Video Game Review: Machines of War

There is just something exciting about a game with massive battles and big explosions and Machines at War offers both in no short supply.
Machines at War is an addicting game that lets you command a futuristic army to victory.

The premise for Machines at War is a real time strategy game and is simple by today's mega-game standards, but that just means the game is easier to get started. The premise is reminiscent of the original Command & Conquer game. Somewhere in the near future, the world has erupted into conflict and the player must build an army and destroy enemy armies to win. But the game is not that simple, as commander of your army, you must manage resources in order to finance the campaign and research technologies in order to upgrade your units and give them an advantage.

What type of base and what type of army are left up to the player. Build a big base or a light base and a fast strike force, the choice is yours. With 40 different battle units and 30 different technology upgrades for the battle units, there is almost an endless number of scenarios in the game.

There are no turns to wait for since Machines at War is a real time strategy game. Each player commands their respective army simultaneously and a good commander should be able to overview building units back at the base while mounting an offensive. When multiple armies are involved, it can be necessary to defend two fronts at the same time.

Each battle unit has it's own strengths and weaknesses, so the challenge for any would-be general is to create the perfect match up for battle that leverages his own strengths and the enemy's weakness. For instance, drawing the enemy into your automatic defenses or destroying the enemy's supply lines can turn the tide of the battle.

The game features destructible terrain which means that gameplay affects the map. Units leave tracks in the ground that can lead an enemy back to a base like bread crumbs. Tanks can hide under trees for ambush or destroy the trees to avoid an ambush. Bridges can be built and destroyed.