Video games based on tabletop miniature games isn’t anything new. With the success of the Dawn of War series from THQ, which brings the Warhammer universe to real time strategy, other game developers have been looking to pick up other miniature game titles. Heroclix Online is currently being developed, Blood Bowl has also seen a release, and now Cyanide Studios is looking to bring the Rackham Miniatures classic table top game, Confrontation, to the PC. Unlike Warhammer, Confrontation focuses on a smaller scale of battle, with a small group of heroes instead of a large scale army. To be honest, I found Cyanide Studios decision to bring Confrontation to the PC an interesting one, since Confrontation has been out of print for four years and Rackham itself has been in liquidation since 2010. My time with the Confrontation preview has proven that I am very glad this decision has been made.
Confrontation takes place during the Age of Rag’narok in the land of Aarklash. Four factions are battling for control of Aarklash: the Orcs, the Wolfen, the Humans of the Order of Griffon, and the evil creature of the Scorpion. The setting is mostly sword and magic based, like that of Warcraft, but Confrontation also has a sprinkling of technology, including guns and tech based creatures. It is a world that is original and interesting to play in. Where Confrontation really shines though is in the squad based game play.
At it’s core, Confrontation plays exactly like any other real time strategy game on the market. You move through the map, killing foes and reaching objectives, by using the tried and true point and click method. Your characters will level up as they move through the map, allowing the player to open up character sheets to increase skills, character talents, and gear.
Confrontation differs from the other real time strategy games in that it is squad based, not army based. Dawn of War, which really is Confrontation’s closest comparable game, focuses on large scale armies and conflict, with resource gathering and making the player build structures. In Confrontation, you are in charge of a small squad of heroes that you can level up and put into specific roles during game play. Before each mission, you will have to choose which squad member to take to complete the objective. This decision can be critical, since you cannot build more troops during game play, nor can you change out squad members. If a member is killed during a battle, you can heal them and get them back on their feet after the fight. I really like Confrontation’s smaller scale and squad based strategies instead of the larger scale fights that I’ve played in the past. This game is much easier for me to keep track of my characters and successfully complete the objective then the larger scale real time strategy games that I’ve played in the past.
Confrontation by Cyanide Studios is shaping up to be a fantastic game. For me personally, the smaller squad based game play really fits with my play style and made for a much more fun game then the larger scale real time strategies. If you are a fan of these types of games, you must do yourself a favor and give Confrontation a look when it releases later this quarter.
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