Joint Task Force - PC Game Previews


	Platform PC Genre Real-Time Strategy Publisher Sierra Developer Most Wanted / HD Interactive ETA September 2006
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Joint Task Force *Hands-On*

If you haven’t already, you should probably familiarize yourself with something called PhysX, a technology being developed by Aegia, which handles physics the same way 3D cards handle graphics. Instead of relying on the CPU the PhysX chip will speed up the process of calculating physics for games and though a somewhat unproven technology PhysX cards are starting to crop up with more regularity. With games like Half-Life 2 and the upcoming Crysis the obvious advantages of having separate hardware to run the graphics and the physics theoretically should make for improved visuals and how the gamer can interact with the environment (and how bullets interact with alien bodies).

The technology seems to be suited to first-person shooters, but Joint Task Force (JTF), a real-time strategy game being developed by the core team behind Panzers: Phase One – AE’s Mark Leung noted that, “strategy gamers should definitely add Codename Panzers to their play list” – is supporting the fledgling technology. It may not seem like the best fit, but with the amount of detail being

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packed into JTF I actually wished I had a PhysX card while getting some hands-on time with a preview build. (You won’t need a PhysX card to play JTF but it couldn’t hurt.)

It’s a gorgeous looking game, with so many small details that when they’re turned all the way up, the game simply crawls (water effects and weather will often do that). The units, particularly

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the mechanized units, feature tons of detail, and the environments are extremely nice, whether panned out or zoomed in. The 3D engine shines (just find the right balance between looking good and enjoying a steady framerate).

Joint Task Force plays much like most real-time strategy games, though JTF focuses on small squad deployment with the occasional piece of heavy armament (and/or thundering air support) and peppered with an international flavor (the units you command around the field have a host of different accents), and the HUD running along the bottom of the screen. Units can also be carried from one battle to the next, which may indicate some kind of experience system – a reward for players that are careful.

(An aside: Many gamers wouldn’t know a JTF if it hit them in the face, but in Canada say, “JTF2” and you’ll cause eyes to slightly squint, a furtive glance, a donut forgotten for a split second… In Canada , the JTF2 is akin to Britain ’s SAS or America ’s Delta Force and most of the information available about the top secret unit comes from outside sources and the number of members isn’t officially acknowledged.)

The time I allowed myself with the preview build gave me a general idea of how the game will play in its finished state. Only one cause of concern really jumped out at me: no squad grouping. A real-time strategy standard is the ability to select a group of units and click a preset formation (single-file, wedge, etc.). This necessitated a lot of clicking to bring squads to tactical positions (taking cover, etc.), which is just fine when dealing with small scale confrontations but when the battle spreads out… that’s a bit of a headache. Preset formations can help alleviate this.

Besides an “elaborate storyline” and “5 campaigns” across a variety of warzone, like the Middle East, JTF will also ship with a large number of Multiplayer modes (8 players over LAN and Internet), including Deathmatch, Domination, and Cooperative, which includes the entirety of the Campaign.

Joint Task Force is in good shape and its encouraging to see that the PhysX feature isn’t just a gimmick, the game will actually put it to use, and with the same core group behind Panzers: Phase One at the helm the depth that many RTS fans crave (without burying the gamer) should be present and accounted for when it ships (hopefully) September 2006.

- Omni

(August 15, 2006)