With that many soldiers, it is hard to quibble about missing arm motions there is simply too much chaos. Animation concerns give way to spectacular slaughters and tug-of-war battles that shift with the next wave of reinforcements.
There isn't much slowdown when hundreds of units advance on an equal number of defenders. In fact, Cossacks: European Wars provides some of the best big battle visuals to date. Sea battles are extra fun, especially if it involves two giant flotillas finally coming to blows. A few of the scenarios start with only a group of these vulnerable units, making it difficult to survive to the next scripted section of gaining reinforcements.Īnimation aside, graphics are mostly decent. The ranged units under attack march off a few paces and move a few more when attacked again, without returning fire. Ranged units can pick off unsuspecting targets with ease, but if any melee units attack, even the most basic swordsmen, all is lost. Even the drummer who urges men to battle fails to stir any pangs of guilt when he gets dropped in the first volley.
Here, units stand woodenly until stiffly marching off to battle, and there is no sense of loss when these tin soldiers die. There is little in the way of charming animations seen in similar games, like the Command & Conquer units that get bored and drop to do push ups, smoke cigars, or twirl guns. The animation appears to be missing the few extra frames that would have smoothed out walking and fighting motions. While having a huge selection of forces means more customization, the quantity over quality principle is evident in the animation and AI of the units. The million men with sticks will win the day almost every time. As in most other RTS games, repelling an attack relies not so much on finding the perfect counter unit or a smaller group of more technologically advanced units, but rather sheer numbers. Even with the many styles of units, though, gameplay still boils down to loading up on a favorite type and marching onward. Special units, such as mercenaries and officers, add an extra facet to the army building as well. While a majority of the units are land based, ships also play a large part in battles, especially when trying to establish a beachhead.Įach unit type can be upgraded seven times for better offensive and defensive capabilities, providing generals the perfect tools to fine-tune the army. There are literally scores of units available for building a defensive fort or an offensive spearhead. Huge armies are composed of a mixture of traditional and cheaply produced archers and swordsmen, as well as effective, but expensive, gunpowder weapons like cannons and muskets.
To its credit, CDV Software Entertainment picked one of the more interesting historical periods on which to base a war game. Each campaign more or less follows some of the more famous conflicts of the age. Cossacks: European Wars gives you the chance to step into the resulting frays as the commander of a European army belonging to one of many nations.
Inevitably, international wars broke out. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Europe was the throne of civilization and rulers of every nation strove to wear the crown. Though rich with a variety of units and resources, European Wars simply doesn't have the polish needed to put it on the frontlines in the genre. Yet, somewhere between hard copy plans and software programming, the game lost its luster. The game contains several campaigns, a host of single player scenarios, and a multiplayer option. At first glance, Cossacks: European Wars looks like a winner with its 16 nationalities to play, huge number of units and upgrades, and an era when horsemen and cannons played important roles in combat before the age of mechanized war.