Square Enix has been working hard to expand beyond its traditional remit of Japanese RPGs and Final Fantasy games. One need only look at the wealth of diverse IP the publisher has gained through its acquisition of Britsoft company Eidos to see how things are changing.
Order Of War is the next stage in Square’s evolution, taking the publisher into a new genre – real time strategy. It is also the first time the firm has released a Western-developed game outside of Japan. Casting aside its usual floppy-haired teens and oversized swords, the company now turns to tanks, bombers and a ruined European countryside.
The game is a World War 2 strategy caper, specifically set in the summer of 1944 – when the conflict was approaching a resolution. Players command the armed forces as the Allies launch two major operations that would drive back Germany’s armies on both the Western and Eastern Fronts at once.
To ensure players get the full experience of leading the charge in the closing months of the Second World War, there are two separate campaign modes. In one, armchair generals command America’s military might as they seek to secure victory in the West, while the other gives them the responsibility of defending Germany from the seemingly unstoppable Red Army offensive in the East.
“Order Of War not only raises the bar for the RTS sector, but will also pull in new customers unable to resist such an incredibly cinematic gaming experience,” says product marketing manager Ned Browning.
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Differentiating itself from other WW2 RTS titles, Order Of War does away with the traditional top-down perspective and instead presents battles in a special cinematic camera mode.
As the armies move across the map, the camera swoops into the middle of the battlefield and takes players closer to the action. This also allows players to command troops over a huge area without detracting from any of the details rendered as the two sides fight.
The game prides itself on historical accuracy. The two campaigns follow some of the most crucial operations of 1944, challenging players to relive some of the key battles of World War II or rewrite their outcome as they see fit.
Historical accuracy also carries across to the various types of units at gamers’ command. The weapons and vehicles operated by the troops on the battlefield are all rendered with a great level of detail and truly recreates the sensation of fighting this conflict, using technology and firepower considerably less powerful than that found in more modern RTS titles.
Players are able to command up to 1,000 of these units at any given time, highlighting Order Of War’s emphasis on massive battles rather than minor skirmishes. They must use a range of soldiers, tank divisions, armoured vehicles, artillery and even the air force in order to accomplish their objectives.
Aside from the two single-player campaigns and the different storylines those follow, there are a range of multiplayer modes to keep budding tacticians satisfied.
Gamers can take on their rivals online in scenarios such as Deathmatch and Skirmish as they compete for supremacy.
MADE TO ORDER
While its Final Fantasy titles may have an established audience, Square Enix is working hard to attract gamers to its newest IP. As such, the company will be running a comprehensive marketing campaign across all forms of media in the weeks leading to the game’s result.
Extensive print advertising will appear in a range of specialist gaming and lifestyle publications, and this will be supported by a heavyweight online media campaign based around numerous pre-launch activities.
At retail, Square has arranged exclusive pre-order and item-with- purchase mechanics with all key retailers, and promotional partnerships have been set up with Alienware, nVidia and Gamespy.
“With production values, detail and depth that are truly second to none, Order Of War stands out as one of the landmark releases for the second half of the year,” concludes Browning.
“The word of mouth from consumers will position this as one of the top ten PC titles from now through to Christmas and it will become an evergreen brand for months to come.”
