Age Of Reckoning – Island War Review
Island War is a massively multiplayer, internet-based game based on events in World War II. The Island War series game system is a highly realistic simulation of real-time ground combat on the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Each game in the series represents a stand-alone, action-packed battle between the Imperial Japanese navy and American military on one of several unique Pacific Islands. Two competing teams of players are selected and given command of their individual Islands.
Every Island in Island War is furnished with three major categories of combat – Air, Navy, and Ground. Each of these categories contains five playable islands. Two teams of players are designated to occupy each of these islands in turn-based games.
To begin a game, each player chooses an Island in Island War. Then, each player receives one Command Point each in order to build an Army, establish radio stations, and/or set up military units. Once all players have completed all of these tasks, a timer begins. The timer can be reset or “paused” at any time by the game system administrator. During the course of a game, each team must establish control over at least one island.
Once a team has established control of at least one island, they can begin to build an airbase and begin to supply air and ground forces. They may also wish to construct a lighthouse, train a troop carrier, and add various structures to the island such as a prison and a research station. However, if these actions are already in progress, the game will halt progress on that island. When a player wishes to end a game, he must first surrender all of his Military Units to the opposing team. Otherwise, he remains in control of his island and can continue to build up his base and supply his forces. Once all players on both teams have surrendered, a winner is declared.
The Island War series, from MicroProse, is another very popular online RTS game with a simple set of rules that anyone can play. The player must start with only one island to build upon, and can build up his island to capture other islands owned by his opponents. Unlike in the popular WarCraft series, in Island War, islands do not automatically fall under the players’ control. They must be captured, which takes skill, patience, and strategy.
Like in the classic Warhammer strategy games, combat is primarily performed on the ground using units that either land on the island or fly into it from another direction. Units that enter the island are subject to attack from all sides, so careful consideration must be taken to ensure that a player’s primary island is not under attack while he is trying to save his secondary island from capture. In addition, unlike in previous games in the series, island capture is not a straightforward process. There are a variety of upgrades, buildings, and facilities that are available for use during the course of the game, and all of these are controlled differently depending on the player’s possession of an island.
Battles in Island War are quite action-packed. During battles, players can choose to do more damage to their opponents using their various island resources, or they can choose to focus on certain areas of their island to make the most of its defensive characteristics. Battles take place on a three-dimensional map, and battles tend to be longer than those in other games in the series. They do, however, utilize real-world physics and are often more difficult than similar games. Fortunately, the game has an excellent tutorial section that helps new players learn the basics of the game without being confused by confusing tutorials that are not really teaching the player how to play.
Like the classic Warhammer games, Island War is available for free online play. You can also purchase the original version of Island War for Windows and play it on your computer. However, you should keep in mind that the game lacks a few features found in later editions of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, such as tutorial options, the ability to make custom portraits, and online chat support. If you are looking for a browser-based browser game with an elaborate multiplayer campaign and realistic graphics, then Island War is an excellent choice for you to play.
