The Download Munkey : Finder of Things …

If you’re wondering why the recent posts about game demos here are mainly about games released two or more years ago, it’s mainly because the game in question has been released as a value title in SG in the price range of $9.90 to $19.90. Plus the fact that my PC is too crappy to play the latest games is a major factor.

I personally like publishers re-releasing older games because:

• Gamers who don’t regularly upgrade their rigs with cutting-edge technology can play these games at acceptable graphics settings.
• At a lower price, more casual gamers like me who spend around 4 to 8 hours per week playing games, don’t feel the pinch as much as buying the latest games at retail prices. The last retail-priced game I bought was Dawn of War : Dark Crusade

Today’s post is about Act of War : Direct Action or more specifically the singleplayer demo for Act of War, developed by Eugen Systems and published by Atari in 2005.

In this demo, you play as the Task Force Talon faction which have more technologically-advanced units than the other factions in this game. The two other factions are the regular US Army which fields more conventional units and the Consortium which relies on both Russian hardware and experimental technology.

For the single level (known as an Operation in Act of War) in the singleplayer demo, Task Force Talon must establish an beachhead to support future operations to destroy Consortium bases further inland.

At the start, you get to wipe out enemy resistance on the beachhead with airstrikes by F/A-18 Hornets armed with guided missiles and bombs. Woo hoo! Time for pretty explosions!

© Atari

After clearing the coastline, V-44s (which look suspiciously like V-22 Ospreys) will then land your initial forces and establish a base.

© Atari

The interesting thing is that by capturing enemy soldiers (C), you get to increase your funds, which can be used for building extra units and upgrades. Your funds also increase automatically at a specific interval based on the number of prisoners captured ($50 each up to a maximum of $500 for 10 prisoners)

Being a high-tech force, the standard Task Force Talon Commando gets a GUOS drone for scouting purposes after researching an upgrade at the Barracks. This ability to scout ahead makes the standard trooper an effective complement to the realitvely slower-firing Heavy Sniper who can pick off unwary enemy infantry at longer range than the Commando. The need for combined arms tactics like this are apparent throughout the operation and makes for a slower and more methodical style of gameplay than most RTSes.

Infantry are also implemented quite differently in this game. Heavily wounded infantry move more slowly which means they can be easily picked off by enemy troops. Infantry who receive critical damage are immobilized and are unable to fight until they have been healed sufficiently. These critically wounded infantry either die if they’re left untreated for too long, or worse, get captured by enemy forces. Luckily, Task Force Talon has access to fast but unarmed MedEvac helicopters which help cut down on your casualties.

You also get to build Global Hawk UAVs which are your long-range reconnaissance units that can also destroy vehicles with their Hellfire missiles. Since they cannot attack infantry like SA-7 troopers or buildings such aS turrets and SA-13 installations, you have to use your infantry to clear anti-air units from the battlefields until the more expensive multi-role F/A-35 JSFs are available later in the demo.

© Atari
Sending Global Hawks to their destruction at the SAM site

Overall, I found the methodical gameplay fun without being tedious and the slick presentation elements (a bit like Command & Conquer) very enjoyable. Check out the demo to see for yourself - the actual game is available in SG for 19.90

Below are some tips to enjoy the demo:

• Click on the icon of the respective aircraft multiple times before selecting the airstrike target to send multiple aircraft to attack the same location.
• By tracking your air units as they embark on their airstrikes, you get to temporarily uncover the fog of war and positions of enemy units.
• Check what each unit is effective against. For example, Task Force Commandos are only effective against infantry which means incredibly large numbers of them are required to destroy a single tank. Use your Heavy Sniper, Global Hawk or send in the F/A-35s
• Use A for aggressive move, especially when moving your Commandos in urban areas as the default right-click for movement ignores enemy fire.

Pros

• Combined arms tactics necessary
• Good graphics and presentation - check out those explosions
• Most importantly FUN!

Cons

• Act of War has only one campaign which means the Consortium can only be used in skirmish games.
• The fact that some units are only effective against others means that you sometimes have to micro-manage a group of different units
• Enemy units are not very aggressive or cunning

Download the singeplayer demo (668.8 MB), read a review over at EuroGamer or visit the official site for Act of War : Direct Action.

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Tom Clancy’s EndWar Trailer
World In Conflict Trailers
WinSPWW2 & WinSPMBT - Freeware Turn-Based Tactical Games
FM 3-90 Tactics Field Manual
M.A.X - Mechanized Assault and Exploration @ Abandonia