Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command

Hey, look at current cinema, right now, a Johnny Depp/Tim Burton gothic movie is totally flopping on the big screen while Alvin and the Chipmunks has made more than 150 million dollars, Chipmunks! So when I say that some things may sound good on paper and then they fail when executed, the pendulum swings both ways. Why these odd comparisons you say? Well, convieniently the game I am reviewing today has some of these qualities. Let's talk about that.

Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command is a stand-alone title that just borrows from the already developed ongoing war of good versus evil in the almost pseudo-religious war of the Warhammer universe. It's the Space Marines against the Legion of Chaos in a heavyweight championship of the universe bout that has you as the player duking it out in a turn based strategy game.

 
 "Visit new and exciting places, explore exotic ports of call,
obliterate heathen chaos believers in the Space Marines!"

Now the game is not without its faults; in fact there are several glaring issues to overcome, but it also isn't all garbage either. The Warhammer license is a pretty heavy-duty license and any title bearing its moniker is going to have some saving graces. I question whether or not the DS is a decent and viable vehicle for such a dialed-in strategy title. So, with that, the first thing you will probably notice is that the game does not have a default grid which is pretty much a necessity when playing turn-based strategy games. The absence of the grid and the already stretched-to-the-limits DS screen makes for a one-two punch of poor depth perception and strained graphics that sputter and muddy up throughout the game. Am I being overly critical? Not really, the game has a storyline that is unfolded in storyboard-style presentation while the PSP version has fully rendered video that helps buoy a more cohesive sense of production value. Things do not look so hot when in the game's action either. Since you control up to six units in the game, playing and monitoring these units can often become an eye-blurring exercise.

The point of the game is to pretty much reduce your enemies to ash with your hell-fire and really big guns. At the beginning of each mission you do a load-out of equipment and weapons for your squad. Depending on your load out you are given a certain amount of points to use to complete actions during your turn of the turn-based action. Firing a large weapon uses "x" amount of points, moving around also uses points. The big grab in the Warhammer games is the strategy and the unique missions in which to unleash your strategy. But in this iteration, even though the beginning of the mission tells you to complete a specific task, they all pretty much involve just killing any and every thing in the level. Quite frankly, it is somewhat disappointing considering how smart other Warhammer titles have been. Yes, the A.I. does provide some challenges, but it isn't anything like the PC version of the games and nothing an experienced turn-based strategy player can't overcome.

 
"Those graphics! So, so, beautiful!"
"OK, maybe not."

If anything, the sound kind of falls in the blase' realm with canned sound effects that don't mix up the variety enough. You wish and long for nifty voice-overs from the higher-end PC titles but will get none of that. Sound can be done well on the DS, we have all heard it, it's just it isn't done well this time. Nothing bottom-of-the-barrel terrible mind you, but not good either.

Now I have beat up this title quite a bit, but there are some redeeming qualities. For starters, the game actually has some fun contained in its tiny plastic cartridge if taken in small doses. There is something to be said about taking on a horde of baddies and whupping up on them in 20 minutes or less. I can get behind this game when I don't take it seriously at all, which completely contradicts the Warhammer realm; it is a serious game for serious players, but strangely, this one only provides entertainment for me when playing in short bursts.

There is a heck of a multiplayer game also found in this title. Fortunately you can do so with DS download capabilities. Doing so will allow some one-on-one heated action. Especially with the timer that exists only in the multiplayer game. Plus, I find that competing against another person is normally a much more enjoyable experience in this style of game. Players can choose which side to play on and then duke it out with really big guns.

Gameplay: 5.8
Viewed from a sort of fixed angle perspective that allows players an almost omnipotent view.

Graphics: 4.8
A muddy, blurry, stuttering mess, that shows flashes of brilliance every once in a while, just not often enough.

Sound: 5.7
Not much of a sound effect dept. here, the game throws up some puff balls, but thats about it.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 6.5
It was a good idea on paper, and like I said, enjoyable in small doses, but not a real good heir apparant to the Warhammer mantle.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Fun, but the muddy graphics will deter from long drawn out battles, I liked the timer though.

Overall: 5.8
I was hoping for more in a title like this and although I admit there is some fun in there, the real deal is that the game is lacking a lot of the qualities that make the Warhammer license.