Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

Players can control any of the world super powers or other nations.

Units are ordered to move with a point-drag-click function.

COMPETITION

With thanks to Kristy at Activision we have six copies of Return to Castle Wolfenstein on offer for our readers.

Each Service newspaper will have two copies (one XBox version and one PS2) available for readers, so be sure to include which paper you were reading in your entry. As well we have a copy of Hearts of Iron up for grabs.

Entries should be e-mailed to ADFgamesmen@telstra.com with the name of the game you would like to win in the subject line.

Only one entry a person please, subsequent entries will be discarded. Include your full name and mailing address in the e-mail or your entry won’t be accepted.

Congratulations to our recent winners – Warbirds III, Cpl Darren Thornberry, Townsville, and Unreal Championship (XBox), T. Smith, Sydney.

Iron hearts to run the world

Hearts of Iron
www.paradoxplaza.com/hearts.asp
Developer: Paradox Entertainment www.paradoxplaza.com/interactive.asp
Distributor: Red Ant Enterprises
www.red-ant.com.au/index.aspx

Hearts of Iron is a grand strategic-level game covering the global conflict during the period 1934-1946.

Players can control any of the main powers of US, UK, USSR, Germany, Italy and Japan or take control of any other nations of the day.

Hearts of Iron is produced by Paradox Entertainment, the maker of Europa Universalis. It uses the same engine and interface as Europa Universalis but has numerous additions to reflect the change in period.

Players face the mountainous task of building up and focusing their country’s industrial might, investing in research and development, controlling and expanding their air, land and sea forces while conducting domestic and international diplomacy.

Hearts of Iron is played in real time – well at least in a continuous phase, with an adjustable time rate.

It’s played on a global map broken into land provinces and sea zones. The game icons are small animated models of infantry, tanks, fighter and bomber planes and an assortment of ships from subs through to aircraft carriers.

Heart of Iron provides players with the opportunity to attach generals and admirals to armies, air wings and fleets. There are familiar names like Monty, Rommel and Patton, each with an individual skill and an ability to influence their attached forces.

For such a complex range of functions the game’s interface is relatively easy. Units are ordered to move and attack through a point, drag and click function.

Additional commands are available through a pop-up menu allowing a fair degree of control flexibility. The interface for some of the other screens is not as friendly though.

Combat is abstract, with units losing cohesion, manning and supply as a result of sharing a zone with an enemy unit.

Players have the option of playing several smaller scenarios or going for the full campaign from 1936 to 1946.

They can play against the AI, which has several difficulty levels, or against a human opponent.

The thought of playing multiplayer, however, is daunting. Playing the full 10 year war can take a score or more hours. To offset this, players can jump in and out of multiplayer games leaving the AI to pick up where they left off.

Players will want to play multiplayer because the game’s AI just isn’t strong enough to provide a very challenging opponent, no matter how difficult you set the AI’s levels.

Hearts of Iron is a wonderful attempt at providing players with the opportunity to face many of the difficulties a nation’s leader faces at the grand strategic level.

Apart from feeling that the AI isn’t strong enough, this is a wonderful game that should keep players occupied for numerous hours.

Paradox recommends a PIII600 or better, 128MB RAM, 400MB HDD and an 8MB Video card to enjoy Hearts of Iron.

Activision http://www.activision.com
As we predicted a few editions ago, the multi-platform release of Return to Castle Wolfenstein has been a smash hit across Australia.

Despite having played it out when the PC version was released, I still found enough new twists in the revamped console ports to keep me on the couch for hours at a time.

The story is obviously similar but the prequel mission on the XBox version sets the scene for B.J. Blazkowicz’s incarceration (the starting point of the PC version).

It also does a good job of explaining the supernatural storyline of the game by putting the player in the middle of an archaeological dig led by the Nazi hag Helga.

It is slightly reminiscent of Indiana Jones with gun toting Nazis and mad Arabs but without the friendly female accomplice. B.J. does not go it alone, however, and is teamed up with a British agent from the beginning to fight through to the Nazi dig-site.

Unfortunately his stiff upper lip and British bearing are no match for the Nazis weapons and B.J’s partner leaves him to be captured and eventually fight from the Castle alone.

The game plays very well in console format although I still find lining up a quick shot difficult at times. B.J. has access to a range of German weaponry so a quick spray from a MP44 is usually enough to fight off the hordes.

Like the PC version, the console game maps feature several hidden areas and treasures. By finding them all a player can ensure they progress to the next round with a full ammo load and, more importantly, a topped up health count.

The game’s enemies are numerous, resulting in a shoot-fest on most levels and display a reasonable level of intelligence. Most seek cover and ambush the player at turns and corners but there are a few who will openly blaze away.

Early on the Germans are also fighting off the supernatural threat, so it’s quite often possible to sit back and have the zombies pick a few of the Nazis before a player moves in to clean up the mess.

All up, it’s a faithful port that will interest those who have already played out the PC versions or are new the Wolfenstein world. With its system link capabilities Return to Castle Wolfenstein offers great multi-play prospects. It is also XBox-Live enabled for when the system gets up and running in Australia later this year.