Supreme Commander 2 Xbox 360

Released on 01/04/2010

• Supreme Commander 2 Review

  Getting Experimental

  Supreme Commander is about ridiculous, awe-inspiring experimentation allowing for some of the most insane real-time strategy battles ever imagined. You'll be pleased to hear that in that respect Supreme Commander 2 doesn't disappoint.

  Forget tanks and artillery, the whole point of Supreme Commander is that you can send a metal dinosaur into the enemy's base as it pours missiles off its back and protects itself with a replenishing shielding system. Success comes to those who are creative with how they combine the array of unique (unique being an understatement) offensive and defensive arsenal.

  Simpler Times

  While the foundations of Supreme Commander 2 remain ludicrously complicated and all the more entertaining because of it, other aspects of SupCom 2 have become tamer. The original Supreme Commander was complicated in terms of building and managing your army and its economy, the slightest miscalculation could see your entire world crumble to the ground leaving you helpless as the enemy strolled in and brushed you away. This time around the sensitive economy structure is left behind, now it all depends on what you choose to spend resources on rather than how quickly they grow.

  Send a metal dinosaur into the enemy's base as it pours missiles off its back and protects itself with a replenishing shielding system.

  As soon as you build a new factory, for example, the possibilities are laid out before you on a Research screen. Everything that can be built and upgraded in that particular factory whether its land, air or naval units or those massive, crazy Experimentals. Everything you build requires Research points which accumulate pretty quickly once you start killing things, so while there's an initial grind to gain enough points to manufacture anything really cool, the game quickly turns into a battle of behemoths once you do.

  Speaking a little bit more technically, Supreme Commander 2 runs faster than its predecessor. The changes are only slight and more noticeable on some of the higher spec PCs than the console version. Where the original Supreme Commander ran at 40fps when zoomed-in during a six-player skirmish and 80 when zoomed out, SupCom 2 manages 90fps zoomed in and 70 zoomed out. It may only seem slight at times but makes for a more polished experience overall that flows a little better.

  Pick up and play

  This simpler version of Supreme Commander could perhaps cause some criticism. The enemy AI in Supreme Commander 2 doesn't pose as much of a threat as it used to - If you've had experience on the battlefield, you might find that only the highest difficulties truly satisfy your craving for a challenge – and the game is smaller overall than its predecessor, but overall this new simplicity should be looked at more as greater accessibility. There's still more than enough here for the old fans and now newcomers to the series will have fewer problems in picking up and playing with the best of them.

  Supreme Commander 2 looks like it will drag more gamers towards its bizarre take on the military RPG. A lot of the fiddly bits and pieces have been stripped from the engine but the crazy inventiveness that makes SupCom is still there and stands out a little more because of it.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Greater accessibility.
  • Faster frame rate.
  • Same old crazy SupCom.

  

  • Perhaps too simple for traditionalists.
  • Enemy AI a bit lightweight.
  • Smaller battles generally.

  Review by: Tom 'Experimental' Pakinkis
  Version Tested: PC, X360
  Review Published: 08.04.10

  Published: 08/04/2010

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