Cossacks european wars pause full size#
Click for full size imageĬossacks has the usual suite of gameplay options. Gameplay is generally the same regardless of the nation you play, although some nations do have slightly different units and upgrades, as well as units with different names. Some of the other nations you can play are Austria, the Netherlands, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Algeria, and a few others. There are familiar nations, such as England, France, Turkey, and some new nations, which have not appeared in real-time strategy games until now. You can choose from more than a dozen different "factions," which are actually states or nations from that time period. The setting for Cossacks is an unusual one, and we won't know until the game ships whether American gamers will respond to a real-time strategy game based on the tumultuous and war-torn 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. However, beyond the familiar look and feel, there is definitely enough here that is new and different to warrant a closer look. Like Age II, Cossacks uses a right-click interface - it even has a similar array of units.
This bodes well for the game's ability to quickly rope in gamers, as having to learn a new set of controls would simply bog down gameplay.
Cossacks european wars pause trial#
Actually, because of Cossacks' similarity to Age II, we had no problem learning the basics of gameplay through trial and error, even without a manual. Were it not for the fact that the game focuses on Europe instead of the world, there might even be a few fans crying plagiarism. In fact, after only a few minutes with this game, you will swear it plays almost exactly like Ensemble's Age II. Click for full size imageĬossacks is a new real-time strategy game that fans of Age of Empires II will find instantly familiar. Scheduled to be released in March 2001, it brings Age of Empires II-style gameplay to Renaissance Europe. European Wars: Cossacks is one such game, and it comes from German developer CDV. Age marked a departure from sci-fi or fantasy gaming, and it appears that several developers are following in Ensemble's footsteps. Wargames and classic strategy fare like Civilization have always been based on history, but it wasn't until Age of Empires and Age of Kings that history again became interesting for gamers. It seems gamers are beginning to appreciate history, or at least developers think they are.