SUPREME RULER 2020

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : BattleGoat Studios

Publisher : Paradox Interactive

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Wargame

Release Date : July 1 , 2008

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows XP / Windows Vista

CPU : Intel Pentium 3 Processor / AMD Athlon XP 1500+

Memory (RAM) : 512 MB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0 Compatible Video Card with Memory 32 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce FX 5200 Series
ATI : Radeon 9800 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 700 MB

GAME FEATURES :-

Geopolitics is the subject of Supreme Ruler 2020, a fiendishly complex real-time strategy game from BattleGoat Studios. Unbelievable political events, statesmanship by proxy where the game practically plays itself, and an incredibly steep learning curve that comes without the assistance of an interactive tutorial will turn off all but the most fanatical strategy gamers. The focus of Supreme Ruler 2020 is exactly the same as its predecessor--attempting to guide the country of your choice through all of the wars, economic crises, and international intrigue that states face in the early 21st century. Sandbox-style grand campaigns are available, along with scenarios dealing with specific situations, such as the United States taking on an allied Canada and Mexico for control of North America. Multiplayer support for up to 16 players is also offered, although the absence of an online matching service means that you have to connect with other gamers via direct IP. Regardless of the game mode or the opposition, you play a president or prime minister with total control over all of a nation's affairs--both foreign and domestic. Policies are set by bossing around a cabinet of six ministers who look after portfolios, such as the state department, defense, and trade. This is handled by pinpointing key policy initiatives and checking them off under each minister's area of responsibility. So if you want to crank up the troops, you might make "massive military buildup" and "increase unit readiness" the top priorities of the defense minister. On the other hand, you can move toward peaceful nation building by ordering your finance minister to prioritize such initiatives as "family subsidies" and "health care." There is little feedback regarding the effects of each policy change, which leaves you in the dark about what is actually happening when you prioritize issues. Every policy is accompanied by nothing but skimpy tooltip pop-ups that tell you next to nothing about what they actually do. "Massive military buildup," for instance, is accompanied only by a few sparse words revealing that checking it maxes out unit building and deploys reserves. Barracks start going up, and you soon receive e-mail from the defense minister suggesting that you start utilizing unused army construction slots. If you ignore all of the nitty-gritty about what's being built when and where, you can still fight a pretty solid war on autopilot.

Supreme Ruler 2020 could also use more intelligence when it comes to political events. Many actions within the game seem more like they come from the Bizarro World than our own, and the weirdness is much more pronounced here than it was in Supreme Ruler 2010. Ministers never object to their priorities, even if you give them ones that contradict one another. Trading is screwed up by nations continually offering goods that you don't need. If you take over Ontario, for instance, you'll soon be inundated by worthless offers like water from Kazakhstan or electric power from the Philippines even though you now possess one of the most resource-rich regions in the world. International actions frequently have no connection with reality. The UN, for example, typically steps in to offer Israel supplies during war with Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt--a helping hand that you're never going to see in the real world. Israel itself is run by Arab ministers like defense chief Sayed Arafat and secretary of state Mohammed Hussein. You don't have to be a political junkie to know that something is wrong with that picture. Wars and their underlying factors don't seem to make any sense. The visuals and sound only add more confusion. While the new world map was apparently modeled on NASA photos and looks pretty good from a distance, all of the features are pixelated and the terrain is barren when viewed up close. The biggest issue is how buildings and units vanish when you zoom out to get a look at an entire region. This is a big-picture game that needs to be played with the map pulled back, yet the graphics force you to zoom in tight to actually see what's happening. You do get some irritating gunfire and explosion sounds during combat, however, along with a soundtrack of repetitive martial music. Supreme Ruler 2020's steep learning curve and micromanagement will turn off all but the most fanatical strategy gamers. Supreme Ruler 2020 should be consigned to a hardcore strategy game ghetto where casual players fear to tread. Let's hope that the entire game engine gets a serious overhaul before Supreme Ruler 2030.

GAME REVIEW :-

4.5/10

Supreme Ruler 2020 Trailer :-