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Defcon |
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Developer: Introversion Software Publisher: Introversion Software Genre: Strategy > Real-Time Strategy Released: Sep 29, 2006 Players: 6 |
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Millions vanish in seconds. Cities are destroyed, entire nations
attacked by fleets of ships, planes and nuclear weapons. Allies are
made. Betrayals are common. It's the game where everyone dies, and all
you can do is sit back and try to be the best loser.
DEFCON is a multiplayer game of war, strategy, and mass destruction. It takes place on a glowing map of the world with simple units representing enormous firepower. You control one of five areas and face off against human or computer opponents. Place fleets of ships/subs to combat water-bound attackers, deploy air scouts to check out enemy terrain, build radar stations to get a jump on surprise attacks, and of course, fire up your nuclear silos to cause some real destruction. It's a simple, well-made game that caters to everyone's secret whims to take over the world.
Each game of DEFCON is divided into five rounds corresponding to defense condition alert levels, hence the title. You start in DEFCON 5 and gradually work your way down to the dramatic DEFCON 1. In each level different actions are made possible. In DEFCON 5 you place units and structures around the map, planning your strategy and trying to anticipate your enemies' moves. No one can attack with any units at this point, and nukes are out of the question. When the fateful clock strikes DEFCON 1, nukes can be unleashed from silos, subs and planes. That's when things get very, very interesting.
Each unit type has a set of strengths and weaknesses you must learn to work around. For example, silos can either launch nukes or set up for air defense, but not both at the same time. In other words, if you attack you're vulnerable. Fighter planes have a good radar range but are weak in combat. There are five types of deployable units and three buildings you can construct. Enough to dole out the amount of chaos you'll need.
DEFCON has an adjustable speed level that can make the game last
anywhere between 15 minutes and 8 hours. The slowest setting was
obviously designed for office workers trying to escape the droll of the
normal work day (there's even a silent Office Mode complete with boss
button). Firing up DEFCON in the morning, setting your units and
watching the slow, dramatic tale unfold throughout the day is a great
experience.
The real meat of this game is the multiplayer interaction. DEFCON gives you units and a map to fight over, but it's forming alliances and planning strategies that make it such an enjoyable game. There are a variety of rule-sets for multiplayer games, each with a few variations on scoring. There's also a single player mode available, but don't expect half the thrills you'll find when playing online. AI is no match for human treachery.
Graphics:
Screenshots of DEFCON may not be impressive, but the simple blue-on-black design couldn't be more fitting. Units and structures have a great glowing outline quality that makes everything feel a bit surreal. Any self-respecting megalomaniac with aspirations for world domination has a backlit board of a similar nature in his or her underground lair. This is yours.
Sound:
Minimal, at best, but this isn't a game that warrants a lot of music and noise. It's a quiet game of strategy and deceit, not the circus. The sirens warning against attacks shatter the relative silence, and the steady hum of in the background gradually raises the tension.
Gameplay:
Simple, straightforward gameplay, but it feels a bit hampered by a cluttered menu system. The buttons and options go unused most of the time, and it's awkward to switch between the keyboard and mouse while moving units. Nothing to impede gameplay, just small annoyances you'll learn to live with. The variable speeds are an excellent feature and give the game a huge range of playing styles.
Concept:
The inspiration for DEFCON came from the Global Thermalnuclear War scenario in the movie WarGames. While it may not be the most wholesome concept to grace a video game, DEFCON portrays the entire scenario in a very de-humanized way. Violence and death are never explicitly shown, only represented by numbers and small animations. DEFCON doesn't focus on the kills, it emphasizes strategy and human interaction. Few games put that much attention on how we interact while playing a game.
Value:
DEFCON is available via Steam for a low $14.95. A steal, really. You can also order a boxed version for a little extra. To get the most out of the game, make sure you have some friends that have world domination aspirations of their own. Boring opponents will ruin the experience.
Overall:
DEFCON does an amazing job creating an online multiplayer environment that's less about the game itself and more about the players. If you're even remotely interested, it's worth the bargain price. With the possibility of commanding a nation's worth of firepower and battling opponents with your cunning strategies, you would be hard-pressed to find something better.
DEFCON is a multiplayer game of war, strategy, and mass destruction. It takes place on a glowing map of the world with simple units representing enormous firepower. You control one of five areas and face off against human or computer opponents. Place fleets of ships/subs to combat water-bound attackers, deploy air scouts to check out enemy terrain, build radar stations to get a jump on surprise attacks, and of course, fire up your nuclear silos to cause some real destruction. It's a simple, well-made game that caters to everyone's secret whims to take over the world.
Each game of DEFCON is divided into five rounds corresponding to defense condition alert levels, hence the title. You start in DEFCON 5 and gradually work your way down to the dramatic DEFCON 1. In each level different actions are made possible. In DEFCON 5 you place units and structures around the map, planning your strategy and trying to anticipate your enemies' moves. No one can attack with any units at this point, and nukes are out of the question. When the fateful clock strikes DEFCON 1, nukes can be unleashed from silos, subs and planes. That's when things get very, very interesting.
Each unit type has a set of strengths and weaknesses you must learn to work around. For example, silos can either launch nukes or set up for air defense, but not both at the same time. In other words, if you attack you're vulnerable. Fighter planes have a good radar range but are weak in combat. There are five types of deployable units and three buildings you can construct. Enough to dole out the amount of chaos you'll need.
DEFCON has an adjustable speed level that can make the game last
anywhere between 15 minutes and 8 hours. The slowest setting was
obviously designed for office workers trying to escape the droll of the
normal work day (there's even a silent Office Mode complete with boss
button). Firing up DEFCON in the morning, setting your units and
watching the slow, dramatic tale unfold throughout the day is a great
experience.
The real meat of this game is the multiplayer interaction. DEFCON gives you units and a map to fight over, but it's forming alliances and planning strategies that make it such an enjoyable game. There are a variety of rule-sets for multiplayer games, each with a few variations on scoring. There's also a single player mode available, but don't expect half the thrills you'll find when playing online. AI is no match for human treachery.
Graphics:
Screenshots of DEFCON may not be impressive, but the simple blue-on-black design couldn't be more fitting. Units and structures have a great glowing outline quality that makes everything feel a bit surreal. Any self-respecting megalomaniac with aspirations for world domination has a backlit board of a similar nature in his or her underground lair. This is yours.
Sound:
Minimal, at best, but this isn't a game that warrants a lot of music and noise. It's a quiet game of strategy and deceit, not the circus. The sirens warning against attacks shatter the relative silence, and the steady hum of in the background gradually raises the tension.
Gameplay:
Simple, straightforward gameplay, but it feels a bit hampered by a cluttered menu system. The buttons and options go unused most of the time, and it's awkward to switch between the keyboard and mouse while moving units. Nothing to impede gameplay, just small annoyances you'll learn to live with. The variable speeds are an excellent feature and give the game a huge range of playing styles.
Concept:
The inspiration for DEFCON came from the Global Thermalnuclear War scenario in the movie WarGames. While it may not be the most wholesome concept to grace a video game, DEFCON portrays the entire scenario in a very de-humanized way. Violence and death are never explicitly shown, only represented by numbers and small animations. DEFCON doesn't focus on the kills, it emphasizes strategy and human interaction. Few games put that much attention on how we interact while playing a game.
Value: DEFCON is available via Steam for a low $14.95. A steal, really. You can also order a boxed version for a little extra. To get the most out of the game, make sure you have some friends that have world domination aspirations of their own. Boring opponents will ruin the experience.
Overall:
DEFCON does an amazing job creating an online multiplayer environment that's less about the game itself and more about the players. If you're even remotely interested, it's worth the bargain price. With the possibility of commanding a nation's worth of firepower and battling opponents with your cunning strategies, you would be hard-pressed to find something better.
By: John Bardinelli
Posted: Wednesday November 29, 2006
Posted: Wednesday November 29, 2006
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