Order of War

Jen receives her orders

It is unfortunate that due to the over saturation of World War II games, I can't help but approach a new one with a slight cynicism, wondering whether this one will be something special or simply another paint by numbers interpretation which offers nothing new. Order of War immediately has one thing that hasn't been seen before in a WWII-based Real Time Strategy game: it's made by Japanese publishing behemoth Square Enix. This is Square Enix's first attempt at a more Westernised game such as an RTS and it is certainly an enjoyable effort.

Order of War offers something new from the second the player chooses which campaign to play: the ability to play from the German perspective. It's not a feature exclusive to Order of War, but it is something that is rarely seen and the game shows a great depiction of what many see as the 'other' side in the conflict. The German campaign focuses on Operation Bagration, a part of the Second World War that I'll admit to not knowing hugely well. However to put it bluntly it was Germany versus Russia in the summer of 1944. It went very badly for Germany with huge loss of life and resulted in most of the western Soviet Union being liberated by the Red Army, as well as gaining strength in Romania and Poland. Perhaps a strange choice to use in a gaming campaign where the player is Germany but it works well, and focusing on a slightly less 'popular' part of the War means that it feels fresh and different. The Allied campaign is a little more predictable with its focus being on the invasion of Normandy, liberation of Paris and eventual capture of Berlin. That's not to say that it isn't enjoyable, but it was perhaps a little predictable. Just how many times does a World War II game need to focus on the D-Day landings?

The presentation of Order of War is excellent and it feels as if it's bordering on educating the player as well as entertaining. Each level of the two campaigns is interspersed with diagrams and videos demonstrating what has occurred and it really is well constructed. The entire scale of the game is much the same, with battlefields feeling huge and grandiose. Once the graphics are turned up to full details, it really is a sight to behold. This is further reinforced by the ability to switch to the cinematic camera at any time during play which allows the player to view up-close the battles occurring. It's a nice feature that will certainly appeal to those who want a stronger feeling of action in their RTS games.

The playing of the game is perhaps a little simplistic for hardened RTS gamers. It's certainly one that's been designed with mass appeal in mind, not that this is a bad thing. Instead it makes Order of War one of the more accessible strategy titles on the market. Rather than having to select individual units, Order of War uses a squad-based system which makes selecting troops simpler. It does at times make things feel less accurate as occasionally it does feel like a matter of all or nothing without the ability to separate troops, but then it's certainly satisfying to send a wave of armed squads at the enemy to vanquish them. Order of War encourages attacking a number of enemies at once with its slightly odd, but very effective, red and blue line system. Simply holding down shift while right-clicking enemy units makes the allied units attack however many enemy units are selected. To make it less confusing the game displays this as a red line to the opponent. Obviously the more enemies on screen, the more red lines the player ends up with. It might look a little messy but it makes events less confusing for the player. Blue lines indicate where the unit is aiming to go, again ensuring it is easy to spot the next move that one is making. To make strategical planning even simpler, there is always the ability to pause the action with a tap of the space bar and then plot moves in the player's own time. When the game offers a number of bonus objectives at times, this can be extremely helpful although Order of War tries not to throw too many objectives at the player. Often it feels more like a breadcrumb trail with the completion of one small objective unlocking another small objective in the level and so forth.

The units on offer are the typical sort that one would expect from a World War II title with Panzer Units, Abraham Tanks as well as the typical infantry units. To spice things up a little, at the end of each level there is an upgrade system akin to the Company of Heroes method of doing things. Experience points are gained through completing objectives and efficient level completion such as having few losses. It's a simple system to use but it adds variety and it's nice to have the option to focus on certain unit classes and have a personalised system according to the player's preferences. Besides the single player campaign, Order of War also offers a single player Skirmish mode, online multiplayer and LAN play, all of which are quite typical but help extend the longevity of the experience.

Order of War is an enjoyable title that tries its best to stand out from the overcrowded world of war-themed RTS games. Hardened RTS players may feel a little disappointed by the relative simplicity of the title and the fact that even on the hard difficulty level it isn't as challenging as many other RTS games. But for the average user, it is perfectly pitched. It's particularly pleasing to see Square Enix offer a tactful German Campaign, something that really isn't seen enough in other war games. If only the Allied campaign was as interesting - as it does feel a little like a predictable after-thought alongside the thoughtful German campaign. Despite that, Order of War is well worth a look for the casual RTS fan.

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By Jennifer Allen