Cossacks 2
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Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars is the fourth computer game in the Cossacks series of real-time strategy games, released in Spring 2005 to mixed reviews.[1] This game focuses exclusively on the Napoleonic era, meaning it has a much shorter time span than others in this series, which spanned about a century. Therefore, fewer technologies can be researched than in other Cossacks games, and there aren't as many different unit types for each country as before. But Cossacks II makes up for this, with the large number of units which may be trained, as well as its many tactical options.
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[edit] Gameplay
The Cossacks series has always been noted for having a large number of units on screen simultaneously, and that all are controllable at the same time; this game is no exception. The limit of soldiers that can be used at the same time is 64,000, a large number, compared to other real time strategy video games. Only Rome: Total War can really match this number, with ten thousand being the maximum number of soldiers usable at a time.
[edit] Tactics
Tactics are very important in Cossacks 2, and must be used in order to win. Timing is also necessary, considering that, in this game, it takes riflemen about a minute to reload their rifles, meaning that choosing the correct time to fire is critical. Musketmen take about 15-30 seconds to reload, depending on the unit. To make it easier for the player, there are differently coloured circles extending outwards from units when the mouse pointer is over the "Give Fire!" button. They are coloured in Green, Yellow and Red. The rule is that, the closer the enemy is to a given unit when it fires, the more damage its shots will do. In the green area, very little damage will be caused, whereas in the red area, units will deal massive damage, normally causing enemies to break ranks and flee. Morale is a large factor in breaking enemy formations; it is earned by killing enemy soldiers. Units with high morale will normally not flee, until about 65% of the unit has been killed. Another feature of the game is surplus damage. Surplus damage gives a unit a bonus in melee combat, depending on the number of men they have killed. Usually units with weak melee ability get surplus damage. Forests can also be used to the players advantage. While in a forest, soldiers will take less damage from shots, except if they are in the enemy's red zone of fire. Also, cannonballs will not explode in water, giving a tactical disadvantage to players who focus on artillery.
[edit] Game modes
In the game, there are two different modes, single-player, and multi-player. In single player, three different modes may be played: campaign (tutorial), Battle for Europe (turn-based, much like Risk), and Skirmish/Historical Battles. In multiplayer, players can play a game over the internet.
[edit] Singleplayer
In Battle for Europe mode, 6 nations are playable: France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Egypt, and Great Britain; with one of these, players attempt to conquer Europe. The 2006 expansion, Cossacks 2: Battle for Europe, also includes Spain, Poland and the Confederation of the Rhine. Players start with only one general, and one army. Over time, player experience improves, depending on the number of battles fought. As promotions are earned, more units become available, and better ones may be unlocked. At first, only infantry can be used, then cavalry is allowed, and finally artillery.
In Skirmish mode, a map is chosen, and a fight begins in a Real-Time environment, reminiscent of Age of Empires II. The human player begins by choosing a country with which to play, and then attempts to defeat the computer player's nation, by trying to capture all of the villages on the map, or by destroying all of the enemy's town centers. To capture a village, one, sometimes two, group(s) of thirty militiamen must be destroyed. Then, in order to capture it, a group of men must be moved near the center of the village. Each village can collect one of the four resources: coal, iron, gold, and food. Peasants, or serfs, can collect wood and stone, which are stored in storehouses. Two extra map packs, one with five extra maps for skirmish mode, and one for historical battles, have been released for free download at the Cossacks II official website.
In the historical battles mode, a variety of historical battles may be fought. It is predesigned, which means no new units may be trained. A couple of the battles playable are the Battle of Austerlitz, and the Battle of Ulm.
[edit] Multiplayer
In multiplayer mode, players can play a skirmish battle over the internet.
[edit] Expansion pack
The Cossacks 2: Battle for Europe expansion pack was released in June 2006. It is a stand alone game, eliminating the need for the original version. Major changes to the game are to the Battle for Europe mode. At least 7 new provinces have been added to expand the map, in order to allow greater playability as well as to accommodate 3 new nations: Spain, the Duchy of Warsaw and the Confederation of the Rhine. A number of new historical battles were also added: Borodino, Leipzig and Waterloo, as well as campaigns played from the perspective of some of the great powers of the day.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars - PC, a collection of reviews at Game Rankings
