Sierra's
latest release is an excellent real time strategy title called Joint Task
Force, which differentiates itself from other titles on the market thanks
to its incredible sense of realism. The game puts you in command of
several different operations with different components that include
artillery, ground forces and air strikes. Each vehicle is licensed from
the actual manufacturers and performs as it should with both primary and
secondary fire functions. JTF lets players control their forces to an
unprecedented degree with individual soldiers and objects. Join us as we
drop in and see what the game offers.
Set in the near future when the world's
conflicts are escalating, Sierra's JTF: Joint Task Force includes more
than 20 unique scenarios and missions set in a variety of realistic
locales such as Bosnia, Iraq and Korea. Each level has tons of real world
variables such as embedded media, insurgents and refugees which adds to
the unpredictability of each mission's outscome. Adding to the realism is
the officially licensed hardware that includes Apache helicopters, Abrams
Tanks, and Black Hawks. Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman and,
Sikorsky have all added their expertise to the game as well, giving it
plenty of authentic hardware. Players must destroy all the enemy forces
and defeat any rival forces in their path. The missions offer you plenty
of ways to do this, and you can commandeer a variety of objects to do
this. Players can call in reinforcements; change the camera perspective
and much more on the fly. You are given complete command of all your units
and can select which units to use, down to the actions of a single man.
During the game, you can promote them through the ranks, give them new
positions and abilities, which is really impressive. This approach is
especially important, since the soldiers gain experience as you play
through the game, making them more effective the longer you play. Each
vehicle in the game is also manned by a number of soldiers, which allows
you to use one two drive and the others to use their weapons. During each
battle, you can decide the tactics you'll use and can call on a variety of
different soldiers and forces, with air, ground and sea modes of attack.
They attack together and usually don't get in each other's way thanks to
JTF's advanced AI routines, which give the forces a remarkable degree of
intelligence and independence.
You
can also have the game's AI do some of the work for you. For example, if
your soldiers come under fire, they'll automatically duck behind a car or
building to take cover. The game's missions are somewhat open ended and
you can use this to your advantage by implementing a variety of tactics.
You don't always need to go straight through and can make other paths by
either exploring or destroying objects in your path. JTF's environments
are fuilly interactive which allows you to destroy any object on the
screen and use these as well. You can take over enemy tanks and guns and
use them against them, or you can call in air strike to eliminate any
threats you might see on the horizon. Each map in the game takes you
through different environments with snow, water, sand and dust at your
disposal. This approach gives the player plenty of options throughout the
game, with a simple, easy to understand interface used which allows you to
focus on the mission, not the commands. Using the mouse allows you to spin
the viewpoint around 360 degrees, which gives you a different perspective
on the action. Using your helicopters allows you to deploy soldiers on the
ground and clear out any rival forces. Additional forces and items can
also be used to increase your chances during the missions. JTF includes a
number of different items, such as health and med packs which you can use
if your soldiers take some damage and get hurt. The game is relatively
straightforward in single-player mode, but there are a number of
multiplayer maps and modes you can play as well which allow you to extend
the gameplay.
Joint Task Force's multiplayer online
modes are mostly free and consist of three different factions: JTF,
Dictator and terrorist forces. There are several different modes including
standard games where you have to wipe out both opposing forces, plus Death
Match, Domination, Battle Royale modes. You can also set your own rules
using the customization menus, which makes for a robust, deep set of
online modes. This definitely makes for some competitive, addictive gaming
and since there's little lag, this is quite intense. Joint Task Force is
an excellent RTS game that succeeds in a number of ways. The game's
destructible and realistic environments, authentic physics and impressive
weather effects add to the realism while the game structure itself is
simple and straightforward, making it easy to play. An accessible
interface, intelligent scenarios and superb presentation make Joint Task
Force on of the better PC games of the year, making for a highly-polished,
finely-tuned title that should appeal to military sim fans everywhere.
Grade: B
