Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance

Supreme Commander was released in February of this year and was critically acclaimed by many, but hated by other for its preposterous complexity and difficulty. To respond to complaints, Gas Powered Games has improved gameplay mechanics and simplified menus. They also kept the same three great factions Cybran, Aeon, and UEF, but has also added a new one called Seraphim. With more diversity coupled with a faster game pace, Forged Alliance is a worthy expansion to an already great original.

The game features only a handful of new missions but they are huge. I’m talking ridiculously large for a single mission. Some can take over two hours to complete. But mission depth isn’t the only thing that’s been improved. The graphics look crisper with improved texture sharpness, poly count and special effects, while the interface has been simplified and slipstreamed. The game ran fairly well on my computer but bogged down a little even with my 3 GBs of RAM when lots of units were on screen. However, considering your ability to zoom all the way down to see one single unit, and then zoom all the way out to see the entire battlefield, this quibble is easily forgivable.

Each faction’s story and gameplay will vary slightly, but all of the main aspects and mechanics are essentially the same. If you haven’t played the original Supreme Commander and just pick up Forged Alliance, you are in for a very steep learning curve. The expansion puts a lot more emphasis on land domination, therefore just huddling in the corner and trying to build up a single wave of attacks will most definitely result in your demise. You have to put a lot more care into your extractors this time around as well. Gas Powered Games has responded to gamer requests to speed up the gameplay, and as a result, production times have drastically decreased. Now you will be doing more unit placement and battle management than status-bar watching as you clean your fingernails waiting for something to be built. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nuclear weapons have been slowed down almost to the point of uselessness. Some smaller battles are over before one can be built.

As for the unit additions, there are some high-tiered forces that make each one of these factions stand out more than you see in the lesser tiers. With stealth and shielding units, more airships and bombers, and a couple of transport units, you will be quite satisfied with the added extras. The Seraphim are by far the most visually unique. Characterized by fluid animations and a new set of unique abilities and units, learning to play with these guys can be a blast.

In the end, Forged Alliance makes a great expansion, and when I say expansion, this game truly is in every way. With huge battles, quicker building times, a new race, and a slew of new units, FA is one of the best expansions this year. I must plead with you to give yourself plenty of time with the game’s complex nature. Learning the spider web process of unit construction is very long and will take practice. But that being said, I would definitely recommend this one for any RTS fan, as it improves on almost every aspect of Supreme Commander’s already impressive foundation.

Gameplay: 9.0
Faster gameplay, bigger maps, more units, and a new race? Did I miss anything?

Graphics: 8.8
With an improved poly count, sharper textures, and more special effects, Forged Alliance upgrades the original and leaves you impressed.

Sound: 7.0
The sounds are decent, nothing standing out as exceptional, but they get the job done.

Difficulty: Hard
This game has a very steep learning curve. It will take you a couple days to really get the hang of this game. That being said, once you “get it,” Forged Alliance is one of the deepest RTS’s to date.

Concept: 8.5
They have improved on almost everything from the original with only a few minor set backs. More, more, more was an obvious goal for Gas Powered Games and they have definitely succeeded.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The games multiplayer is very fulfilling. With 81x81 kilometer maps and the ability to play as the Seraphim, Forged Alliance is a fantastic time. And it runs like butter on Gas Powered Game’s GPGNet. As for the skirmishes, the AI is smart, will keep you on your toes and is a great way to practice before taking on your friends.

Overall: 8.9
Forged Alliance is a worthy expansion of the award-winning original with improvements in almost every category. If you liked the original, go buy this expansion now. If it’s your first dive into the series, look forward to a very steep but fun learning curve.