The Wargamer

Introduction

I'll admit a love of RTS World War II games (Panzer Claws and the more impressive Blitzkrieg come to mind). Age of Empires was a great game in its own right, and I personally greatly enjoy such games - even to this day. This particular copy of Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps is a preview beta build.

Seeing a title like Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps harkens me back to…oh, 2003…when I reviewed Blitzkrieg. But there's something about the ambiance in Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps that helps me get over that hump. Blitzkrieg was a marvelous title, don't get me wrong; but Desert Rats tells me that concentrating in one particular geographic location actually makes for an enticing game. I feared that a clone version of Blitzkrieg set in the desert was going to be a title that would need to do a lot to prove me wrong. As it stands now, gorgeous graphics and intense gameplay mark this title as one with much potential.

A HUNK OF BURNIN' SUN (DESERT THAT IS)

The graphics are the most stunning aspect of this title; a blazing North African sun sets sharp, clean shadows apart from the beautifully rendered terrain. This does about 90% of the job of drawing me in to playing it. The Zoom feature also brings out a lot of detail in the close ups. Vehicles leave tread marks, exhaust plumes bloom, and tuffs of desert sand kick up in the wake of the passing of armies of men and machines. It's a visual treat.

Control is very similar to Blitzkrieg; there's a twelve-button section of the GUI bar at the bottom that can be used to issue orders, which is a simple task of clicking a unit, clicking an order, and clicking a location - that's all there is to it.

The game's complexity, in that recalling what orders can be issued and when would be the best time to do so, is not that high for an experienced gamer used to RTS games. A built-in tutorial will be present to guide new players step-by-step through the basics of the game.