discover along the way, but only through winning will
players earn a reasonable amount of battle points which are needed to improve skills. With the uneven playing field, it will take a new
player a long time to get an army powerful enough to compete reasonably.
If players are able to find a somewhat evenly matched player to compete against in the game’s small community, then there is a little bit
of fun to be had with the online component. The game’s maps are large and dense, with random item drops that awards the player for
exploring even in the middle of a Death Match. Even better still it the cooperative mode which allows players to build up a team with
other player against AI enemies in objective based missions similar to MMO raids. As with all other modes, cooperative games provide
players with artifacts and battle points that can be use to improve their units. Unfortunately, most of the online community seems to
focus on Death Matches, so finding an available cooperative game can be quite rare to find.
The worst thing about “WorldShift” is that is has so much unfulfilled potential. The concept of a real-time strategy with an online role
playing game is a great one, but too many factors hold the game back from reaching the full potential of the concept’s appeal. Even if
there was a fair matchmaking system, the core game play is far too simple for experience real-time strategy gamers. There is little
strategy to the matcher other than using the small handful of special abilities against the toughest enemies first. With a little more
depth to the game play and a better online matchmaking mechanic, “WorldShift” could have been a very interesting evolution in the real-
time strategy genre However, in the end “WorldShift” is just another mediocre game that began with a great gaming idea.
| Genre: Strategy Developer: Black Sea Studios Publisher: Playlogic |
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