Carrier Command
| Developer: Realtime | Graphics: |
 | |
| Publisher: Rainbird | Sound: |
| |
| Year: 1988 | Difficulty: |
 | |
| Genre: Strategy | Lastability: |
 | |
| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
8/10 | |
2166, following recent volcanic activity, a new archipelago rich in raw materials was discovered somewhere in the ocean. Naturally, two heavily armed aircraft carriers were sent to seize it, with the noble intention of solving the global energy crisis, pacifying the world, defending freedom, and all that… Unfortunately, a foreign (terrorist) force captured one of the two giants. They threaten to destroy everything! You must take command of the second aircraft carrier and kick their asses.
Carrier Command is a futuristic naval battle simulator (and flight, though basic), in real time, focused on both action and strategy. The interface, well-organised, remains complex. Make sure you have the manual close by.
Your objective is to colonize, one by one, the 64 islands in the sector and develop your supply network, while your opponent does the same. Once your territorial dominance is established, all that’s left is to eliminate the enemy aircraft carrier.
Your freedom of action is vast, as are the resources at your disposal. Judge for yourself: four planes and four amphibious tanks controlled remotely, plus a battery of drones. It’s difficult to manage all of that at once. You have the option to program the autopilot for your vehicles but also to take manual control in “hot” moments.
What about the strategic dimension? It’s up to you to manage the logistics that will arm and supply your fleet. Build various structures (factories, mines, command centers) and, at the same time, sabotage the enemy’s facilities by sending them computer viruses.
The artificial intelligence isn’t very advanced, so to give it a chance, the programming god granted it the ability to move at the speed of sound and pass through solid matter. As a result, the computer captures the islands one by one while you trundle along aboard your lumbering supertanker, taking your sweet time to reach your targets.
The 3D “solid surfaces” graphics will elicit different reactions depending on the platform (let’s not forget the game was released on most computers of the time: ZX Spectrum, Macintosh, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Atari ST, PC, and Amiga). In any case, the flawless fluidity deserves praise.
In the end, this is a game ahead of its time, blending genres while maintaining a certain depth. It’s certainly hard to master, but so original and innovative that we forgive its flaws. However, Mr. Whittaker, you should try to put the brakes on recycling sound effects. I’ve already heard your samples in Xenon, Beyond the Ice Palace, Thundercats, Bubble Bobble, and I’m starting to get tired of them!
Two years later, the sequel will be released: Battle Command (a tank game), followed in 2001 by a remake on PC: Hostile Waters, and more recently: Carrier Command 2 (2021).
|
