Carrier Command: Gaea Mission

"Hey, you got your FPS in my RTS."

 

 

Developer: Bohemia Interactive
Publisher: Bohemia Interactive, Mastertronic
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360
Genre: Real-time strategy, Action
Release Date: Sep. 27, 2012

 

 

 

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a Carrier Command title—almost 24 years, if you’re keeping track. But Bohemia Interactive, developer of the upcoming Arma III, is reviving the classic title on PC and Xbox 360 this September. Don’t think of this as a full sequel, though; Carrier Command: Gaea Mission is a reimagining, much like 2004’s Battlestar Galactica television series.

 

The basics are still there: Your aircraft carrier is a mobile base from which you command units in battle against a similarly equipped opposing force. At your disposal is a host of land, sea and air vehicles that you can equip to fill various roles, like hacking, offense and defense. Fans of the original will recognize the MANTA (Multi-role Aircraft for Nautical Tactical Assault) and WALRUS (Water And Land-Roaming Utility Shuttle), which can be controlled in either first- or third-person perspective, depending on your preference.

 

You can outfit your craft with dozens of armor and weapon combos.

What this means is that, if you want to play Gaea Mission as a first-person action game or a traditional real-time strategy game, you can do either. The game won’t punish you for either, nor will it play favorites with playing styles.

 

You can control up to four of each vehicle at once, outfitting them with heavy armor, machine guns or lasers. Send them to war and…what else? Engage the enemy in real-time combat and blow up all their stuff. Going in guns blazing is a quick way to get wiped out, so you’ll need to pick your entry point and prioritize targets carefully. When you capture an island, you can put it to use in mining, manufacturing or defense.

 

As you’d expect of a real-time strategy game, you must overcome the opposing faction by capturing its territory or destroying its carrier—or both. The beta features a variety of difficulty and control options for strategy vets and noobs.

 

Unfamiliar with the game? Reduce the enemy’s strength and territory with simple sliders. Conversely, you can max out the enemy’s strength and territory if you want a brutal, uphill battle. It’s a simple, effective way to balance the game to a wide variety of players, but genre novices might still find the game daunting.

 

Gaea Mission can involve a lot of menu navigation, which can occasionally be like learning another language. But once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to find everything you need with just a couple clicks. Clicking and dragging to highlight and direct units is something you’ll pick up on immediately, and there’s something to be said for a game that can infuse that frantic, repetitive act with a sense of fun.

 

You'll want to play Gaea Mission at the highest graphics settings.

With the graphics settings maxed out, Gaea Mission still isn’t a hardware-intensive game, and even mid-range laptops won’t struggle with it. On low settings, it looks decent even if you’re controlling vehicles right on the ground. But you’ll want to play it with all the details maxed out. Textures across the various islands are detailed, whether you’re in a rocky wasteland or snow-covered hills. Water splashes and ripples realistically as WALRUSes plow through it.

 

If you want a smoother experience, Gaea Mission comes with all the graphics options you could want. Lighting, shadows, textures and water detail—the works. So, if you’re running on a dated piece of junk from 2006 (for which you have our condolences), there’s a good chance you’ll still be able to play Gaea Mission.

 

The knowhow required to play Gaea Mission may at first be off-putting, but if the beta is any indication, the full release will have something to offer even if you’re not a fan of micromanaging strategy. And yes, strategy buffs will like it, too. Carrier Command: Gaea Mission will be available for PC and Xbox 360 September 27.

 

 

Aaron Kinney

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