Tag: video-games

Empire Earth 2 and the sounds of war

Empire Earth 2 Naval Combat with Helicopters

Empire Earth 2 is a tricky game when it comes to the ages after the Atomic Era. One of the weaknesses of the sequel is the mis mash of contemporary units with the futuristic units. The original Empire Earth had a more holistic approach with how its futuristic ages looked like while Empire Earth 2 seemed to forget about that the trade vans still looked like 1940s era trucks.

However, the game is not skimping on the sounds of war which makes these mistakes seem less noticeable.

When you get into the modern ages with machines with engines and robotic walking machines, there is huge increase in the sounds you hear on the battlefields.

When a tank blows up in the game, the sound is more impactful than in comparison to the OG Empire Earth. In the original game, the tanks tended to blow up with this strange sound like a tank gun was going off and the graphic of it wasn’t the best in my opinion. While serviceable, I feel like in Empire Earth 2, there is a greater weight to the explosions. To me, this is why I enjoy playing Empire Earth 2 in the more modern ages.

There is one pre-modern sound effect that I enjoy hearing in Empire Earth 2. That is the sound of muskets firing. It has such a weight just like how the shells and missiles flying in the modern ages.

Empire Earth 2 Muskets Battle in the Game.

Empire Earth’s original musket sound was bit too repetitive for me. However, in the sequel, the game’s sound for this weapon have bit more weight to them.

This is another reason why Empire Earth 2 has become one of my favorite games.

Empire Earth 2: This 2005 RTS surpasses modern games

Empire Earth 2 Synthetic Age City Center

Empire Earth 2 is growing on me, and I enjoy it in spite of it being 20 years old now. That the game is so playable is a testament to how the developers managed to create a worthy sequel. While some may say that it strays too far away from the original game, I think that it is a worthy game that is well worth your time. Even if you are RTS aficionado who only plays Starcraft games, I think that this game is a great addition to one’s catalog.

Empire Earth 2 Rain Weather Effects in game

One of my most favorite aspects of this game is the weather. It is great to see the rain falling in the Spring and the snow falling in the winter. This adds so much character to the game. Empire Earth was great at its use with the day and night cycles, especially in the campaigns. However, Empire Earth 2 took it to another level and make it even better.

The great thing about the weather in Empire Earth 2 is that it is integrated into the game. The game actually tells you about weather in the game. The outposts which function as the equivalent to towers from Empire Earth are also able to tell the Weather to the player. In comparison with most games, this is one of the most innovative features in the RTS space that I have ever seen. It is very rare for any video game to take weather seriously except a couple games. However, in Empire Earth 2, the weather is a player of its own.

Empire Earth 2 Snow Effects in Ancient Age

In the screenshot, you can see that the weather effects in Empire Earth 2, despite being 20 years old, have a weight to them. In many games that I have been in have had this effect. Being a man who loves the winter, seeing these winter storms is a treat.

Even when it is raining, you can really get the feeling of those rainstorms. The lightning strikes and noise of thunder all add great character to the game.

Another aspect which shows the attention to details is that the amount of snow that is collecting on the roofs of buildings in the game. Unlike in older games, the game was made in a way that shows this change instead of treating like an static weather effect. Star Wars: Empire at War, which came out a year after Empire Earth 2 also heavily utilized weather effects in gameplay. Interestingly, there was a cluster of games in the mid 2000s that seemed to really emphasize such features in their games.

It shows that experimentation while respecting the past is an important part of making video games. In my opinion, the video game industry has simply become too comfortable with rising sales on the backs of their subscription services and the mobile app stores.

I think that looking back at the past is what the video game industry really needs right now. If anything, it shows that older isn’t necessarily worse than the new. There is much that older video games can teach us.

Why you should pick Speed as your attribute in Oblivion Remastered edition.

In my Oblivion Remastered playthroughs, Speed is my favored attribute. I currently play a female Nord Barbarian, and it is an incredibly interesting way to play the game.

Rather playing a lumbering knight or warrior, as a barbarian you focus on quick movement towards to victory over your opponents. The importance is on quick hits that have a concentration on damage over a slow battle. Speed tends to get not as much attention in the Elder Scrolls games. However, in Oblivion they are well worth your time and make the gameplay have more frantic and fluid pacing which helps to ease players with the somewhat clunky combat systems in the game.