Empire Earth Gold

Graphically EE is a mixture of good and bad. At times the true 3d graphics will make you go "wow that looks really great". But zoom in all the way, and you might be left staring at a pixelated monstrosity. All in all, graphics are good though, and beingtrue 3d means it can be 3d accelorated... unlike AOE2.

Sound in the game is for the most part well done, though not great. like most RTS games, your soldier's responses get repeatative and annoying after a while. The sound effects of battle are pretty good, and include some nice touches, like the thundering feel of elephants walking, or the battle sounds that add background cries and sword clashed to add to the atmosphere.

Gameplay is the problem. The game is big, and the relationships between the units, is a little too simple. The rock-paper-scissors relationship is too sharp. If your enemy builds all one type, you counter with the appropriate response and you'll win. Hidden attack multipliers also make the game more complicated, while leaving you wondering HOW you lost your last battle. There is little in the way of tactics in the game aside from some minor enhancements in the game. While it is more strategy focused than preceding titles in the genre, it is still not realistic in many ways. Unlike the "total war" series, empire earth doesnt take into account routing, flank attacks, fatigue, morale, ammo, etc. That aside, it does offer some interesting new ideas. Barbarians can walk trough trees, and snipers are invisible from a distance. Morale is present, but only in a defender's advantage sort of way. If yu're not looking for meticulous realism, this wont bother you a bit. For me though... the typical RTS formula of the genre is becoming old, simplistic and obsolete. (The total war series really changed my wants in a strategy game).

however, empire earth is the ultimate RTS for those who are hooked on the fast paced action oriented formula of the industry. There is a lot here for such fans, everything from the stone age to the mech warriors of the future. The game's progression of the ages however is shaky... the changes are sometimes not subtle or realistic enough to truly be played all the way through. The game also shoots for fast paced action, but sometimes it's a bit too fast paced. While the game tries to curb rushing... you're still not going to be rewarded for a meticulously planned assault... your clicking speed and memorization of unit counter types is going to determine your success.

The AI is perhaps the biggest flaw. It's challenging yes... BUT CHEAP! The AI magically knows what troops you are building and builds the apropriate counters. I have had a game that I just could not win nor loose because I got to a point where no matter what I did the AI would just come with the correct counter. Annoying to say the least. If it beat me on a tactical or strategic level that'd be fine... but for me to be locked into a war of attrition simply because the computer "cheats"... grrrr.

All in all, you'll really like this game if you're an RTS nut. If you're getting tired of the genre and want something fresh and innovative?... look at the total war series, or perhaps the recently released "rise of nations".

In the original version you have a choice among several civilizations (the expansion adds Japanese, Koreans, and some other civilizations). There are campaign missions you can play, although frankly I find them dull and some times ridiculously hard. The real catch is the "random map" game, and that is where the game rocks among others.

You are really in control of what the game will play like. Besides the usuals like difficulty and what kind of map, you also can put a limit on how much men each side can have, and - the best choice - you can choose which time period you begin and end in.

For example, if you leave this option alone you will start in the prehistoric age (cavemen throwing rocks) and end in the Nano age (we are all robots). You can update your civilization by constructing new buildings (mostly new settlements) and then paying the right amount of resources. Now, some times this might get boring, and maybe you're more partial to a certain time period. You can then choose to begin at a sooner time period and end at your favorite or preferred time period - or even just have it go right to the time period and stay there. Now, let's say you like the World War II (Modern) Era. You just have to tell the game to begin and end at that time period...viola!

The only downside to the gameplay, besides the annoying campaigns, is maybe the AI tendency to send their peasants right into enemy lands to be killed by towers or enemies. It makes you wonder how much time the AI spends on building peasants. OK, so maybe it's not annoying, but it's kind of odd. Hopefully the upgrades will fix that.

As for this collection, you may just want to buy the original game and get upgrades from Sierra. The guide-book in this Gold Edition is great, but the expansion (Art of Conquest) is...well...lacking. Each civilization gets their own special skill, but while some are fitting (the British get to construct the unit SAS unit) some are strange. The Koreans get fanaticism (because we all know how crazy Koreans are), and the French get camoflouge. This means French units, after a while of inactivity, become invisible. They have this skill since the prehistoric age! This means, for all ages, French units have a strong advantage over other civilizations with their ability to cloak themselves and lay ambushes a la guerillas...even during the Dark Ages. The additional future age may entertain sci-fi fans while others may roll their eyes and think "Great, more all-powerful spaceships." The new campaigns are odd too - Russia takes over the world, then some people go back in time to stop it. Not too strong in storyline.

However, just speaking about the game "Empire Earth" proper, it is a wonderful game. Perhaps one of my all-time favorite RTS games or strategy games period.