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Well, it can’t be blamed for not being original. I’ve been following Savage’s development for quite some time now. Newcomers S2 Games and iGames promised a unique title that was actually going to be good. Savage: The Battle for Newerth definitely keeps their promise.
First off, let’s define the genre: Savage is a massively-multiplayer-online real-time-strategy-shooter (MMO RTSS). The story behind all the fighting is pretty simple, but does its job. Humans and beasts lived in this time period with humans obviously having the upper hand and doing with the beasts as they wished. Beasts were becoming more intelligent in this time, but still couldn’t overcome the humans. The human population decided to unite themselves to develop themselves and make sure they still had supremacy over the beasts. The sister of the human’s leader escaped after watching a brutal murder of a beast. She was never heard of again until rumors that she was leading a beast race came about. Soon enough beasts, with their new-found intelligence and skills, attacked the humans.
The basic gameplay has you choosing which side you want to be part of and destroying the others. Savage can only be played online, so you can’t just play against the AI. You’ll go through the game in a 3D viewpoint. When you have a ranged weapon, you’ll see things in first-person.
What makes Savage so interesting (and makes the genre) is that someone has the position of the Commander. They view the game over-the-top view, similar to other RTS games like the Age of and WarCraft series. The Commander tells you (and the others) what to do. He’ll tell you if you need to defend something or attack an enemy, but he can also build new research centers for more weapons or more advanced soldiers. As the Commander researches and gets more advanced stuff for you to use, you’ll need to get money you acquire from killing enemies or various creatures found in the land. If you don’t have enough money though, the Commander is able to loan you some. So you’ll need to make sure not to anger him/her.
You’ll also need to help your Commander because they can appoint you to an Officer position, where you’ll have more power. Also, carrying out the commander’s tasks will let your character level up, which makes you stronger and more effective. Savage does a good job at offering incentives for listening to your commander without actually forcing you to do so. And hey, if you do a good job, you can be promoted to Commander.
There are only minor things that could have made Savage a better game. The game world is nicely made up of wide areas for combat. The paths between these though, are narrow. If you spot an enemy in this narrow area, it is havoc since you won’t be able to run anywhere. Another minor thing that could be improved is the over-dependence of close-combat. Ranged attacks aren’t as effective as charging, which makes the combat a bit repetitive after a while. There are only so many times where charging into an enemy is fun.
One of the best things about Savage is that S2 Games and iGames promise to update the game world with new features and items. While that isn’t unheard of in games you pay a monthly fee for, Savage is completely free. That makes for a nice bonus and I can’t wait to see what is added later on. Keep in mind though, that you need an internet connection to play Savage, at all times.
In the visuals department, Savage does a good job. The level designs are awesome (save for that nitpick of narrow paths) and look different enough to keep your attention. You’ll find things like waterfalls, which make the game look prettier. Watching time pass is pretty cool, as well, and is pulled off perfectly. There are a variety of terrains too, including jungles, grassy plains and snowy… well, plains. The character designs are pretty cool and unique, and they are all animated quite well. The particle effects aren’t that great, but hey… the game doesn’t require too much of a PC to run.
The sound effects in Savage do their job quite well. Aside from the typical weapons clashing, you’ll hear many other things in the game. Every weapon sounds different and ranged hits have their own unique sound. You’ll also hear ambient things like water falling, grass moving, and leaves being dragged around. The soundtrack is pretty cool and very fitting to the game, as well.
After playing Savage, I can safely say that developer S2 Games and publisher iGames have a hit on their hands. Not too shabby for a rookie effort. Savage makes a new genre, and it’ll be interesting to see how many others pop up. Definitely, recommended for FPS and RTS fans, who like a bit of MMORPG as well. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Sep 28, 2003
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