Silent Storm

[DisruptorX]

I recently got my hands on this game. It isn't new, but I hadn't heard of it when it came out. I figured that the people on this board are the type of people this would appeal to, being tactical strategy fans. ~:)

Basically, the game is a turn based WW2 tactical strategy game. Think X-com, but the tactical side only. The graphics are great, but also scalable, and the animations are awesome. What really makes the combat feel intense, however, is the fact that the game uses ragdoll physics and buildings and structures are destructable. You can literally blow holes in walls, and then use them as an entrance, rather than using a door. ~D

My personal favourite tactic is using a scout to estimate where enemies are, and then using Light Support weapons to annihilate them from the floor below, or from the next room. There are some houses that you can even make the floors collapse, if you brought along high enough powered explosives.

Being a 3d game, you can rotate the camera angle, and zoom in, which are extremely handy features, and make for cool screenshots, too:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/DisruptorX/ScrnShot_240205_234701.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v428/DisruptorX/ScrnShot_120405_232822.jpg

The missions are very challenging, but in a good way. I found the challenge a reshreshing break from how easy most game are.

Overall, this game is just plain amazing. While there are one or two rather goofy scifi elements added in later (at least they have a "retro" scifi feel), the amount of authentic weapons is very impressive and the gameplay is flawless.

[econ21]

I found Silent Storm technically very impressive - the graphics and the gameplay - but burnt out pretty quickly. It lacked "soul" or atmosphere, feeling rather goofy. I guess I quickly get bored of tactical combat if there is not some "hook" to tie the fighting together (just like with TW, I would not be very interesting in just battles, if there were no strategic map). In Silent Storm, the missions, the campaign "story" and the upgrading stats/RPG element of your fighters just weren't enough to keep me interested.

I agree with the X-Com comparison, but the first X-Com just had this amazing atmosphere - the music, the alien concepts, the screams, the premise - and also a really strong strategic/economic layer.

Another comparison is with Jagged Alliance 2, which I've recently restarted yet again. Personally, I rate JA2's combat a smidgeon above Silent Storm's, but again that game has a much better strategic/economic layer and I just love the character of the game - the sadistic Queen and her idiot Elliot, the mercs who somehow squeeze vivid characters out of a handful of lines, the bugs, etc.

I've always meant to go back to Silent Storm - I did not get far enough to see the futuristic/retro stuff, although the idea was not appealing - but have never felt the urge.

[DisruptorX]

Jagged Alliance 2 is definately a good one. I don't actually own it, though I probably should. I played the demo rather heavily when I used to have it on disk.

The only problem I really have with xcom is that your squad is rather faceless, they don't really feel like anything more than expendable pawns. Well, not that they aren't. ~;)

[Fragony]

So I am not the only one that played this beauty. It is also hilarious, especially that sniper 'I am taking it like gnat in a hailstorm' I loved it, despite the broken level system. Why oh why are turn-based strategygames so rare?