Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde

"A Goblin strategy game. Well at least it is unique."

Goblins on the cover of a game. Almost gets your attention right off the bat. It is hard to find the game, so the big question is, if you do happen to stumble upon it, is it worth buying? Read on to find out.

It is a strategy game, which is hard to find on the Gamecube period. So there is little to compare the game to for the system. So if you want a strategy game for the Gamecube of any kind, the quick answer to the question of whether to buy this is a definite yes. But for a more detailed response, here we go.

Story: (5/10) Without giving much away, basically this guy who created/is master of the goblins dies, and everyone is blaming the rock goblins, whom you start off with. You go around trying to explain to others it was not your fault, but all of the goblins are much like Klingons, the only way to solve anything is fight. So on to battle!

In a nutshell is the entire story. It does not go into more detail until late in the game.

Graphics: (6/10) Well I did not expect much, and did not get much. On the plus side, everything is visible, you know where and what everything is, but it looks a step above the N64 in terms of graphics. The game will not knock you out with its beauty.

There were a few glitches here and there, but nothing too bad. That is my main issue when it comes to graphics, so it was nice to see the development team for the most part got that aspect of the game correct. In addition, the game most of the time is so far away because of the top view camera angle that a lot of detail would almost be unnecessary. Weapons and armor do look different on the goblins when you upgrade them, so there was some graphical effort put into the game.

Sound: (5/10) On the plus side, the goblins talk. They even created a language for the goblins, which is somewhat cool. However, it sounds annoying. You get tired of the goblins talking very quick. Thankfully, there are English subtitles so if it really annoys you, just lower the sound during the cut scenes.

The music itself is not bad, but it is nothing that you will remember or be humming in the middle of the day. On the plus side, none of the music is annoying, so if you happen to be a slow-working strategy game player, you can play a level for over an hour and the music will not drive you bonkers.

Controls: (9/10) Here is one of the bright spots of the game. The controls are very easy to pick up and master. Most strategy games are only supposed to be good on the PC because of the keyboard and mouse, but for some reason the controls in this game are very good. I wish you could send part of one goblin species in one direction and the other half in the other sometimes, but nothing is perfect.

You will find few games on any system with better controls than this game. I think this is a big deal since I can get very annoyed with some games because of horrible controls.

Challenge: (3/10) This game is super easy. You will fly through most of the game without dying/failing. It is not hard to figure out and just not a big challenge. The game does get harder as you go along, but you master it almost at a faster rate, so it is hard to notice sometimes. Just do not use the magic items and the challenge will be okay, but then again they are fun to use.

The final three levels are the exception, but I did not die more than one time before the final level. The final level is super hard, you have a time limit (I do not consider that a spoiler), so I guess learn to work quickly because you do have to precise in that final level.

Fun Factor/Replay Value: (5/10) The game was fun, but since the story isn't anything to remember or die for, little reason to play it again. If you could start with a different goblin species at the beginning of the game after beating it the first time, that would have helped. There is a multi-player mode, did not try it, but that would add some replay value if you have a friend that wants to battle.

Overall: (6/10) It is not a bad game. It is not a great game. It is just a solid game. I enjoyed it for what it was worth, but had I bought it new for $50, I would have been thoroughly disappointed.
I would say that as long as you find it for $15 or less and you like strategy games, pick it up. It will not wow you, but if you like strategy games and do not want a game that will take you 80 hours to beat (I am guessing around 8-12 for this game) you have a worth while game. I would say rent it to beat it, but that is hard to find nowadays.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/31/07

Game Release: Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde (US, 12/16/03)