Stormrise

Stormrise

Developer(s) The Creative Assembly
Publisher(s) Sega
Platform(s) PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Real-time tactics
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL

Stormrise is a real-time tactics video game developed by The Creative Assembly's Australian studio and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Story

The game is a real-time tactics game, with the ability to control units in the air, on the surface, and underground. Stormrise is set in a post-apocalyptic world, presenting a civilization that has begun to once again emerge after a catastrophic event. Two warring factions arise from the rubble: the Echelon, a technologically advanced race that endured the planet's fallout by way of self-induced hibernation, and the Sai, a tribal society that adapted to the new environment and evolved.

Development

Stormrise was in development at The Creative Assembly's Australian studio and was released for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 3 in March 2009.[3] The Windows version requires Windows Vista as the engine has been built on and designed around DirectX 10.1.[4]

Critical reception

Stormrise received generally mixed or average to negative reviews. Early reviews from Edge gave Stormrise for the Xbox 360 a 4/10.[5] Edge is quoted as saying "certainly, releasing it so close to Halo Wars suggests deliberate commercial suicide - that its genuinely progressive ideas will be ignored and lost as a result is a minor tragedy. Although Stormrise had some interesting concepts, its overall execution made for some horrendous gameplay."[6]

The PS3 version has received similar reviews from GamesTM with a score of 5/10.[7] GamesTM described Stormrise as having "Cumbersome controls and an ornery camera make any intriguing ideas irrelevant."[8]

PushSquare scored the PS3 version 2/4 claiming that the game was "heavy on innovation but weak on execution".[9] PSM3 Magazine UK gave the game 7.9/10.[10] PSM3 said the game was "smarter than the average console RTS but not quite brilliant."[11] Hyper's Daniel Wilks commends the game, saying "when Whip Select work[s] it is a brilliant innovation. The full 3D rendering of the landscape is great." However, he criticises the game for "the muddy graphics [that] hinder gameplay. Whip Select is awkward to use during pitched battles."[12]

Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot[13] said in his review of the game, "Stormrise is one of those games that makes you wonder, 'What were they thinking?' This real-time strategy game is, from top to bottom, misconceived, frustrating, frequently broken, and rarely fun." VanOrd claimed "Developer Creative Assembly has built an entire product around a fundamentally flawed control scheme and neglected almost every important facet of the RTS genre." He ultimately scored the game a 2.5/10. VanOrd summed it up by saying "This frustrating, broken mess is one of the worst strategy games in years."

Tom Price of TeamXbox gave the game a fairly good review of 7.3/10. Price said the game had "Some really cool ideas that needed a bit more help from the game’s interface and information-delivery systems." He also said the game was "almost too innovative for its own good."[14]

Patch cancellation and departure of staff

Development of the second patch was cancelled on 28 April 2009 [15] one month after release. The Creative Assembly indicated that the cancellation was due to the financial costs involved, stating "The second patch that has been worked on by The Creative Assembly Australia will not make it into the hands of the Stormrise players, due to costs and risks associated with testing and certifying the new changes and features."

The critical response and low sales have been cited [16] as being factors in the financial decision.

Following the cancellation of the patch, Ken Turner, the creative director behind Stormrise, was released from the studio.

References

  1. ↑ "Stormrise US Release Date". Gamers Hell. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Stormrise for PC: Related Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  3. ↑ Magrino, Tom (10 July 2008). "Creative Assembly building console RTS". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  4. ↑ "Stormrise first DX10 only game - Interview with Lead Designer". PC Games Hardware. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  5. ↑ "Metacritic review summary for Stormrise on 360". Metacritic. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  6. ↑ Edge Magazine Apr 2009, p.118
  7. ↑ "Metacritic review summary for Stormrise on PS3". Metacritic. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  8. ↑ Apr 2009, p.115
  9. ↑ "Stormrise on Playstation 3 Review". PushSquare. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  10. ↑ "Metacritic review summary for Stormrise on PS3". Metacritic. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  11. ↑ PSM3 Magazine Apr 2009, p.70
  12. ↑ Wilks, Daniel (April 2009). "Stormrise". Hyper (Next Media) (187): 54, 55. ISSN 1320-7458.
  13. ↑ Video Games Reviews & News - GameSpot
  14. ↑ http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1674/Stormrise/p1/
  15. ↑ "Stormrise Patch 2 Cancelled". Stormrisers.com. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  16. ↑ "Stormrise Patch 2 Cancelled". Voodoo Extreme. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2009-06-09.

External links