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Massive Assault

	Author: Chris Massey Article Type: PC Game Review Publication Date: 12/4/2003 Developer: Wargaming.net Publisher: Matrix Games Publisher: GMX Related Categories: Science Fiction, Turn-based, Strategic

Big Games and Forgotten Sleepers

I both love and hate the fall gaming season. I love it because there are so many games coming out that it's impossible not to find a great game; I hate it because it can be hard to pick out which games are great from the tsunami of titles launched at the same time. It's a sad fact that many great games are often reneged to quiet times on the shelves, and these jewels get shoveled under the media hype over the big name blockbusters. I hope this does not prove to be true for a tiny little jewel from Eastern European developer Wargaming.net known as Massive Assault. Looking at first like a Total Annihilation clone in the crowded real-time strategy market, Massive Assault is anything but an RTS rehash, instead offering clean 3-D visuals and a tight turn-based engine.

Why Are We Fighting?

The plot in Massive Assault is less a plot and more a background to frame the combat. The lengthy opening cinema tells a familiar story of two opposing factions, in this case the Free Nations Union and the Phantom League, who are warring for physical and political control of six new worlds recently discovered, each of them abundant in resources. The background, though detailed, certainly isn't revelatory, and unfortunately it fails to develop into any sort of linear plot through the gameplay itself. But when have wargamers needed a plot to wage war?

Massive Assault Tiptoes Onto the Hard Drive

Installation is simple and direct. Massive Assault leaves a modest footprint on the hard drive just short of 500MB, and plays very solidly. I haven't encountered a single game-stopping bug or glitch, and that's as refreshing as the smallish footprint in today's gaming atmosphere of software measured by gigabytes and hundreds of bugs.

Massive Assault 101

The manual for Massive Assault, while appearing thin at first glance, is blessed with an amazingly small font that delivers plenty of information to hungry gaming minds. It covers the basics thoroughly, offering step-by-step instructions on all of the many game modes and descriptions of the game's options, and also offers sections on the units, different planets, a look under the hood at the game's mechanics, a recap of the background story and even a page full of tips.

In addition, the five in-game tutorials offer a glimpse at the abilities of a handful of different units in small, controlled scenarios that offer players a chance to learn while not getting spanked around by the AI. However, a few more tutorials might have been nice. Also, a tutorial scenario touching on the important Secret Alliance aspect of Massive Assault would have been welcome, or even a few tutorials allowing control of different units. This lack of tutorial scenarios is somewhat ameliorated by the Campaign series of scenarios, which offers a slowly broadening control of units and tactics to the player, but does so without any real teaching. Thankfully, Massive Assault is very easy to pick up and learn, and between the manual, tutorials and early Campaign scenarios, players will be up and running in no time.

Main menu.	A high aerial view of Anubis.