We're looking for new writers to join us!

Supreme Commander: First Impressions

by: Chuck -
More On: Supreme Commander
I finally got a chance to sit down and play a little Supreme Commander on the new box tonight.  So far I've played two quick skirmish matches to check out the build trees for the two races that were not included in the beta and to see how the game ran on the new rig.  The game runs like a champ at 1680X1050 with the detail cranked up(as it should given that I've got a 8800GTS powering the box) and I'm really impressed with the graphics in the game. 

The strategic view of the game is cool as you can quickly and easily zoom in and out of the map.  It's almost easier to zoom in and out than it is to pan around the battlefield.  Resource management is pretty typical as you have to generate power and harvest mass in order to build structures.  There's a lot of Total Annihilation in the game which makes me happy in any number of ways (TA was a game that I put a lot of time into).  You can feel the evolution of the genre in the game though which is fantastic.

The Easy AI in skirmish is pretty brain dead as they'll build up forces but never really attack you unless you're trying to occupy a mass extractor that they want.  It would have been nice for them to at least test the defense perimeter I put up as I did spend a lot of time getting it ready.  I finally got a big of a handle on the transport system.  It is exceedingly sweet to build an assault force, load them into the transports, and then do a coordinated drop just outside an enemies base.  Need to figure a way to get the game to play a mp3 of "Flight of the Valkyries" when I do it though,

Right now I'm also digging the Aeons a little more than the other two races as their super unit is a giant flying saucer right out of Independence Day.  Nothing like a giant cutting laser working its way across an enemies base to put a smile on your face.  I do wonder if Lucasarts should hvae a little talk with Gas Powered Games as the transports for the Aeons look a lot like some of the Naboo ships from Star Wars Episode 1.  Of course that might also be my sleep deprivation talking the quick "twenty minute game I started at midnight took about an extra 90 minutes or so. 

I'm going to try and dive into the tutorial and one of the single player campaigns after work today.  Although I might have to catch 300 after work since the girlfriend already has plans after work.  It does look like a lot of people caught the flick this weekend and John said it was pretty sweet.  Decisions, decisions....