E3 06: Maelstrom Exclusive Preshow Impressions
During a recent visit to Codemasters' UK headquarters, we were afforded our first look at a work-in-progress version of Maelstrom--a futuristic real-time strategy game from Kaliningrad-based KD Vision (formerly KDV Games), the developer of Perimeter. Set in the year 2050, Maelstrom paints a typically bleak picture of the future that's lying in wait for us. A meteor strike has thrown Earth into chaos and made water the most valuable resource on the planet, and while the two surviving human factions are busy fighting over it, a third, alien faction intent on colonization shows up. We had an opportunity to check out units from all three factions in action during our presentation, and we came away feeling both intrigued and impressed with what we'd seen.
The first faction that we spent some time with was the Ascension--an industrial human corporation with access to high-tech equipment such as lasers, cryogen rays, and orbital-weapon platforms. As is generally the case with high-tech factions in real-time strategy games, the Ascension's units will be some of the most expensive to manufacture, but you'll certainly get what you pay for. Many of the mechanical units at the corporation's disposal are "mechomorphs" (think Transformers), meaning they're capable of assuming different forms, and even the base structures can be uprooted, transformed into vehicles, and relocated if it becomes necessary.
Led by an ex-US military general, members of the second human faction refer to themselves as Remnants. The Remnants are essentially the freedom fighters of Maelstrom, and although they don't have access to anything resembling the high-tech weaponry of the Ascension, they compensate for their lack of modern weaponry with stealth and guerrilla tactics, as well as the ability to assume control of enemy units and a mastery of explosives. Since their weaponry and vehicles are outdated, the Remnants have learned to adapt and improvise when confronted with new situations, as evidenced by the fact that you'll be able to modify your units on the fly in the game.
The Hai-Genti is a genetically engineered, semi-aquatic alien race with absolutely no regard for human life. Hai-Genti units and structures are completely organic and are shot down from space in spores. The alien ships orbiting the planet have powerful weapons that they can use to influence weather systems and such on the surface, and if you choose to play as the Hai-Genti, you'll be able to, for example, rain meteors down on your human enemies. Since the aliens are semiaquatic and stronger at night, successful strategies will almost certainly include flooding areas and waiting until dark to launch an assault on enemy bases.
Some of the most interesting differences between the three factions are the different ways that they utilize the Earth's resources. Sunlight, for example, is about as useful for the Hai-Genti as it is for vampires, but the Ascension and the Remnants will use solar panels to generate power. Every structure built by the Ascension comes with solar panels, while the Remnants will have to construct special towers to get their solar energy. Water, on the other hand, is what the Hai-Genti are all about, and if the aliens happen upon a well, they'll deliberately destroy it so that the surrounding area gets flooded. The human factions need clean water from wells, though, so they'll attempt to capture or build on them. Human survivors who have yet to join a faction are also considered a resource in Maelstrom, and while the Remnants will invariably try to recruit them, the Ascension and the Hai-Genti will use them as test subjects in experiments and as fuel, respectively.
In Perimeter, you had the option to reshape the battlefield to give yourself a tactical advantage by using terraforming droids, but the main purpose of terraforming in that game was to flatten areas of land so that you could use them to collect resources or to expand your base. In Maelstrom, terraforming will be much more significant, not only because units will benefit from being positioned atop hills or in bunkers, but also because you'll be able to influence the elements by altering the landscape. A rapidly spreading fire caused by a meteorite or a flood, courtesy of the Hai-Genti, could be contained through some creative terraforming, for example. Other examples of the elements coming into play will include aliens firing huge globes of water down at the planet surface from space and units that are able to freeze water (ice will slow down any units attempting to cross it), melt ice, create tornadoes, and even control the wind so that clouds of toxic gas are blown toward enemies. The number of units that you can have under your command simultaneously, incidentally, will be determined by the number of structures that you've built, so establishing a well-defended base will be key.
Besides watching the work-in-progress, artificial-intelligence-controlled factions toying around with the awesome powers at their disposal, the most impressive thing about Maelstrom at this point is undoubtedly its visuals. Zooming the camera in for a closer look at any of the structures or units on a battlefield reveals a level of detail (complete with bump-mapping) that wouldn't look out of place in a third-person action game, where the models are under constant scrutiny. The reason that so much attention has been paid to these models, regardless of the fact that you'll spend the majority of your time viewing them from a great distance, is likely because the single-player campaign will incorporate a number of action sequences that task you with taking control of just a single unit (a vehicle or a gun turret, for example) and fighting alongside the rest of your faction.
Further information on Maelstrom is scarce at present, save for the fact that the game will feature support for up to six players with online matchmaking and ranking systems. Look for more on Maelstrom in the coming months.
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