Field Commander

""It's like Advance Wars on Steroids!""

Field Commander is the highly anticipated Strategy game for the PSP. Despite it getting harsh comments for stepping on "Advance Wars Territory," The game is an original game on it's own and has interesting innovations despite some minor quirks. The game pits you as a commander of the secret organization ATLAS as you fight against the terrorist forces of the mysterious Shadow Nation. While the story is mildly entertaining at most, the game's most redeeming value is the fact that you can play over the internet against any opponent you please.

Sound: 9
To tell you the truth, I was impressed. An unknown company coming out with a PSP game with voice acting first shot terror down my spine, but the voices are alright and don't take alot of time to load. Sound effects are really neat and clear, no problem here. The thing I like most is the music and how it really gets people's adrenaline pumping for combat.

Gameplay: 9
Point and click interface with a grid system, this game is relatively simple in terms of gameplay. A new player can easily pick this up and get the hang of this, and yet experts can manipulate certain strategic advantages to get their win. "Division Powers" are alright and varied but one of them can cause a lock in the game if used incorrectly (Hint: Only use Nitro Boost at the beginning of your turn.). Very well done.

Oh, and Online Versus mode. 'nuff Said.

Story: 7
Meh, nothing new really. You command an army that must defend the new world against a terrorist organization, and in several instances you have to display your knowledge against some really intimidating odds. There are a variety of characters...but only 3 are important as everyone else becomes an avatar for online play.

Strategy: 10
They really did well for trying to make a PSP strategy game to combat Nintendo's "Advance Wars." There are various familiar units like the Grunt and Tank and also new units like the Sniper and Concealed Tank. You can stack Ground/Air units in order to further increase defenses in key areas. You can destroy certian terrain tiles to either decrease enemy funds or get rid of enemy cover. The best thing though are the use of several "Command Stations" where you can use a powerful attack every few turns. Brilliantly thought out Sony.

Graphics: 7
Ehh...if they were going to use 3d for this game they could have smoothed it out a bit more. Units are mostly nice, but several units look somewhat blocky. Also during the combat scenes the scale tends to get out of whack (Shouldn't a Tank look bigger than a Half-Tread?). You get a brilliantly detailed 3d map during play...but only one camera location: Overhead.

Overall: -8-
Good solo play, Great online play, customizable maps and online leaderboards. Field Commander takes a portable niche and turned it into an evolving MMO-style game. With multiple unlockables and the lust for battle and competition, this is a good buy just for solo play and a brilliant buy for net play.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/30/06