Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command marks the first time that the brutal, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe will be playable on the Nintendo DS (and PSP). Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command features fast, action-packed combat through turn-based strategy and a single-player storyline.
Gamers play as the elite Space Marines of the Ultramarines chapter and strive to combat the encroaching evil of the ruthless and daemonic influenced Chaos Space Marines through 15 cinematically-tied missions. With a robust multiplayer mode featuring 9 unique missions, gamers will team up and go head-to-head with other gamers worldwide as either the Imperium of Man or Chaos Space Marines, ensuring hours of unique replayability.
Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command fully utilizes all the portable functionality of Nintendo DS, including the dual-screen and stylus, bringing the Warhammer 40,000 universe to life on handheld.
System: DS
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Release dates: November 16th 2007 (AUS), December 7th 2007 (EURO), December 17th 2007 (USA)
Players: 1-8
Developer: RedLynx
Publisher: THQ
Origin: Finland
Warhammer 40,000 is a science fantasy board game produced by Games Workshop. The game depicts combat between the armies of the fictional universe of the 41st millennium using 28 mm scale (about 1:65) miniature figurines which represent futuristic soldiers, creatures and vehicles of war.
Squad Command uses a turn-based gameplay system to mimic the play of the tabletop wargame. It features fully destructible 3D environments and over 20 weapons to utilize, such as the bolter and powerfist. It has units such as dreadnoughts, defilers, land raiders, whirlwinds, space marines, scouts, terminators and more.
The single-player campaign follows the Imperium’s Ultramarines forces over the course of 15 cinematically-linked missions as they fend off the Word-Bearers of Chaos. The game features two Space Marine Chapters pitted against two Legions of Chaos (three and three for the PSP) battling it out on the planet of Rhur III.
The multi-player function can support up to eight players on local wireless connection or globally via Wi-Fi. The mode has nine different maps and players choose between three Space Marine chapters or three Chaos Legions to side with and battle against.
Watch the Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command launch trailer. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war!
What are Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command’s main features?
* Compelling single player game consisting of 15 unique missions.
* 9 unique multiplayer maps for Local or Global games, with small, medium and large map variants to cater for games from 2 to 8 players.
* Fully destructible, real time 3D battlefields mean that no two games will be the same.
* Pick from two Space Marine chapters or two Chaos Space Marine Legions to play as in Multiplayer games (three of each in PSP), in battles between Imperium vs. Imperium, Forces of Chaos vs. Forces of Chaos, or Imperium vs. Forces of Chaos.
* Over 20 ranged and close combat weapons taken directly from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, including the Bolter, Plasma Gun, Chainsword and Power Fist.
Watch some Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command gameplay.
In conclusion let’s see how much fun Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command is on a scale from 1 to 10?
FUN FACTOR – 6.0
Let’s get something straight: Squad Command is only “this” much fun for Warhammer 40,000 fans and turn-based gaming fans in general. Each mission you select your guy and weapons, then using the top-screen (sadly gridless) map you move your units around in battle with each unit having a set number of points to move and attack (if you have enough points left you can bump up the accuracy of your weapons fire). Buildings provide cover from weapons fire, etc. It’s all your standard strategy game fare, which is where the faults pop up. The in-game camera doesn’t rotate so you end up with the same slightly moved viewpoint. The previously mentioned gridless map and lack of camera control causes your on-screen cursor to possibly move your units anywhere if you don’t aim precisely, which is tough on the small DS screen, and even if it works units will sometimes get stuck on something. Basically, you can’t be very strategic when you don’t know what’s around the corner or when you accidentally misdirect your squad members all the time.
Graphics – 6.0
The game is played with an isometric view of a 3D environment. The on-screen characters look blocky and when you move around the map framerate issues pop up.. What it lacks in intricate design, it does make up for a little with great cutscenes and 3D destructible environments.
Audio – 5.0
It’s got ok voiceovers, but next to no music in-game, very minimalistic.
Ingenuity – 5.0
Thanks to the stylus, the touch screen controls are simple and match the tabletop feeling of the source material. But the touch screen map issues ruin the gameplay (unless maybe if you are extremely patient).
Replay Value – 6.0
Local and online multiplayer add to the relatively short storyline. Single-card Play allows you to play with someone else, and while I doubt the following will ever happen, if you can get eight people together the Multi-card Play allows for it. Multiplayer limits turns to 90 seconds to keep the pace up, but there are far less units to play around with compared to single player. I recommend holding out for Advance Wars 2: Dark Conflict. Or take a look at THQ’s real-time strategy offerings, the awesome Supreme Commander series.