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Platform: PC
Related Links: Review: WarCraft III - The Frozen Throne (PC)
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Armies of Exigo
In
Armies of Exigo, players will command massive armies battling for
control of both the surface and underworld of the fantasy realm of Exigo. Developed
by Black Hole Entertainment, who are, according to published reports, a
Hungarian team of StarCraft fanatics, this new title, due out in Fall
'04, brings a new element to real time strategy games by allowing
players to burrow under the surface, waging battles both above and below
ground. As either the heavily fortified "Empire," an alliance of knights, dwarves, elves and gnomes; the nomadic "Beasts," which include tribes of ogres and trolls; or the "Fallen," a group of dark elves, undead warriors and swarming insects set on taking over the surface, players will |
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be compelled to develop new RTS strategies, as
every army has the ability to plan sneak attacks by traveling unseen in
a network of catacombs and tunnels mapped separately from the world
above. As
a big fan of Age of Mythology, I have to say that Apollo's
"Underworld" miracle was one of the main reasons I always
prefer playing as the Greeks. In terms of surprise attacks, nothing's
better than amassing a huge army and then sending the lot of them
underground to pop up in the middle of your unsuspecting opponent's
town.
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Yet where that Age of Mythology attack is a one-time deal, the separate underground world of Armies of Exigo will add a new dimension to RTS gameplay. Even if a player's surface defenses are impenetrable, another army, at any time, can burrow up into the middle of their fortifications, with the ensuing chaos sure to satisfy the inner megalomaniac in you, your computer or up to eight online players.
Here's
the lowdown: Wage
war with up to 200 units on two fronts simultaneously – above and
below the surface – with a unique dual layered map system. The
screenshots, to date, are bitchin' Interactive
environment allows players to destroy bridges, flood underworld areas by
blowing up dams, create avalanches, divert subterranean lava flows and
dig tunnels between the surface and the underworld.
The
single-player game includes a three-part campaign and a skirmish mode;
online play allows four multiplayer modes: Melee, Arena, Mission and
Free-for-all. While
Armies of Exigo is sure to draw some comparisons to the Warcraft
franchise, simply by virtue of being a fantasy RTS, by adding a separate
playing field underground, this game looks to bring a genuinely new
feature to the genre that will keep even longtime fanatics on their
toes. - M. Enis (July 20, 2004) |
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