60 Second Review of…OutliveTom's Review: The easy thing to do when you're reviewing
Outlive is to take it to task for its 2D graphics, its dippy storyline,
or how much it looks like Starcraft. This is the approach taken
by most of the reviews I've seen. But it's a disservice to gamers
to harp on the little things that don't matter, especially when
Outlive has so much to offer. Outlive takes everything we've learned
since Starcraft and sews it up in an eminently competent package.
Well-integrated, game-bending spell abilities and technologies.
A tech tree that makes a difference. Two sides with unique mechanics.
The best order queuing support I've ever seen in an RTS (you can
include spell abilities in a unit's order queue). Clever espionage
options. Genuinely useful unit AI scripting. A fantastic routing
feature that lets you drops waypoints onto the map for any unit
to use. A good AI that takes advantage of units' special abilities.
Neutral units who could turn hostile wandering the map. The ability
to play while paused, with an option for limited pause time for
each player in multiplayer games. There's a whole bevy of trumps
and counter trumps in Outlive that make it superb for multiplayer
matches. Outlive may not be spectacular, but to paraphrase James
Carville's imperative during the Clinton campaign, "It's the
gameplay, stupid".
April 28, 2001 |
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