Perimeter: Emperor's Testament
Score: 76% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Paradox Interactive Developer: K-D Labs Media: CD/2 Players: 1 - 4 Online Genre: Real-Time Strategy/ Action
Graphics & Sound: Perimeter was an innovative game that didn't get the attention that it deserved. We now have the expansion pack, Perimeter: Emperor's Testament, and they are still swinging for the fences and pulling no punches. There is a lot of great detail paid to each of the art assets in this game. I was impressed by how up close and personal you could get by zooming in and still having a high amount of individual detail. However, since a large part of this game is terraforming the hills and valleys down to a nice, flat surface, it almost seems a shame. The game is essentially about a mass exodus from Earth, and it seems like we didn't learn much as we seek out and terraform flat, new worlds and lands. Don't let this deter you from this great looking title, however. As is a standard for Real-Time Strategies, there is not a whole lot of memorable audio happening in this game. As this was developed in Russia, with some ties to Sweden, I wasn't looking for a vast English sweeping dialogue with voiceovers. I was never distracted by the audio and everything from cut scenes to introduction was well done.
Gameplay: Perimeter: Emperor's Testament is the continuation of a story launched in Perimeter. You are charged with the command of a Frame. Think of your Frame as a base that can be picked up and moved around the map. The Frame is your main source of power for everything you run. Everything you do requires power, from the nodes to the buildings. However, there is only so far that this power can reach around your Frame. You have to build a power system that allows you to expand out from your Frame without tapping its power reserves. There are ways to collect energy, and you will have to be aware of how much your output is in ratio to how much you’re collecting. You build several types of Labs that are upgradeable and determine the types of defensive installations and soldier units you can create. As is standard practice in RTS's, you are given objectives you must complete in order to advance. In times of trouble, your Frame is capable of launching a force field around all of your units within the perimeter of the Frame and its nodes.
Difficulty: Perimeter: Emperor's Testament actually started out just a little too easy for my taste, but I didn't have to wait long until I was happily knee-deep in Scourge drones defending myself against the onslaught of the Emperor’s wrath. There are the three basic settings for difficulty; Easy, Normal and Hard. These settings, from the best that I could tell, had more to do with the speed at which your enemy could build and the frequency in which they would attack. There were no great deviances in the strategy it would apply to attacking you. The computer-controlled players show some tactics by trying to skirt your "Perimeter" so to speak, but you learn early on to simply keep all of your surroundings guarded.
Game Mechanics: For those of you who have yet to experience Perimeter, then you are missing out on some great toys for the RTS genre. Don't worry, they are all here in Perimeter: Emperor's Testament. The thing that I like the most is unit construction. In most RTS games, you build the "unit" or "vehicle" you want. You simply click the construction device of choice and it churns it out. In Perimeter: Emperor's Testament, you create three basic types of units, and then combine them into force to create more complex units. Take two soldiers, three techs, and an officer, mix them up and BAM!!! you have a new unit. You are not limited to the units you create either. You can deconstruct them into smaller units to fit the attack or defense type you need. You also have the opertunity to enter one of your units in first-person mode and attack your enemy face to face. I loved playing the continuation of this story. The problem was that too many of the missions felt the same or extremely similar. If you had become unfamiliar with any of the tools and tactics from the original game, there was not much in the way of an in-game tutorial to help you back into playing this game. It was okay by me, because I enjoyed revisiting the original title. But, I can see someone growing frustrated from a lack of information early on to get them going.
-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications AKA Bryon Lloyd
Minimum System Requirements: None listed at this time.   Test System: Windows XP Pro, 3.2 GHz P4HT CPU, 1 GHz Ram, 256 PCIE 16 ATI X300
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