I've never got into RTS (real time strategy) games. Incessant mouse clicking, tedious resource gathering, thumb twiddling as your virtual armies exchange fire - RTS has always struck me as too detached, too fiddly and ultimately unsatisfying. And that's on PC, the natural home for the genre. On console the story is far worse, with control issues - menu overkill and pad frustration are the norm - and generally lower TV resolutions just adding to the frustration. Some publishers - particularly EA, with Command & Conquer 3 and Lord of the Rings Battlefield - have persevered and had limited success on the 360 but RTS on console has always been a pretty pointless exercise. Until now. Tom Clancy's Endwar could finally change all this. Why? Voice control.
Yes, instead of clicking and waiting you can now shout your commands down the headset and watch as your unit does your bidding. I had a play the other day and - surprisingly - it actually works. Moving units, ordering attacks, bolstering defences - all done by barking your command out loud. Traditionalists, and perhaps those with sensitive neighbours/partners - yes, it does feel odd when you first start shouting at the telly - can play with the pad but voice control is far more enjoyable.
I played for an hour or so and only once did the controls fail to pick up my orders. I'd like to try again when I've got a cold, or a Geordie mate over, but for now the voice controls get the thumbs up.
Endwar also looks decent. The camera viewpoint remains fixed on the unit you currently control, making you actually feel like one of the troops rather than a detached deity. But it's the voice control that is the real selling point here. Ubisoft are showing more Endwar next week and I'm looking forward to playing again. Could Real Time Strategy finally be getting interesting?
