2194 Days of War (Curt Sibling review)
From SLeague
| Score | Thumb | Title | Description | Reviewer | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.5/30 | 
| 2194 Days of War | A global WW2 scenario that allows the player to change the course of history from late 1941. Play as an Axis or Allied power, developing war-winning weapons and strategies to ensure total world domination! | Curt Sibling | Captain Nemo |
| Genre | Historical |
|---|---|
| Map | Large |
| Timespan | 1941AD - 1945AD |
Contents |
[edit] Overall View
Sometimes a scenario comes along that changes the way we look at CIV, and this is the one that began the revolution. Back in the heady days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, The legendary Captain Nemo and his able comrade, Alex Mor forged a path that set the bar for many designers to come, and stamped a new graphical rationale on the game we all love so well.
Not only that, but he added a new buzz and energy to the community that inspired and attracted a whole new generation of budding scenario-makers. 2194 days of war was not the first Nemo/Alex scenario, but it certainly made his mark in the CIV world. It also set the scene for the future and gave rise other mega-classics like Red Front and Second Front. So with out any delay, let us revisit the glory times of CIV2 and see how 2194 Days of War shapes up these days!
[edit] Playability: 9
The scenario drops you into a world on the edge. With destiny ready to swing one way or the other, with the Axis about to deliver a knockout blow to the desperate Allies. Good stuff. Nemo has chosen to kick things off in December 1941, with Japan's sneak bombing of Pearl Harbor about to happen. This cleverly avoids any entanglements of representing 1939-1940 and the complex events of those years. Despite being in the CIV2 standard world map, which is traditionally cluttered and some may think unsuitable for global WW2 mayhem, the game makes good use of what is there, and gives that rare 'less is more' illusion.
As you might expect, Europe is tightly filled with Axis cities, all crawling with Panzers and SS. The UK is reeling from the Blitz and perhaps only a lightning strike from the Germans will end their struggle. On the Eastern front, the Russians are falling back, waiting for the killer attack on their infrastructure cities and defeat. The Japanese have just sparked the war with the sleeping giant, America. The playability is set in good stead by the dramatic moment in which the player is dropped into the action. There is a batch file to run, that slighty changes the text files for each faction before you load the scenario, this is to add more challenge and flavour to each side, and I can see the genius in Nemo's choice to do this.
WW2 scenarios are notoriously tricky to balance, and I can see that using the events mix creatively and gearing it to each player and AI is a good move. Nemo not only was great at GFX design, but also a master at technical file manipulation. The unit balance and city improvement flow are both good, and set the mechanism for future Nemo/Alex releases. There have been complaints in the past that the Axis had it easy, and tended to win too easily...Well, I found that while playing as Germany - The Soviets and Americans put up a brutal fight, and while I took over the UK with difficulty, the USA was a behemoth that I couldn't even get near with my super upgraded U-boats. My Wonder weapons (each civ has one or two) kept the Communists on the run, but Stalin put up a tremendous battle to the end, hurling T-34s and guards at me with gusto.
My Allies in the East, Japan did slowly gain ground with the USA causing them havoc, but ulimately, Tojo ended up staring down Austalia and his troops shook hands with mine at Singapore! Playing as the other civs is a blast too, with Nemo and Alex making sure all sides have interesting challenges, the Brits are in trouble from turn one, but can keep their island fortress of the UK filled with units till the Soviets or Americans do something wild. The Japanese have the USA to deal with, and must press ahead in China with all speed. Nemo's represtations of major WW2 events and the choices of units are inspired...
Never has so much been squeezed into so small a CIV2 events file, as Churchill once said...!
[edit] Level of General Care: 9
Nemo and Alex have not messed about. This scenario is the work of a designer team on fire, and it shows. Even a few map blunders do not detract from the fact that these gentlemen have went the full way in representing the WW2 mood. With CIV2 FW/MGE's limited resources, Nemo has made the right choices when it comes to the mix of units and improvements. He knows what units made a massed impact on WW2, and has gave them to the player to develop and hurl into battle sooner than historically intended, if the player so wishes.
That is the joy of 2194 Days of War, the fact that you can dive in and do it your way, and even though some major happenings will occur on the real date, the choice of unleashing certain weapons or city attacks is up to the player. This is top stuff. Little touches like the development of Doodle Bugs, Atomic Bombs and Cherry Blossom missiles make the battle experience all the more fun.
The tech tree is clever and straightforward, with various armour and aeronautical upgrades being made in order to enhance the sophistication of the killing machines under your command. Deploying your jets and uber-submarines early really ruins the shine for the enemy, as even super-battleships are fair prey. The battles are exciting and some units have high health points, meaing that fighting them has a nail-biting, 'down to the last bit of red health bar' feeling...Awesome fun! It shows that certain WW2 battles sometimes were a close thing. I would have liked to have seen the tech tree more in the style of Blackclove's patent tech flow style, as this would have freed up some more techs for use, but Nemo choose his own way of doing things and this works fine.
All in all, these is plenty of WW2 havoc to be wrought and even though some apsects are limited by the CIV2 coding itself, Nemo and Alex have made a heroic attempt to overcome the game engine and deliver a war drama that keeps you up to the wee hours. One more turn is a serious understatement - Even at 5am, you will want to send in more Sturmoviks and Katyushas!
[edit] Artwork/Originality: 9.5
As mentioned, the artwork is a legendary aspect of Nemo's work - Along with his teamworker, the famed Alex Mor. I recall seeing screenies for the 2194 Days of War on the Poly site many moons ago, and the sight of a carrier and destroyer, rendered in a way I had never thought possible simply floored me. These days, compared to artists like fairline and Catfish, Nemo's work may look rough and a bit bright, but the pioneering aspect and impact of his work in that era cannot be over-stated. His revolution in design gripped the coummunity and laid the way for the incredible heights that the art form has reached now.
The orginality of a WW2 scenario in itself is nothing special, as many great contemporaries had been created already when 2194 Days of War came out...But it was the manner in which the warring gameplay was delivered that reallt counts here. No-one had ever made a WW2 scenario that was so alive and user-enticing as 2194 Days of War. And I feel no-one ever will again. The only way it could ever be topped is by making a CIV2-Test of Time version. But the original stands alone as a giant in CIV2.
[edit] Final Score and Conclusion: 27.5
A timeless scenario classic - Which all CIV2 owners should have on their Hard Drive.
[edit] Downloads
http://spanish.apolyton.net/civ2/bestonet/files/2194days.zip http://spanish.apolyton.net/civ2/bestonet/files/2194snd1.zip http://spanish.apolyton.net/civ2/bestonet/files/2194snd2.zip
