Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Score: 90% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 8 Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Graphics & Sound: For those new comers to the Warcraft series, the 3D overhaul might not be that much of a big deal to you. However, old fans that are used to the flatter levels are going to be thanking the gods of 3D for what they have done with their series. Levels and units are fully 3D, allowing for zooming and rotation of the camera. Not only does this help out with gameplay issues, but you can look at the detailed landscapes, animated people, and colorful spell effects from many different angles. Not only do the in-game graphics look great, the cinematics are pure vanilla to watch. The graphics alone are reason enough to explain the long development cycle of Warcraft III. The sounds follow a similar path to the visuals. First off is the decent voice acting, which can save or kill a game these days. The sound effects are equally well done, as every unit has its distinctive effect during combat. And lastly the music, which doesn't tend to get old, complements the situations of the game well, changing its mood accordingly. All in all, a solid assortment of bells and whistles.
Gameplay: While Warcraft III doesn't exactly make any groundbreaking advancements in the RTS genre, it focuses more on perfecting it. Gameplay has remained mostly the same from previous games in the series, with the exception being mainly in the control schemes and unit uniqueness. Don't take this game for just another clone, though. It's one of the best out there, so pay attention. Four completely different sides are included in this version, and each one is so diverse from the other that it's almost like playing four different games altogether. The Orcs and Humans make an appearance, as well as the Undead and Night Elves. The entire collection of units isn't limited to just these playable sides, though. There are many native units scattered around each battlefield, and you can even purchase universal units at mercenary camps. A completely new addition to the series is the heroes. Each side has three different heroes, one focused on magic, one on strength, and one somewhere in between. Heroes are mission-critical during the Single player modes, but in multiplayer they can help lead your troops into battle from the front lines. If they fall in battle, however, they'll cost a pretty penny to get them back into action. Most other elements are pretty much what we've seen before. All sides gather two main resources, gold and wood, but each has its own method, and the workers don't just gather resources. We no longer see worthless worker drones, as the lowest level unit now has a way to bite back. Human peasants can be turned into militia, Orc peons can enter defensive buildings and shoot at attackers, Night Elf wisps can detonate themselves, and the Undead's workers are their lowest basic soldiers. Again, nothing amazing, but definitely different from the rest. Most of the Single Player missions are basic kill the enemy scenarios, with only a few exceptions. Of course, if all that gets old, there is always plenty of Skirmish maps and the growing Battle.Net, where you can duke it out with other humans. There are even more variations on maps on the Internet than in the Skirmish mode, extending the replay value of Warcraft III greatly.
Difficulty: Warcraft III isn't overly difficult. In fact, veterans of the series might find it a little bit easy. The enemy AI is good, but doesn't ground you into the dirt like some other games. Where the real challenges will come from is on the Internet. Crazy strategies and tactics were developed within the first few days of the game's release, and becoming a master player will take some serious dedication.
Game Mechanics: Perhaps the best innovation that the Warcraft series has provided to the RTS genre is its fluid control style. Moving around the map and ordering troops just feels right, no matter what your style of play. The interface is powerful, but doesn't get in the way or become bogged down with too many features. The controls for creating and selecting groups has been expanded upon. Group management is easier, allowing for quicker actions and better strategies. Probably the worst part of the control scheme is the ability to rotate the camera. Though I never found a use for them, the controls for this are clunky, and the game could have done without them. Though Warcraft III hasn't done much in the way of innovation, it is still a very good RTS nonetheless. If for some reason you've been worn out on the series, this probably won't do much to help its cause. On the other hand, fans of the series will appreciate what went into this new title, and newcomers will find easy grounds to play on without having to go back to the older titles to familiarize themselves.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
Minimum System Requirements: 400 MHz Processor, 128 MB RAM, 8 MB 3D Video Card, DirectX 8.1, 700 MB Hard Disk Space   Test System: Windows 98, 1.4GHz AMD Athlon, GeForce 2 mx 32MB video card, 40 gig hard drive, 56x CD-ROM, 256MB DDR Ram, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, T1 Internet connection
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