My first stop during this year’s Gen Con was The Continuum,
a recently-released strategy title that
is heavily influenced by some of the more popular tabletop miniatures
wargames. Since it’s a wholly-electronic
game, though, The Continuum is able to get much, much deeper than most tabletop
skirmishers, something die-hard number crunchers are bound to eat up.
As a bonus, The Continuum is completely web-based. This means there’s no lengthy download or
continuous stream of patches. Just log
in, grab a starter pack and perhaps a few boosters, and begin building an
army. The Continuum is a collectable
game, meaning players buy randomized boosters of units to increase their
forces, although some of the top players on the leaderboards have managed some
respectable achievements without purchasing a single booster. Still, without a monthly fee, buying a few
unit packs here and there can still be cheaper than most MMOs.
The game itself feels much like a tabletop wargame, which is
a good thing. Players choose a point
total to determine the relative size of the forces they’re fielding, organize
their units into squads and armies, and find a challenger. There seemed to be quite a goodly amount of
opponents to choose from, from all over the world, which is an impressive feat
given the game has only recently launched.
An incredibly detailed matchmaking system is in place to insure players
know exactly who they’re up against.
As armies battle, the units gain experience, allowing them
to level up and upgrade their abilities for future fights. Common units, while limited in their upgrade
selection, still have an impressive amount of customizability. Rare units, in comparison, have oodles of
choices, allowing players to have incredibly individualized armies at their
disposal. In fact, there are tons of
numbers and abilities to manage in The Continuum, and each and every one of
them are right upfront for display.
Hard-core gamers will rejoice, but the casual gamer might be a little
put off.
There also seemed to be a very strong fan base at this point
in the game’s early life, which the developers are embracing. Although still early, if this level of fan
and developer cooperation continues, The Continuum will be a great fit for
dedicated strategy gamers, provided they enjoy the collectable-style game.
Check out www.thecontinuum.com
for more details.