Herzog Zwei

"Blitzkrieg!"

Herzog Zwei is a RTS game developed by TechnoSoft. This is probably the first RTS game of all time, it came before Warcraft, C&C, Dune, Z, etc. and you know what, it is so freaking great that I wonder why it went unnoticed.

Gameplay: 8/10
Replay Value: 7/10

In Herzog Zwei you'll play against one opponent, human or CPU controlled, with the purpose of destroying his base. The game is a RTS BUT and that's a huge but, you actually control only one unit! This unit is a giant flying Jet that can turn into a walking Mech. This is the most important unit since only it can fly thus being able to travel far at great speed and because it can shoot enemy units down very easily. But the most important feature of your Mech is the ability to give commands. When you are above a structure of yours you can select what units it will build and after that either leave it there or carry it with you and place it somewhere on the map.

What you need to do is to occupy some neutral buildings scattered around the map in order to produce more money and of course to train units in them. The only units that can occupy these structures are the simple infantry, the cheapest unit in the game. Some other innovations can be seen in the rest of the units. All vehicles need fuel, so you must place them near the enemy so that they have enough fuel to fight or create a fuel filling vehicle and keep it near them. Defensive units like stationary missile units have a certain amount of ammo so they must also be refueled after a while. When you place a unit somewhere you can also specify its AI! Will it defend the base? Will it run and occupy the closest structure, will it just stay put, or go straight to the enemy base? It's all up to you!

Map design is simple but good with different strategy needed for a level full of lava or water, a straightforward grassland or a complex maze or bridges, etc. There isn't a campaign in the game and there are only a couple of lines of plot in the manual and nothing more, something that is a pity. But the value of Herzog Zwei lies in its simple and addictive one on one gameplay. It might get boring after completing it against the CPU, (a hard game, believe you me!), but if you plan on playing it with a friend get ready for hundreds of hours of pure RTS blitzkrieg!

Graphics: 6.5/10
Design: 5/10

Without being bad the graphics of HZ aren't something special. We have about 5 kinds of levels, like the arctic level, the grassland, the lava level, etc. All these areas have nothing special about them, the textures are very simple without any sort of special effects or animations and no extra details added. The structures are very simple too and so are the units that are very small and almost monochromatic.

Sound: 7/10
Music: 8/10

HZ features great music with very good and high-tempo rock themes that create a nice action atmosphere for the game and makes the already fast paced gameplay seems even faster. Sound effects are ok, I guess and deserve a 6/10 but I've given a 7/10 because sound effects aren't here just for decoration. What I mean is that while you move around commanding you can hear when a unit has been created or when a battle takes place somewhere, something very important in strategy games.

Positives:
-Only one controllable unit that is the general commander
-Great innovations with the units
-Simply the best 1vs1 strategy game along with Z
-Good music, sound effects that inform you about events

Negatives:
-Luck of a campaign
-It's a 1 on 1 game only…
-Might get boring without a human opponent

Also Play:
Command & Conquer (Series)(PC)
Dune (PC)
Dune 2000 (PC)
Z (PC, Playstation)

Overall: 6.9/10

Being a gamer all my life I know that it needs more than a good game to sell… you need good marketing, good timing and you need to add more “spice”, like a background story or something and give some character to the game. Herzog Zwai lacks character but it is without a doubt a good game that, if you consider a true strategy fan, will enjoy it very much!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/09

Game Release: Herzog Zwei (EU, 1990)