Empire Earth 2 - T

Entertaining and even educational, but takes a serious time commitment.

Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games Category/Genre: Video Games - Real Time Strategy (RTS) Platform: Windows Price: $49.99 Graphics: Medium. A little behind the times. Playability: Hard. Difficult to master/complex controls make for a steep learning curve. Reading Level: 7+. Although the game employs voice-overs, reading is still needed for parts of the game. Release Date: 04/26/2005 ESRB Rating: T

Common Sense Note

Parents should know that this game, while educational, inevitably contains a number of battle scenes. They are fairly innocuous, however, and the game includes an option to turn off blood. Also, parents should know that it can be played online and take proper precautions if they allow their kids to use this option.

Families who play this game may want to discuss how civilizations grow and develop. What do you need to ensure success? Also, the game mixes factual history with fictional accounts. Parents may want to ask: Is this fun, or only confusing? How is it possible to distinguish between what's real and what isn't?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Jeremy Gieske

EMPIRE EARTH 2 is a good game for players looking for a challenging but rewarding game. The design of Empire Earth 2 builds upon the original Empire Earth game, giving players a much deeper experience and more strategic game.

The game has two primary modes of play: multi-player skirmishes and single-player campaigns. Skirmishes have one overarching objective, such as capturing a number of territories, or completely eliminating all other opponents. Most objectives require some sort of military action, but players also need to build a strong economy before they can amass an army of any size. The faster a player can harvest resources like food, wood, and gold, the quicker they can build an army and complete the objectives of the game.

Campaigns have similar gameplay to skirmishes, but they contain a series of linked scenarios that build upon each other. In addition, each scenario may contain a number of mini-objectives, such as capturing a certain place on the map or defending a key ally. Players can choose from four campaigns: they can follow the creation and unification of the Korean nation; explore the expansion of Germany during the middle ages; develop the United States into a world superpower during the 19th century; or play several "turning points" battles, such as D-day. In addition to these pre-made campaigns, players can use the map-editor to create their own scenarios and campaigns.

One of the game's strongest selling points is its subtle inclusion of good educational material. Each scenario starts with a (usually accurate) snapshot of the historical context of the situation. And the lessons don't end there. During one scenario, players learn how the media influenced American sentiment and helped begin the Spanish-American war in Cuba. Players will also learn the value of diplomacy: in some scenarios it becomes vital to establish alliances through the use of treaties and counter-treaties. Players learn about economics by buying and selling resources, the values of which shift based on supply and demand.

Even military tactics are explored. While brute force is successful in the most lopsided of scenarios, players typically need to employ real strategy to defeat their enemies. Different troop formations and mixes of troops vastly affect the outcome of the battle, and war plans can be drawn up on a map and shared with allies to coordinate an attack.

It is worth noting that the game contains a fair amount of "alternate history." For example, during the tutorial, the game has the player taking command of the Aztec civilization. However, during the game, the player defeats Cortez and the Spanish, and later levels have the player (and the Aztec nation) allying themselves with the Americans to defeat the now-fascist Incas?!? In and of itself, alternate histories can be an interesting and imaginative way to look at how things could be, but it is confusing when portrayed along side truly historical events like the Spanish-American war. Positively, the game will hopefully inspire players to find out what really happened. Negatively, some players could get a very confusing portrayal of history.

Parents should also be aware that the game requires a fairly high-end machine to run well. It is advisable that your computer meets the recommended specifications (not just the minimum) for the game to perform at an acceptable level. Slower computers may make the game practically unplayable, as the reaction time is too slow. All in all the game is a worthwhile investment, especially for gamers who like real-time-strategy games. Casual players may find the game slightly less enjoyable, at least initially, as the learning curve can be steep. Nonetheless, players will be rewarded by a game that is both entertaining and educational.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content
Violence Large-scale, frequent battles, typically presented in a historical sense. Blood can be turned off.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior The game allows diplomacy, but treaties typically can be broken. There is constant warfare between nations, with peace rarely being an option.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco
	Educational Value Many opportunities for players to learn about world history, economics, diplomacy, and military tactics. One caution:fictional "history" is mixed in with factual history which could be confusing for players.