Wow! It has the simplicity of tic-tac-toe and the complexity of playing multiple chess matches simultaneously. The first couple times I played was without a headset. Even with the headset on the first few times I thought it was going to be too difficult to play and enjoy. There is a steep learning curve but the basics can be conquered in a few days of playing it.
I started with the solo-game. The first section which is about nine battles is also a tutorial. It teaches you the basics of the game. You have to learn what each unit does and how best to use them in battle to achieve your objectives. You also have to learn how to get them to do what you want them to do. That's where voice control comes in.
Once you get beyond the "Prelude to War" missions you then begin battling for World domination. You are presented with a global map and each of the three factions US/Europe/Russia battle each turn for control of more territory. You choose which "City" of territory to go after or you can defend one of your "cities" from attack. My first choice was to battle the European forces that had gained control of a city in Florida. At the end of my battle win or lose the system will show you the "new" global map; who now controls what.
The objectives of each mission so far have been one of two things. You either attack or defend by destroying ALL the hostile forces or gaining control of more uplinks and holding them until the timer expires. That's the tic-tac-toe of it. If there are nine uplinks you have to control 5 then hold til the timer expires to win. You decide which units to bring to the battle. You decide which uplinks to go after and in what order. You decide which reinforcements to call up during the battle. That's the multi-chess part of it. It gets hot and heavy and very dynamic. You are continually assessing the situation, ordering units movements and actions, monitoring battles, extracting units to fight another day, ordering specific reinforcements and on and on, during the battle.
One of the key elements is your command vehichle. Without one you cannot have a satellite view of the battle field; which is the easiest way to command and control your units and know where the enemy is. I lost mine during a battle and lost the battle. I felt blind as a bat.
An uplink is a bunker that is used as a place to be controlled to achieve victory. It can be upgraded to help you use your advanced skills (Airstrikes, Electronic Warefare, etc...). My strategy to date has been to capture the most centrally located uplink and use it as a springboard to capture other uplinks. I'll station my artillery there because usually they can reach hostiles closing in on the other uplinks (tic-tac-toe). The battle can be and is most successfully fought using the satellite view aka sitrep.
There is so much to like about this game. If you like War games and Real-time-Strategy games, you are going to LOVE this one. I am already thoroughly enjoying it and I've still got tons to learn.
One last thing I enjoy. You can get a mission brief before each battle. Pay attention to your intell and objectives. What you have to accomplish and what the opposition is going to throw at you should dictate your tactics and what units you bring to the battle. Also when you transition to the WWIII phase you get to decide what your Battalion consists of from a choice of Battalion types. Airborne has more air units, Tactical has more Tanks, Assault is more balanced and is what I chose. You can also upgrade your units from the currency you earn in battle. You get graded on each mission and earn credits to be used to upgrade.
I have not played online in the "Theater of War" mode yet. Trying to hone my skills cause I'm thinking the competition is going to be tough online.
Really fun game!
Get more detail about Tom Clancy's EndWar.
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