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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
...not just a game. A way of Life, August 25, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: MoonBase Commander (CD-ROM)
When games are reaching a level of banal uninspired sameness, it's refreshing to see such a unique concept put into a game. What's surprising about this game though, is that the concept actually works. For everyone who finds strategy games appealing, yet cannot get over the problems of resource management and unit creation, for one, this game is for you. True, elements of resource management and proper unit construction are present, yet they are improved upon in multiple ways. Firstly, the concept of a tech tree is eliminated, allowing for more flexible strategies in a combat situation. Secondly, Energy management is not usually a problem. All you have to do is place one or two energy units on an energy pool and you're set for the game. The real treat, however, is how much this game focuses on tactical combat. Instead of throwing hundreds of basic, AI controlled units at each other, resulting in little more than blood and pain, Moonbase Commander relies on strategic combat and well managed unit placement to obtain victory. The many new features, including the elimination of free-moving attack units and the ability to spawn multiple bases, make you rely on your ingenuity to survive. It is especially satisfying when you are being pummeled by two combat centers near your central hub, but due to a well placed ancillary hub in the beginning of the game, are successfully able to slip a missile in from behind their base destroying their central hub. The explosions across the map are just rewards for superior strategic effort. On the whole, Moonbase Commander is the quintissential strategy game for all ages. Great for a child with his first computer, or for dominating all your friends at LAN parties. Basically, what I believe I am trying to say is: buy this game or your life is forfeit.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, you don't know what your missing........, August 5, 2002
This review is from: MoonBase Commander (CD-ROM)
The game starts out and you have control of a hub that is placed on the surface of a moon. This hub has the ability to make clones of itself. As well as produce many offensive and defensive units. Ok not sounding too revolutionary is it? The cool thing about moonbase is the way you create and distribute these other units. Each unit you create will have a cord attached to it. These cords will attach themselves to almost everything you create. So from one "home" central hub you will be able to clone many more hubs. That is, as long as you have the energy to do so. When you make a clone or another unit, you select a direction you want to go; charge up a bar by holding down the mouse button. Releasing it will launch it at the rate indicated on the power bar. It's simple in concept but it takes a while to master it. You see you can only land hubs or units on flat surfaces. If you hit the side of a cliff it blows up, and the cord attached to that unit blows up too. And you can never cross any cords. So space management becomes a serious gameplay factor when you have a limited amount of space to move around in. So once the game gets going you have a network of units and cords scattered across the landscape. So what's the point then? Well your out to claim this planet for you faction. In all their are 4 factions wanting to claim the planet. From a hub you may build single shell bombs, cluster bombs, anti-air units, bridges, towers, attack units, observation balloons, shields, guided missiles, and so on. So you can launch bombs for attack and for instance, if you wish to build an anti-air unit to help defend your hub, you first select the unit from the hub menu, choose a direction in which to launch, and finally press the launch button. The newly placed anti-air unit will protect anything that comes within it's launching radius. It is key to figure out what that radius is, and to exploit it. Weapons such as bombs and missiles are not connected to a hub via a cord, but are still launched just like any other unit. Friendly fire is a major concern as some weapons carry an area of effect with them, and a careless commander can easily blast his or her own units to bits. Another major consideration to the game-play is the attention of the cords between units when attacking. When you face off against another faction you can take them out by hiting a hub or cord. There is a great strategy in deciding what unit to attack. You see attacking a unit that has many cords coming off of it will have a major effect. If you destroy a hub that is the source for a network of other units, everything built off of that home hub will be distroyed. Chain reactions can have a serious effect on the outcome of the game. This game is just plain FUN! Buy now!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a find!, May 7, 2003
This review is from: MoonBase Commander (CD-ROM)
I won't go into detail about gameplay. Others have done a fine job already. I would just like to say this is [great] for the money. The strategy, the graphics, the replay factor. This is an awesome game and a very well kept secret!
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