Real-time strategy gaming is in a rut. But whereas most category leaders are content to capitalize on Command & Conquer's formulaic approach, Russian PC import Perimeter says "dosvidanya" to tradition.
Chalk it up as another victory for eclectic Kaliningrad outfit KD-Lab, which is responsible for the title. Ever the innovator, the developer's resume includes Vangers: One for the Road, a program renowned as much for eccentricity as excellence.
Pop in the DVD-ROM, and prepare for the worst initially, though: The plot is pure sci-fi schlock. Several millennia from now, mankind has outgrown any universe that could contain it. Ethereal beings known as Spirits therefore send settlers – who inhabit floating cities known as frames – rocketing off into different dimensions seeking a home. Along the way, humanity comes in contact with a hostile entity dubbed the Scourge.
Told in fits and starts, the story-driven single-player campaign fluctuates between political factions. Confusing at first, the script becomes hopelessly bewildering as you flip-flop among power blocs like the religiously inclined Zealots and totalitarian Empire. Swapping sides wouldn't be an issue, were it not such a frequent activity. Alas, keeping track of the tale from one mission to the next is more chore than pleasure.
Play, almost as perplexing at first, quickly resolves into a mix of several innovative ideas. For starters, the alien land masses upon which the action unfolds must be terraformed using nanotechnology before construction is possible. Base architecture is also crucial; placing factories, laser laboratories and defensive structures properly proves infinitely more important than in competing products.
Managing power – the chief resource – is a novel proposition too, as the process involves erecting an efficient energy-core network. Cleverly, this institution serves as both a supply train and series of waypoints along which an impenetrable shield (the perimeter) can temporarily be established. Lose a link in the chain connecting the grid, and any terrain and structures it once encapsulated become fair game for foragers.
Combat further benefits from being restricted to three base units: soldiers, officers and technicians. Create large-enough troop groupings, and constructs gain the option of morphing into more-exotic creations such as bombers, anti-aircraft guns and tanks. The ongoing ability and need to dynamically shift your military holdings as described is, in fact, one of the product's most compelling draws. Given that minions can burrow beneath enemy defenses and leech power from adversaries' assets, the setup provides for lively showdowns.
Would that the game's overall execution was as imaginative. Missions suffer from severe difficulty imbalances, unclear objectives and often tepid pacing. Encounters, while enjoyable, commonly drag on far longer than you'd hope, as tactical engagements turn into wars of attrition. Caution is the watchword here, since it's careful expansion, not regularly coordinated aggression, that wins the day. While Scourge assaults, rival factions' incursions and natural disasters do demand retribution, excitement levels seldom soar beyond genre norms.
On a cheerful note, a healthy range of scenarios and brilliantly implemented stage designs offset most drawbacks. Fleeing worlds via a portal is many times no less important than eliminating rivals. In addition, challenging computer opponents ensure armed exchanges generally amuse. Though it's possible to recover from their encroachments (amen), enemies will test your tactical fortitude at every turn.
By comparison, multiplayer match-ups, made possible through LAN or Internet, seem something of an afterthought. Battling friends in straightforward scraps is about the only option you're provided. Skirmish functions are actually a better alternative, since you can instantly hop into and out of fish- and pizza-shaped maps at will when bored and not disturb fellow conquistadors by doing so.
Although the visual presentation is magnificent, it'll bring even the most high-end systems to a crawl at maximum detail. Choose your settings based on performance rather than prettiness. While resolutions won't be as high, you'll still enjoy rousing firefights and accompanying light shows without sacrificing playability. Speech clips, musical scores and sound effects – think explosions, sizzles and shrieks – aren't as inspired, but perform adequately under the circumstances.
Wildly inventive, if far from perfect, Perimeter blazes a trail we hope future generations will follow. Should more combat simulators take as many risks as publisher Codemasters' latest venture, the trend will surely result in countless victories for all, most notably consumers. That's one battle we'd gladly fight.
Perimeter is available now for $40. It is rated E for everyone.
