Earth 2140

Earth 2140 is a cool real-time strategy game that, unfortunately, was not at one time appreciated by most players. With its chic graphics, good AI and game balance, the game simply did not have enough of a well-known publisher to attract attention.

The plot of Earth 2140 is simple and straightforward. In 2140, only two groups remained on the ground - EA and UCS, which, if not for world domination, are fighting for just a small patch of polluted land with endless war. Well, you provide one of the groups possible.

For me, this game is particularly attractive make a lot, at first glance, the little things that I will list below.

The first "trifle" is the very significant role of the infantry. Buildings are captured not by engineers with wrenches, as is customary in the C & C series, but by infantry, and they are taken by storm. Accordingly, you can protect your buildings from being captured by putting several of your infantrymen in there.

Here you will not see light infantrymen, frantically shooting a tank from a small-caliber weapon. In the case of the infantry of the Eurasian Alliance, they simply throw grenades at him. And American cyborgs are armed with much more impressive machine guns, capable of penetrating even tank armor.

Infantry can get through the thickets, while the technique is only to bypass or burn them.

The second interesting aspect can be called "logic", or rather, an attempt to somehow smooth out the absurd things that are very often found in other representatives of the RTS genre.

Have you ever been embarrassed, as the tank goes out of boxing, comparable to him in size? The developers of Earth 2140 seemed to be embarrassed by this, so they tried to find their graphical explanation for this phenomenon - the unit is built in the underground compartment, and leaves for the surface on a special elevator.

The same is true of construction. How can buildings crawl out of the ground or be built by a single worker? In Earth 2140, the building is built inside the main base, where it is placed inside a special moving construction platform, which can then be shipped to a place convenient for deployment. The construction process itself is shyly hidden by a steel pyramid of scaffolding. Worthy decision, in my opinion.

Although you have to collect minerals, they do not lie on the surface, but, as they should, are deep in the ground. Because they can be detected only using the radar and nothing else. Their automated mines are mined, from where they are shipped to the plant for remelting by truck or flying transporter.

After the explosion of a nuclear power plant or the fall of at least a nuclear missile, the nearest zone will be contaminated, and the units in it will receive damage. With the desire and resources of the enemy, you can arrange your small, localized Chernobyl.

The third aspect I will call, however trite it is, the graphics. Because in Earth 2140 it is really great.

Beautiful landscapes, detailed models of units and buildings, as well as stunning explosions and fire effects. All this makes you admire every battle, every minute of calm.

On the soft surface - for example, on the dirt - traces of the tracks of the tanks remain. A very nice effect that appeared in the Dune 2 era, unfortunately, is rarely used.

And finally, the final, but perhaps the most important touch is the balance of the parties.

EA have relied on time-tested technology. Therefore, their arsenal is made up of tanks, helicopters, ships. All of them are extremely durable.

UCS, in turn, took the path of progress, so that their main combat units are different types of two-legged robots with air support of anti-gravity aircraft.

The fleet is only in EA, while the UCS are limited to the mining boat. Although the robot is immersed on a hovercraft, it also poses a considerable danger to the enemy naval forces.

The differences of the sides are noticeable even in architecture. It is difficult to confuse coarse steel EA boxes with rounded UCS buildings.

And one more small detail - AI. It plays quite well, the units in the three pines do not get stuck, but in addition it provides a couple more functions that are rarely found in other RTSs.

In any strategy, situations are sometimes created when you have to comb through a huge map in search of hidden units or remnants of enemy bases. In Earth 2140 this task is facilitated by the presence of "generals". To each of them (there are three of them) you can give one of your units under command and give him a line of conduct. Then you just have to watch how your unit under the control of the AI ​​accurately executes the order, checking every corner of the map.

It is also possible to record a whole line of conduct for a single unit or a whole unit. You can specify the route and targets to be destroyed.