Play the Game! Note: You may have to reboot your PC if there is no menu text when you launch the game! Replace the original AK. EXE files with the ones from the File Archive. In fact, not that many people know much about it, so if you're one of the many who spent more time blowing soggy paper balls through hollowed-out biros at your classmates than you did listening to your Fisherman's Friendsmelling history teacher, here's a quick bit of background info before we get started on the game.
After the French capitulation in , the Italians and Germans turned their attentions to North Africa. But only just. Clearer now? On to the game then, which, having spent a great deal of quality time with the latest preview code we went to the beach, had an ice cream, raced on the go-carts Indeed, this 3D RTS could be one of the surprise packages of the year.
Divided into two, ten-mission story-driven campaigns - Axis and Allies - you play as either a stiff-upper-lipped English or Chippy-bombing German hero. Bereft of resource management, you're left to concentrate on the more tactical and subtle aspects of warfare, picking your units before the start of each level and later being backed up by an array of reinforcements. With troops in such limited supply, it'll be essential to utilise your surroundings to gain maximum advantage.
If you're to stand any chance of success, you'll have to master such skills as digging into the sand for extra cover, assuming an elevated position to help outgun and out-manoeuvre the enemy, and flanking them where their armour is weakest with the ferocity of a boarding school headmaster trapped in a dark room with a small yelping boy.
Desert Rats' engine is also pretty damn impressive, with a fully interactive and deformable landscape that enables your tanks to mow down trees, kick up plumes of sand with their caterpillar tracks and level buildings to dust with their awesome firepower.
But it's not all just about tanks, with good old salt-of-the-earth soldiers playing an integral role in the proceedings, too.
Flame-thrower units can incinerate entire squads of enemies with one twitch of their clammy finger, or turn trucks into moving bonfires. Medics heal, bazooka troops can stop the mightiest of motorised beasts and best of all, your hero - who you must preserve at all costs - gives nearby troops a huge combat bonus. And as if that wasn't enough, you'll even be able to call in air strikes to aid you if it's all looking a bit ropey on the ground. Some of the missions in the current build are truly spectacular.
One sees you landing on a beach, enemy mortar fire cascading down around your vulnerable foot soldiers, sending spirals of sand arching into the air along with broken, bloodied bodies, while gut-twisting explosions ring out around you.
Another sees you racing across the desert, your massed columns of tanks kicking dust clouds into the sky, a beacon of hope to the besieged force you're racing to rescue. On arrival, you tear into the enemy backline, using sand dunes to gain elevation and the upper hand over the superior-sized German ranks.
In familiar RTS style, there's also an escort mission through enemy-infested territory, which sees you protecting a precious cargo as enemy shells from tanks and mortars try to break your ranks. Still another sees you embroiled in street-by-street combat in a desert town, your machines of war being sent sky-high by rockets from cunningly concealed enemy forces.
There may not be many games based on the African campaign in WWII, but from the looks and feel of what we've played, Desert Rats could kick up quite a storm on its arrival.
Graphically the menu interface of this game is simple to use. There are full character models when selecting your inventory for certain missions. This helps to make choices a lot easier as they include RPG style stats, enabling you to compare and contrast units to get you the perfect set up for battle. One of my main problems with the graphics in this game is with the zoomed in camera angles. They feel forced and hinder your game playing experience, which results in you best leaving them alone to play the game from the more traditional view point.
If you are familiar with the RTS genre then you will be able to get playing straight away as the control system is the same as many other RTS games E.
For beginners the control system is easy to use. You select your units by dragging a selection box of said units in order to select them, then you point and click to deploy your unit s. Simple enough and it's a tried and tested formula that works well. There are a range of tactics for you to deploy to help beat the enemy. This aspect offers a lot more than most 'get as many men as possible' RTS games.
There are military known tactics such as getting your forces to 'dig-in' and prepare for an oncoming assault. The AI in this game proves to be a challenge as they do not hail from the over the top school of military tactics. The AI actually looks for your weak point and attacks it, meaning that you have to watch places such as your flanks, your rear and not to mention if they call in an Air Strike! As with most war games regardless of the genre you are treated to the melody of sounds that you would expect.
There are gritty tunes to inspire you to victory with the intention of instilling dogged determination. Also included are a range of military weapon sounds, resulting in the game sounding like a true battlefield. Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps - A strategy game set in the north of Africa.
Explore the hot deserts in the glowing sun. Observe lifeless and desiccated landscapes. Each oasis acts as a real lifeline. Africa Corps is a tense military RTS focused on tactics. Prove yourself as a talented military leader! You can choose from two campaigns with 20 different objectives and victory conditions.
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