Games Database
PC
Strategy
| Viewed: | 3D Third-person, floating camera | Genre: | Strategy |
| Media: | CD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Black Hole | Soft. Co.: | Black Hole |
| Publishers: | Electronic Arts
(GB) |
Released: | 10 Dec 2004
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 12+ | ||
| No Accessories: | No Accessories | ||
Summary
Prominent as ever, the RTS game has seen little in the way of innovation or originality over the past several years. But to the avid RTS gamer, that doesn't really matter. However, Black Hole's latest attempt with Armies of Exigo, though hardly revolutionary, is one of the most polished PC gaming experiences we've happened to come across.
In the world of Exigo, where peace and prosperity have reigned for years, the empire of man and beast face their greatest threat yet. A sinister force known as The Fallen has awakened to strike where the inhabitants of this world least expect - from underground.
Simple enough, but it paves the way for an epic story told over several dozen gruelling stages from the perspective of three unique races. These races are the aforementioned Fallen, The Horde - a race of beasts - and of course fellow humans.
Placed in a series of dynamic environments, players will quickly learn that in order to survive they must not just fight head-to-head, but explore underground caverns and take to the skies too, since land-based operations are often insufficient means to infiltrate or counter enemy attacks.
The 3D visuals of Exigo are typically stunning of a modern RTS, and locales are made diverse thanks to the notable creativity of the folks at Black Hole. But what makes Armies of Exigo special is its underlying play mechanic and the way in which an army becomes stronger. It's a game that it remarkably easy to learn and control, despite the complex dual-layered map system. And though it's not effortless, it is well balanced.
Then there's the Armies themselves. Comprised of any of 200 units, each and every one of your combatants is unique. They are upgradeable, and they have a noticeable level of intelligence that is mostly made apparent in combat. Instead of fighting enemies in a random fashion, skirmish's are now more organised, with individual units able to pick out the most suitable opponents and follow orders more closely.
And when all of the above is compounded by a much welcome online multi-player game, Armies of Exigo proves itself a worthy opponent in a competitive genre.
In the world of Exigo, where peace and prosperity have reigned for years, the empire of man and beast face their greatest threat yet. A sinister force known as The Fallen has awakened to strike where the inhabitants of this world least expect - from underground.
Simple enough, but it paves the way for an epic story told over several dozen gruelling stages from the perspective of three unique races. These races are the aforementioned Fallen, The Horde - a race of beasts - and of course fellow humans.
Placed in a series of dynamic environments, players will quickly learn that in order to survive they must not just fight head-to-head, but explore underground caverns and take to the skies too, since land-based operations are often insufficient means to infiltrate or counter enemy attacks.
The 3D visuals of Exigo are typically stunning of a modern RTS, and locales are made diverse thanks to the notable creativity of the folks at Black Hole. But what makes Armies of Exigo special is its underlying play mechanic and the way in which an army becomes stronger. It's a game that it remarkably easy to learn and control, despite the complex dual-layered map system. And though it's not effortless, it is well balanced.
Then there's the Armies themselves. Comprised of any of 200 units, each and every one of your combatants is unique. They are upgradeable, and they have a noticeable level of intelligence that is mostly made apparent in combat. Instead of fighting enemies in a random fashion, skirmish's are now more organised, with individual units able to pick out the most suitable opponents and follow orders more closely.
And when all of the above is compounded by a much welcome online multi-player game, Armies of Exigo proves itself a worthy opponent in a competitive genre.
