Real-time strategy games and consoles is not a combination that often works. The limited amount of buttons on a controller and the lack of a fast selection tool like a mouse are big hurdles the developers of RTS games have to find a way around when they want to bring their game to the consoles. Sudden Strike 4: European Battlefields Edition is the next RTS title that has to proof strategy games can work on consoles or not.
Return to WWII
As with most RTS games, Sudden Strike 4 is shown from a top-down perspective, which you use in order to coordinate and command your various military units. You can play as several different factions that fought in the second World War, and each one has its own unique arsenal available. However, something universal between them all is the emphasis on four unit types: infantry, tanks, artillery, and aircraft. The former three are all types of units that you can pick and choose, but your air power is limited to whatever off-screen airbases you have ready.
Understanding how each unit contributes to battle is critical. Infantry is great for taking ground and both assaulting and holding positions; tanks are useful for heavy frontline damage; artillery is perfect for softening up enemy fortifications, and aircraft fill numerous roles from the skies. In addition to this, cover and high ground impact how units fight, as well, with the former making them more resilient, while the latter gives them better angles to attack within combat.
An area that Sudden Strike 4 exceeds expectations in is with its controls. While console RTS titles typically feel disappointing or frustrating to play, this game stands out. The controls are intuitive, responsive, and crisp, and you’ll never have a problem multitasking and making decisions rapidly. The game pauses when you’re giving commands, which makes it easy to select the actions you want to perform. The actions are executed by selecting them in a command wheel, something that’s probably heavily influenced by the command wheel in the Mass Effect games.
Although the well-implemented controls are impressive for an RTS console game, it does come with its own problem. Since you have to be able to see as much information as possible without having to open dozens of menu screens, the UI can be too cluttered at times. Every now and then I had to pause to the game and move the camera around because part of the UI was blocking my view of the map. It’s not something that ruins the game in any way, but it’ll probably be a thorn in RTS fans’ side.
Another issue I have with the game is the way units move from place to place. Pathfinding, especially on armored tank units, can often bug out and as a result, that unit will have a lot of trouble going where you want it to. In most scenarios, this won’t hurt your chances at victory, but in tight scenarios where every little thing counts, a unit not being where it was told to be just might be the difference between victory and defeat. I was eventually able to predict how the pathfinding would work in its own buggy way, but getting accustomed to a technical flaw is not exactly a good thing.
Great presentation
Considering the majority of RTS games typically lack in the graphics department, it’s impressive just how good Sudden Strike 4 looks. Aside from some admittedly cartoony infantry models, the terrain, weather effects, structures, and armored units of the battlefield all look excellent. The game also has an effective filter that mutes down colors, but still makes them realistic and, in a weird way, beautiful. Even the sound effects are great, with everything from rapid machine gun fire to artillery barrages sounding authentic. One minor complaint I have to mention is the voice acting, which is largely devoid of genuine-sounding emotion. This is unfortunate, as it takes away from the immersion and makes it sometimes difficult to connect with the characters you meet and work with over the course of the game’s campaign.
Conclusion
Sudden Strike 4 is easily the best console RTS game I’ve played in years. While it does have some buggy pathfinding, sometimes cluttered UI and poor voice acting, the tactical depth, great visuals and excellent controls make up for that and make it a great strategy game experience. Check it out if you’re an RTS enthusiast and have a console at home.
