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| Release date: | 7 November 2008 |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Ubisoft |
| Publisher: | Ubisoft |
| Media type: | Blu-ray Disc |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Players: | 1 - 4 |
| Network play: | with network play |
| HD resolution: | 720p |
| Sound: | Dolby 5.1 |
Overview
Experience World War III in your living room with Tom Clancy's EndWar, a revolutionary new war game completely controllable by voice.
A chillingly relevant storyline pits superpower against superpower in all-out war—with you in command. You'll take control of the US-led Joint Strike Force, the European Enforcers Corps, or the Russian Spetsnaz Guards Brigade in a single-player campaign or online against friends in a constantly evolving Theatre of War mode.
EndWar goes beyond other war games by letting you use your own voice to control your units, offering you true control of the action at the speed of thought.
Instead of the traditional top-down view, EndWar uses a unique third-person camera that puts you in the heart of the battle. Watch the devastation unfold as hundreds of units engage the enemy on fully destructible battlefields.
Cover, suppression, morale and many other elements of combat are taken into account as you battle your way across Europe and the United States.
True to the Tom Clancy legacy, EndWar offers a wide range of vehicles, weapons, and equipment based on real-world military research, giving you unprecedented access to the cutting-edge technology of tomorrow's wars.
- The first strategy game to be entirely playable with voice command
- The massively multiplayer Risk-style Theatre of War campaign regroups hundreds of thousands of players in live action
- Forty real-life battlefields including Washington D.C., Paris and Moscow, with a level of detail previously associated with first-person shooters
Preview
The war to end them all
Tom Clancy's EndWar brings World War III to your living room in a groundbreaking strategy game that you control with your voice.
In 2011, America and the European Union (EU) agree to co-develop an anti-ballistic missile system that, they hope, will bring an end to strategic nuclear war. Russia, having been left out of the treaty, accelerates development of its own system. Five years later, it becomes apparent that major oil companies have overstated the amount of oil in reserve and Russia, being the most abundant supplier of natural gas and crude oil, sees its economy rocket, allowing it to modernise its military.
In the face of this energy crisis, most of the wealthy EU members merge to the new European Federation (EF), in order to consolidate political, economic and military power. Fearful of the threat this merger poses, America announces plans to launch the Freedom Star space station, which in turn unsettles Russia and the EF. Locked in a battle for political supremacy, these three powers hurtle towards World War III.
Free speech
Tom Clancy's EndWar on PlayStation 3 is a real-time strategy game that streamlines the genre and focuses primarily on the action. To do this, it introduces innovative voice control that is fun to use and adds an extra layer of immersion to the game. On the battlefield, each unit, whether it's yours or your opponent's, has a number. To issue an order, hold the R2 button on the Wireless Controller and say the appropriate command sequence, for example, "unit one attack hostile two", "unit two retreat", or "unit one move to alpha". The system is intuitive and consistent, making for fast-paced skirmishes.
Gameplay concentrates on smaller battles as opposed to the entire conflict and the player can control one of three factions. The Russian Spetsnaz Guards Brigade specialises in heavy weapons and armour; the European Federation Enforcers Corps is made up of peacekeeping veterans who are especially skilled in urban warfare and the development of non-lethal weapons; and the United States' Joint Strike Force is built around small, fast units of elite soldiers.
There are seven different types of unit under your direct control - riflemen, engineers, tanks, transports, gunships, artillery and command vehicles. Each unit has strengths and weaknesses and understanding these is the secret to success. For example, tanks are effective against transports and vulnerable against gunships. Units gain strength from experience and can be upgraded with new abilities - each faction has approximately 150 individual upgrades and six levels of experience. This system encourages you to protect your soldiers and adds a layer of customisation to the experience.
Battle lines
In the single player campaign, which is set against the backdrop of global conflict, there are four mission types depending on the location. In Conquest, you start with three units and must secure more than half of the level's uplink posts within five minutes; Assault is a straight deathmatch, where you must destroy all enemy units; in Raid, you must either sabotage an enemy's key buildings or defend your own; and Siege battles are exclusive to capital cities and involve either attacking or defending a critical uplink within a time limit. The real world locations are stunning, taking in such iconic landscapes as Washington DC, Moscow and Paris.
Online, you can square off against an opponent in Skirmish mode or enter the Theatre of War, where thousands of players join forces to lead their nation to global supremacy. Once you have chosen a faction, you fight against rivals and your victories go towards your faction's overall war effort, moving their frontlines forward. As you gain battlefield experience you can purchase unit upgrades to give you a tactical edge, and you can even play co-operatively with someone else in your faction, allowing you to share units, command points and uplink benefits.
Tom Clancy's EndWar brings explosive, fast paced real-time strategy to PlayStation 3, against the compelling backdrop of World War III. The voice command not only makes you feel like a general, it facilitates quick decision making. The Theatre of War joins players together online for a persistent conflict that lets you test your mettle against other humans while contributing towards an overall team effort.
It's time for armchair strategists the world over to come together and speak up.
