One of the most powerful phrases in the English language is "What if?" What if the Japanese had not surrendered after the American's dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What if this extended the war and eventually led to Ally occupational forces dividing up Japan in the same way that was done to Germany? What if, by the 1960's, the cold war wasn't so cold anymore and skirmishes were constantly breaking out along the Northern and Southern Japanese De-Militarized Zone? What if one of the primary assets of every army was towering thirty-foot high mechanized Armored Fighting Walkers (or AFW's). And, the most important "What If." What if Konami created an incredibly detailed, graphically dazzling, Strategy title for the Playstation 2 based on this alternate reality.
Ring Of Red is that title. Konami has taken a unique approach to ROR, instead of placing it in an alternate future, the chose to put it into an alternate past. They then seamlessly wove the appearance and deployment of AFW's into this past. By using both stock war footage and newly created video, they show how AFW's were used during the war. Everything has not been replaced with mechas, but instead they are simply one piece to the wartime puzzle.
A variety of different AFW's exist. The light versions come equipped with dual machine guns that excel in short range combat. The traditional two-legged humanoid shaped AFW's are armed with cannons that are best at medium range melees. And the large Four-legged "Spider" versions are armed with artillery that make it best for long-distance engagements.
Ring Of Red varies from most other strategy title is a number of different ways. Most strategy titles are not know for there graphical prowess, but the action sequences found in Ring Of Red are visually astounding. Each battle sequence features not only an AFW, but also includes the support troops needed to take advantage of its strengths and weaknesses.
The player has direct control over these units, which are divided into three platoons. One squad is used for the crew of the mecha and can use special attacks or skills to reinforce its abilities. Skills range from the capacity to use heat shells (A napalm styled attack) or a fast repair ability to patch up the AFW between rounds. The second and third legions have skills centered on combat or recon. The player can command them to lay down cover fire, use a grenade attack, or snipe the opponents forces.
ROR also varies from the "typical" strategy in that, during the combat rounds, the player does not simply choose an attack and have the AI execute it for them. When the main weapon is ready to fire, a targeting system is brought up and a percentage chance of hitting (based on your current range and other conditions) is displayed. The crosshairs then sway around, slowly steadying as your percentage increases. You must execute the fire command as the sights center on the enemy. This adds a whole new level of tension to the gameplay. And because each AFW has a limited engagement time before it is required to withdraw (due to overheating), a sense of urgency also flows into the combat. Some my find the combat to be slow paced, with entire levels requiring 45 minutes to an hour to complete. But speaking as fans of the Strategy genus, ROR's depth and intricacies are appreciated.
Because of its powerful storyline and unique execution, Ring Of Red gets my recommendation.
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