Universe at War Xbox 360 impressions by IGN

Playing a real-time strategy game on a console can be a frustrating experience, kind of like clapping with one hand. Originally designed with the PC's keyboard and mouse control scheme in mind, the RTS is traditionally a game of quick menu navigation, multitasking and depth of thinking -- not exactly tailor-made for the typical console controller.

Petroglyph and SEGA have brought their PC RTS Universe at War: Earth Assault to the Xbox 360 and have attempted to solve many of the genre's historical console problems along the way. IGN just got a copy of Universe at War today and spent the last few hours getting up to speed.

[Luca Blight]

hook up a keyboard/mouse to your 360 or is the game not configured to handle it?

[BoneMagnus]

For me, the comments regarding the immense complexity and diversity of the three factions that makes a casual skirmish difficult is a turn-off.

For die-hard fans of the genre, I understand that this is music to your ears, but the RTS genre does not lend itself to pick-up and play like a shooter. You need to focus on one game - and even one faction to be competitive. This limits the online accessiblility of these games.

I own both BFME2 and C&C 3 for the 360 and I've only played online twice - and been destroyed despite being able to play through the campaign and player vs. computer skimishes rather easily. I end up just enjoying the single-player part of these games.

I would need to devote a lot of play time to be competitive online, and I don't know if there is a large enough base of people willing to do this. For me, I like too many other games to devote myself to one genre.

Curious about everyone's thoughts...

[ravenguard88]

I've always loved RTS games in single player, or online with a friend on my team vs. an AI opponent.

I've never played a multiplayer RTS game without being outright destroyed in what I would describe as ways that completely throw the "strategy" and need for many units of several unique abilities right out the window. In one instance, upon the start of the game, the player created an air factor, started building bombers and had them fly around his base. By the time I have basic defenses up, 80 bombers just fly in and destroy me.

I know, it's because I stink at the genre, but still, my argument that these games reward non-strategic players is valid just like games like COD4 rewards run-and-gunners.