• Posted April 14th, 2009 at 18:17 EDT by Steven Williamson
• 14 Comments

(continued from previous page) ...so you need to switch between units regularly and make sure you choose the right man for the job. Infiltrators, for example, have thermal vision that can detect hidden enemies, whereas Spectres have a vicious slashing motion which comes in handy when under close-quarters attack. There are also a few vehicles to control, including the machine-gun mounted Scorpion and the Prowler, which can transform into a gun platform to shoot down airborne targets. Unfortunately though, due to the over-complicated control scheme and general lack of intelligence your units show, ordering formations or cover and fire commands alongside the wealth of other orders available doesn’t always have the desired effect. As an example, two units which we sent in the same direction got stuck trying to navigate through the same gap toward the enemy. Even as early as the third level things also get incredibly tough, to a point where it just feels like the A.I. just wasn't fine-tuned before release.

The new RTS features in Stormrise, in theory, were good ideas and Creative Assembly certainly had its heart in the right place attempting to cater for the console audience with some newfangled mechanics. In truth though, Stormrise is as mediocre a game as we’ve played in this particular genre. Broken A.I., an unrefined control scheme and shoddy presentation are partly to blame, but also the decision to go 3D and move close-in on the action has actually had the reverse affect; rather than make you feel involved in the action, it actually makes you feel detached from the battlefield because it’s difficult to see exactly what’s going on. While credit deserves to be given for the solid online component, which sports matchmaking features, four-on-four skirmishes and the ability to drop in and out of games seamlessly, it's back to the drawing board for Creative Assembly, who'll no doubt learn some harsh lessons from the criticisms aimed at its first attempt at a console RTS.