Sometime in the 21st century, a mysterious meteorite known as Shard Zero crashes on Earth, ending all civilization. One thousand years later, the ruminants of Shard Zero continue to warp, reshape, and mutate the planet. Humans live in five mega-cities trying to eke out a living from day to day while magical tribes and aliens roam the wilderness. Play as three different races in this real-time strategy game as you battle for supremacy and discover the truth behind Shard Zero.

WorldShift is a cyber sci-fi fantasy RTS game for the PC. It’s similar in play to other types in the genre, such as Age of Empires. Upgrade your troops by collecting items after missions. Aside from the one-player Story Mode, WorldShift offers online co-operative and competitive multiplayer modes. The graphics and storyline are top notch and have a Dune-like feel (cutscenes are especially slick), and the three races you play as have a wide variety to them.

WorldShift totes itself as being easy to pick up and play but I have to slightly disagree with that. There are no tutorials to get you familiar with the controls, which is fine for RTS veterans but newcomers may feel a bit overwhelmed. Plus the game doesn’t do a very good job of explaining special skills and items. While RTS titles like Age of Empires certainly are more hardcore, they do a better job of easing you into the gameplay. Plus, some of the single player mission goals aren’t quite so clear, and there is a lot of trial and error.

However, even though WorldShift isn’t as good as the Command and Conquers out there, it’s a good tide-me-over game for fans until the next big RTS release.

Kid Factor:

WorldShift is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Blood and Fantasy Violence. Defeated enemies do leave little pools of red, but it’s small and not very graphic or horrific. Some of the female characters have skimpy outfits, too. Because of the difficulty and multitasking skills required to fully enjoy these games, WorldShift is best for older kid and teen gamers and up.

Tags: Game Reviews