Over the past few years the RTS genre hasn't evolved as quickly as technology has allowed. The latest RTS games are often very similar and not often unique. The popular Earth series of RTS games has always tried to push the boundaries of technology. Earth 2160 seems to continue that trend and from this initial preview looks amazing. Hopefully the shortcomings of the original Earth games have been addressed. If the screenshots are anything to go by, Earth 2160 will be one of the best games of the year so far. Earth 2160 is currently scheduled for release around the 3rd June 2005.

Official Description

EARTH 2160 is the official sequel of the award winning, very popular and top selling EARTH series and continues the brand of Earth 2140 and Earth 2150. Only a few thousand humans managed to escape from the Earth before its collapse in 2150 A.D. They spent the next few years on the terra forming of the red planet, developing new technologies and building up new civilisations. Somehow each of the three fractions "Eurasian Dynasty", "United Civilised States" and "Lunar Corporation" did this independently and separately from each other - but in the year 2160 something strange happens in this new world. If ED, UCS and LC join forces or continue their old war against each other - is possibly now, up to the player.

Beside the usual venues in the solar system, there are some strange looking locations: planets with moving and reflecting liquid surfaces. And beside the standard RTS - resource acquisition, base building and destruction of enemy bases, the year 2160 will have some adventure inspired tasks for the players.

Features

• 4 playable parties with different basic technologies and abilities
• Each party consists of more than 13 basic buildings and more than 13 basic units
• Various enemy races, special units and NPC's
• 4 single player campaigns, each with 7 missions
• Skirmish mode with 10 maps
• 4 Multiplayer modes with 10 maps
• Multiplayer game saves and joining of running matches
• EarthNet Server with ladder and league support
• Modular Unit construction system. Each unit can be created from modular parts: chassis, armour, engine, boosters, cannons (up to 8 cannons), shield generator and modulation of particle weapons and shields. The number of different unit configurations is not countable
• Units can be stored inside hangars. Hangars can be abandoned quickly to surprise an enemy
• Units can be produced directly in hangars
• Realistic, formable multiple textured terrain
• All cut scenes are displayed by the game engine and rendered in real time
• Holographic, transparent interface without the classic panel
• Multiple Window Cam display with first person view
• Main menu with story driven cut scenes (rendered on the fly) in the background
• 12 or more virtual agents. These special characters have strong personalities and a great influence on the game. Each agent has a few special abilities. There are 20 ability categories for the agents
• The economy is based on 3 main material types- water, metal and silicon. For each material there are 3 different sources. Metal types vary on the different maps. Color, HP, speed and armour of the units depend on the metal used. Number of all material sources is 18 (3 for water, 3 for silicon and 12 for metal)
• Multiplayer for up to 8 players per match
• Saved games available in multiplayer
• Possibility to connect to a running game
• MP Spectator mode, Replays
• The Possibility to join an AI player in multiplayer games
• E2160 World editor as an external program
• Per Pixel Shader 1.0, 1.2, 2.0 and 3.0 native support
• EarthC (programming language) SDK for Mod teams
• Full Unicode support

Verdict

At last a game that looks like it will be worth playing this year. RTS games are always popular and with the success of the original there’s no reason why Earth 2160 won't be a huge success.