On the surface,
WWIII may look like it's trying to break some boundaries, but underneath its just another RTS. Not to completely bash the game, it does have its moments, but they are few and far between. The story revolves around three world powers fighting over what oil is left, giving you a front line seat to the third World War. Not the most original of settings, but it will do.
The game's meager intro was disappointing, not quite getting me pumped up enough to battle for the fate of the world. After these uncomfortable few minutes, I was presented with the title screen, where I attempted to play the Russian campaign. Unfortunately, I was informed that the Russian campaign would be accessible after the completion of the United States campaign. Needless to say, I was a little ticked off. Neither rhyme nor reason was ever given about why I had to beat one campaign in order to play another. And to add some more salt to the wound, I couldn't play the Iraqi game without beating the Russian campaign. Blasphemous.
Once my anger wore off, I delved into the game a little more. Gameplay wasn't all that stunning, but it did turn out to actually be a little fun. The atmosphere of modern warfare just has something about it that is so appealing. Watching Abrams tanks dance around the desert in their ballet of death never quite gets old.
Don't think that the people at JoWood don't know what they're doing, though. They did put a thing or two in their game that made the trip worthwhile. Units have ammo limits, which virtually eliminates the beginning-game-three-tank-rush that so many people like to use. Some might expect the ammo limitation to be a hindrance, but in reality it just makes you have to rethink your strategy a little bit.
WWIII strategically abandons the conventional foot soldier and sticks with just vehicle units. Some people might sorely miss the addition of people, but thankfully there will be no Red Alert repeats, where a handful of troops can kill your legion of tanks. WWIII keeps it simple here, relying totally on a war with machines.
Researching newer technologies will reward you with not only new units, but also the ability to mix and match weapons on units. While you won't be able to create bizarre instruments of war, for instance a half-tank and half-helicopter monstrosity, you will be able to vary the payload of certain units, adding a little bit more strategy to the game.
Finally comes the Map Editor. This is probably the greatest part of WWIII, as it is easy to use and will produce above average maps with ease. It is simple enough to be able to figure out on your own, and elaborate enough to bring almost any map idea to life. Mountains, lakes, roads, you name it, if you see it in the game, you can easily duplicate it in the editor.
