Game: Dawn of Discovery
Platform: Wii, PC, DS
Publisher: Ubisoft
Price: $29.99
Pros: Great learning system, high production values
Cons: Some folks might find it too simple
Yep, I’m gonna say it: I really dig this real time strategy (RTS) game for the Nintendo Wii. It’s simple, easy, and does what it does very well. That’s not to say it’s not interesting or challenging; I think it’s both. The learning curve is gentle, however, and for folks who don’t want to micro manage a civilisation from the ground up, this may be the answer.
Controls are fantastic – perfectly suited to the Wii platform. You can use either a single Wii remote or a remote plus nunchuck for a little extra control love. The jumpy cursor that shows up on the Wii Menu is nowhere in evidence: the cursor is smooth, solid and rarely selects something incorrectly. The “get out of the menu” B button quickly became my default muscle memory, making me wonder if it will become the de-facto “undo” button for navigating menus like this on the Wii. It certainly would make sense.
The animations and tactile weight of the objects and people in the game are amazing. As developers learn how to best use the Wii, I’m seeing better and better looking graphics. In this game, when you build a building, you can easily see where it goes, if it will fit where you want to put it, and you’ll get an almost tactile sense of the building swaying in the air. Houses upgrade with subtle little flourishes and sparkly lights, zooming in and out never stutters, and the character models of your advisers and inhabitants are robust and solid-looking.
The storyline is carried by static images that slide across the screen, or dissolve into each other, much like a motion comic you might find on a modern website. The voice acting is superb, especially from the actress voicing E. Bellard, the daughter of a famous sea captain who helps you at each stage. The dynamic of brothers and sisters in the storyline is well played, if a bit simplistic. However, each story point serves a distinct purpose. In one sense, the entire multiplayer story and mission progression can be considered a long tutorial, preparing you to start from scratch on your next play through. So, while the single player may only last ten hours or so, the replay value is high, due to this very feature. Once you’ve finished the main story, you don’t have to go replay it again, but can start creating your own civilization from scratch, using all the things you learned during the single player.
You ostensibly play Prince William, son to Kin George and brother to Prince Edward. You play the honest, loyal, pleasant one, while Edward is sneeringly the opposite. As you progress through each level, building farms, hemp plantations, marketplaces, shipyards and the like, Edward will mock you, steal your glory, and end up dragging your country into war. He’s not a nice kid. Honestly, though, you’ll see more of the two advisers in the game, Cornelius Davenport and Evelyn Bellard, as they helpfully banter their way through explanations of how to meet all the goals set for you across the levels. Only occasionally will their advice not be helpful; for the most part this is not a difficult game. It is pleasant and fun and a WONDERFUL way for kids and newcomers to the genre to build upon success after success while still feeling like they’re being challenged.
Some might say that this is RTS-lite, that it’s too simple. I say yes, and then I say so what? I was engaged from the start to the finish of the single player campaign, relaxed and enjoying the gentle progress. There were a few moments when the advisers’ advice was a bit too vague, but eventually I got it figured out and my experience was most pleasant. I found myself thinking about the game, the story, and the mechanics even when not playing the game, which generally denotes a good game to me. My almost-9 year old daughter was able to pick up the controller and copy and paste buildings with aplomb, learning perhaps a little about the 1400’s in an abstract sense as well as how to manage resources, taxes and planning communities. This is a definite must play if you’ve a household with bright kids or adults with a good sense of fun. It’s a game you can play together, as well as one they can play on without you. If you’re a gun-toting dyed-in-the-wool FPS fan with delusions, err, visions of subsistence and freedom fighting, you may want to rent this one first before dropping $30. Of course, my recommendation is that you buy it and have a little fun that doesn’t include blowing people up. Just sayin’.
Jagex Games Studio is proving that browser-based games may have a solid future. War of Legends launched in January and has already attracted hundreds of thousands to its browser-based battlefields.
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