2011 is the year of many MMOs and RTS games. This is our list of top five titles if you’re a real time strategy fan.
Kingdom Under Fire 2
Developer: Phantagram
Release Date: TBA (expected withing 2011)
Platform: PC-PS3-Xbox 360
KUF 2 is based in medieval times. The game will feature highly detailed graphics and from the trailer its evident that you can zoom in as much as you want without any reduce in the quality of details. The game is based on proprietary graphics engine developed by Phantagram Studios. The game not only allows the player to control multiple troops on screen at the same time it will also allow the players to play amongst their comrades in third person mode. The game is set to feature a strong story line with RPG elements, however what separates the game from most RTS games available today will be the MMO component of the game where you can interact with other players at the same time in a live “world” much like any other MMORPG. And much like MMORPGs you will be able to make guilds and declare war on the territory of other guilds.
Dawn Of War 2 : Retribution
Developer: Relic
Publisher: THQ
Release Date: March 2011
Platform: PC
There are a lot of games being released in the next couple of year under the Dawn Of War franchise: Retribution, Space Marine and Dark Millennium Online the expansion to the MMORPG. Retribution will be based on the same engine as the previous versions of the game so don’t expect anything too advanced. However unlike previous expansions, the game will not require you to have the previous game or the expansions thus making the transition for the new players easy.
It will have campaigns for the Eldar and for the first time the Orks as well. So you will be able to kick some Eldar butt in single player as well as multiplayer. There will also be a third race but it has yet to be revealed. Most likely it will be the Imperial Guard or The Inquisition.
Age Of Empires Online
Developer: Microsoft Game Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform: PC
Release Date: 31 March 2011
Age of Empires Online was announced at the last games con. It came as such a surprise because recently Microsoft shut down the parent company of AOE, Ensmble Studios. The game will be developed by Microsoft game studios on a new engine which will be much different from the previous AOE games. The game will be distributed digitally and will support the Windows LIVE features. It will allow for pvp and singleplayer campaigns but you can also go online. You will have a main city which you can manipulate at will but will grow on its own when you’re offline.
Stronghold 3
Developer: FireFly Studios
Release Date: April 2011
Platform: PC
Firefly has decided to ditch the old proprietary engine and will be developing Stronghold 3 on a new engine. The game will stick to its own rustic settings bringing back the nostalgia of building your own castle and your village around it. It will also bring the Fog Of War which was the defining feature of the previous versions. The visibility will be reduced quiet a bit after night fall and will improve once again in daylight adding another layer to the whole strategy theme. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be top notch one can at least still have fun flinging cows from catapults.
End Of Nations
Developer: Petroglyph Games
Publisher: Trion Worlds
Platform: PC
Now here’s a game with an interesting idea, the developers are calling it an MMORTS. End Of Nations will put players in a future version of planet earth where there will be a war going on among various factions. However players will not be battling it out with each other. Instead all the players will be working with each other to take out one common enemy. Think raiding in an MMORPG, all players will be in one “world” which might be multiple realms. Though not as graphically strong as some of the other games on the list , the whole MMORPG will bring something new to the RTS fans. Its not that you can’t play the game alone, you will be able to take on enemy forces with only your forces at hand however, if you choose to you can always team up with others. The game will feature a unique new system that will allow you to customize units. I wonder if the game will reach out to the competitive gamers, since you won’t be able to go against each other only the common foe.
