The Moon Project
Developed by: TopWare
Interactive
Published by: Game
Studios
Reviewed By: Jeffrey
LaMarche
Game Was: Supplied
05/03/01
The Year is 2140.
The Earth is controlled by
two main factions, the Eurasian Dynasty (ED) and the United Civilized States
(UCS). The Eurasian Dynasty encompasses what was once Europe and Asia in our
world today, while the UCS comprises most of North and South America. Not
only are the ED and UCS on opposite sides of the world, they also have
completely opposite social structures. The ED are not highly technically
advanced and rely on older weapons and technologies. However, the UCS are
much more advanced and have reached the point where machines do all of the
work for the society.
Eventually the UCS invades
part of the ED's territory and world war breaks out, lasting for many years,
with the ultimate culmination being a decisive nuclear strike against the
UCS in the North Pole. This horrendous event pushes the Earth out of its
orbit, leading the UCS and ED to want to build their own escape fleets to
leave the Planet. However, after years of war and turmoil, there are only
enough resources left to complete one escape fleet.
To make matters even worse,
a new force, the Lunar Corporation, has arrived on the earth in an attempt
to acquire resources as well. This long forgotten society had moved into
space to begin colonization of Mars. Their base was on the Moon and their
society is highly advanced, however unused to warfare. Once again, global
warfare breaks out between the three factions, however this time the losers
will be totally eliminated!
The
Year is 2150
The war for the remaining
resources on the Earth is still in effect, while no faction seems to have
the upper hand. Eventually an amazing discovery is found on the Earth's
moon. There is an alien base, which contains a massive weapon of
destruction, which could be used to attack the Earth, turning the war in
favor of whoever captured this technology. Once again the three factions are
in a desperate race to acquire what they need to survive and win the war.
The future of humanity hangs in the balance!
The Moon Project
(TMP) is a real time strategy game allowing you to play out the struggle for
survival on the ravaged Earth, as any of the three major factions.
Initiate Software Download
Before you can begin to win
your battles and save humanity, you need to load the game software. There
are various installation options, giving you a good amount of control over
the size and overall performance of the program on your hard disk. There are
also spawned install options, which allow other people to play without
having the game CDs, as well as other components needed for The Moon
Project to run correctly, such as drivers and video tools.
Overall the software
installation went smoothly.
Your Instructions,
Commander
Although you are expected to be an
experienced war veteran already, you are given an excellent manual to help
train your officers and to aid in refreshing your memory. If you have played
Earth 2150, then you have already read a major portion of The Moon
Project's manual, with additions including the distinctive features of
this sequel.
One of the fine features of the manual is
that it gives you some of the critical information at the outset,
particularly about carrying over units and resources between missions, which
is extremely important and quite different from other real time strategy
(RTS) games. Other areas, from backstory, to unit and weapon overview are
also covered very comprehensively.
What Does This Button Do?
Helped in understanding by
the Manual, the interface is, at least at first, quite complex, with two
main portions - camera and game world control. Generally, camera control is
extremely easy to use, allowing movable viewing area, camera rotation, angle
of view and zoom all to be readily manageable with the mouse. Overall, this
interface is clean and fairly easy to use. There is also a nice compass in
the upper portion of the screen to help you if you become disoriented.
A few extra features of the
camera system include being able to follow a specific unit or group of units
automatically without moving the mouse, being able to use the games mini-map
to jump around the game environment, and being able to have three different
camera views of the world simultaneously in different windows.
Now that the excellent
camera control is established, we shall move on to the rest of the game's
user interface, which can take up a large amount of the game screen.
Luckily, most of the various information menus and panels can be turned on
or off to suit your personal tastes. Most of the user interface is contained
in various panels on the bottom of the screen, including a Mini-Map view of
the game world, and main controls for the game - where you can issue orders,
etc.
On the right side of the
screen, we find another control panel, which allows for construction and
building of units and vehicles, as well as presenting research and mission
choice interfaces.. Here you can build the various units and structures for
the faction you are controlling. Overall, there are a large number of panels
and interfaces in The Moon Project; however they are well done. With
thoughtful touches, such as ability to pause and issue and order as well as
move the camera, this slightly cumbersome, huge option interface may be
daunting at first, but grows on the player and earns a 90 for its overall
quality.
Sound Off
Earth 2150 was plagued with
a small amount of music and repetitive sounds. The good news is that TMP has
a better selection of music which plays in the background, and also changes
with the mood of the game. For instance, while base building and exploring
the map the music is more peaceful, however once a battle begins the music
picks up the beat and adds a sense of urgency to the game. Unfortunately,
the repetitive and annoying unit acknowledgements are still present,
although serving their purpose adequately. The sound effects, such as
weapons and construction, are well done.
Bringing the sound package
down, unfortunately, is that they are really subdued and difficult to hear.
I put all of the sound settings on maximum and I still had a difficult time
hearing various things, such as unit acknowledgements and the music. Instead
of forcefully coming to the front, the music stays in the shadows, which is
too bad since it is actually very good. In the end we have some great music
and sound effects, with some average unit acknowledgements. If the sounds
had only been a little louder it would have been close to perfect. Thus, the
sound and music score for TMP gets an 80.
It's In the Details
While graphics do not make
or break most games, they do provide a more aesthetic gaming experience.
Luckily, The Moon Project comes through in the graphics department.
First, there are many graphical options that can be customized for the game,
including both 16-bit and 32-bit color depths, as well as resolutions from
640*480 up to 1600*1200. Lighting, shadows, and view distance can be
tweaked. Multiple renderers are available for use, such as Glide or Direct
3D. Overall, you should be able to get The Moon Project running smoothly and
looking the best it can with the available options.
Looking at some of the
specific features of the graphics, we find the environments quite
impressive, with a lot of detail evident in various terrains, including
snow-capped peaks, ripples in the water, ruins of destroyed buildings, and a
new moon environment.
The level of detail in The
Moon Project is excellent. Parts will move on the various vehicles and
structures. For instance, on combat vehicles turrets will move to track a
target and radar dishes will spin. On various buildings you can see the bay
doors open to release a newly constructed unit or conveyor belts will move
to accept cargo. The construction of the various structures is also
animated, depending on your alignment. If you play as the Lunar Corporation
your buildings are created in orbit and then ferried down to the Earth with
space ships. You actually get to see the building being dropped down to the
planet. It is subtle details like this that help the player become more
immersed in the gaming world.
Carrying on with graphic
detail, we find each of the weapon systems in the game to be fully animated
and distinct. Launched rockets leave behind a smoke trail, energy based
weapons light up the terrain, and Ion cannons encompass the target in an
energy field. Speaking of smoke, smoke clouds are also produced from the
Eurasian Dynasty's vehicles and power plants, which is a nice touch
considering that the ED is supposed to still use fossil fuels instead of
more technologically advanced methods of power generation. The explosions in
The Moon Project are also well done and are believable.
There are two final great
points to the graphics engine of the game. Just like in the real world, this
fictional Earth has a day and night cycle. During the early or late hours it
can actually be harder to see your surroundings, while during the day things
are much more visible. Another nice touch is that during the night
headlights and spotlights will come on automatically for your vehicles and
buildings. The second great feature of the graphics engine in TMP is the
weather effects. There are clouds, fog, rain, snow, and even meteor
showers.
Although aesthetically
pleasing, the weather actually plays a large role in the game. The Lunar
Corporation relies on solar power, so in bad weather their energy production
is hindered. Fog can actually make it more difficult to see the map. Rain
and snow can affect the speed at which some of your units travel. Lastly,
meteors can damage your army and structures. Overall the use of weather is
just about perfect.
There is a bit of a downside to the
graphics engine in TMP. First, it is almost an exact version of the Earth
2150 engine. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you were looking
for something completely new you will not find it here. The other problem
with the graphics was an occasional artifact appearing while running in
Direct 3D mode, however once in Glide mode these cleared up.
Initiate Moon Project
The Moon Project is
a real time strategy game, similar to the Warcraft and Command and
Conquer series. The general idea is simple - gather resources, build an
army, and crush your opponent. You will also need to build a base or two,
maybe capture a few enemy units, and quite possibly go on a rescue mission.
This is all fairly standard gaming in the RTS world; luckily The Moon
Project expands upon the normal RTS model and offers something slightly
different.
One of these nice additions
to the normal RTS gaming model allows you to build tunnels underground and
through mountains. This new element enables you to build a tunnel system to
come above ground behind an enemy base. You can also secretly move units
from one location to another using your tunnels.
There is an immense
research and technology tree in The Moon Project. You can research
and upgrade weapons, chassis types, and other defensive structures. If
playing as the Eurasian Dynasty, you can research laser technology
eventually. Once researched, you can also upgrade the technology to be even
more powerful. Each faction has some similar and unique items that can be
researched, making their side even more powerful.
Researching new toys of
destruction is great; however, what do you do with them once you have them?
Unlike most RTS games, The Moon Project actually lets you construct
your vehicles, at least to a point, with the use of a unit customization
panel in the interface. The basic steps to constructing a new vehicle type
are quite simple. First you will choose a chassis from the available
selection; then add various types of equipment to your vehicle - such as
power shields, repair modules, multiple weapon systems, detector devices.
Once the design is finished, you can add it to the list of units to be
built, even giving it a unique name and saving it for use in skirmish or
multiplayer games. In the end, you can decide just exactly what type of army
you will construct. This is a level of management missing from other RTS
games and it is a welcome addition.
The main part of The
Moon Project is taking part in the storyline and going through the
campaigns for each of the factions. First you must decide which faction to
follow, and then you are on your way to leading your forces to hopeful
victory. The mission structure is another area where we find The Moon
Project differing from many of its contemporaries. Normally, each
mission in a RTS game is distinct; however in The Moon Project everything
blends together to form one continuous campaign. The game accomplishes this
by providing a main base from which you stage each of your various
missions.
You can perform research in
that base, construct units, and build structures, as well as transport units
and resources to and from the mission area. One thing to note is that your
resources at the main base, as well as for each mission, are distinct. Once
you complete a mission, before you officially end it, you should move all of
your resources and units back to the main base, otherwise you will lose them
permanently. This is a nice change from the normal mission structure of RTS
games. It also makes you want to keep your units intact so you can use them
later in the game.
And what is left after you
finish the single player portion of the game? There are skirmish and
multiplayer modes included. Instead of only offering the basic deathmatch
style game, TopWare included seven different and interesting
skirmish/multiplayer modes. One of these is referred to as 'Hide-n-Seek'.
This mode is equivalent to capture the flag, as you must locate and capture
the enemy's flag in their base and bring it back to your base. Another
skirmish mode is called 'Arena'. Here there is no building, research, or
resource gathering.
Instead, all you do is
fight against your opponents with a limited amount of units. Once your units
are destroyed they will respawn and various power-ups can be found across
the map for your use. One other gameplay mode is called 'Tech War,' where
you have unlimited money and the entire technology tree is already
researched. Obviously, the people at TopWare put a lot of thought into
extending the game beyond its single player campaign and it really shows
with all of the special skirmish and multiplayer modes available.
What we have, in one sense,
with The Moon Project, is an excellent top of the line real time
strategy game. There are however a few complaints which bringing the game
down to more average levels. One of the downsides is that the game is
extremely complex and will take a long time to fully master. This can be a
major turn off for a person new to the RTS genre. The complexity also takes
away from some of the fun of the game, since there is a lot to keep track
of. Another minor problem with the game is that everything takes a
considerable amount of time.
Research can take four or
more minutes per technology and a unit can take over thirty seconds to
produce. You can increase the game speed, however this makes it even more
difficult to play. One other downside to The Moon Project is that it
is extremely hard. It is quite easy to lose your entire army, while barely
making a dent in the enemy's defenses. Obviously, different strategies will
yield better results; however even on the easiest skill setting it is very
easy to lose. This will alienate the new RTS player once again. Another
fairly major gripe is that at the end of a mission it can take a while to
ferry all of your units and resources back to your main base. It would have
been nice to have a quick transport method to accomplish the same task. The
last major complaint against The Moon Project is that it is, at best,
an expansion for Earth 2150, even though it comes packaged as a
stand-alone product. The amount of new content found in the game simply
doesn't justify this.
Finis
In the end, we are graced with an extremely
good RTS game. There are three unique and interesting sides to choose from,
three campaigns to explore, and a wealth of skirmish/multiplayer modes.
There is also a lot of game to learn and master. What essentially brings the
game down is the difficulty and slower pace, as well as a few management
issues. If you have not played Earth 2150 and are yearning for a deep
and engrossing RTS game, then The Moon Project might be exactly what
you are looking for.
If you have Earth 2150
and loved it, then The Moon Project might help rekindle that love,
but at a full game price. However, if you hated Earth 2150, there is
nothing exceptionally new in The Moon Project to make you change your
opinion. There is a demo for the game available and I highly recommend
trying it before parting with your hard earned money. The Moon Project
is a great RTS game, but not be for everyone.
You can purchase The
Moon Project at
Compuexpert
for $34.90.
