By Sagar Sharma

Atari’s 1980 classic, Warlords, has been reimagined for the new generation of consoles.  The original Warlords title for the Atari was a game that expanded on the classic brick breaking game, Breakout (1976).  The twist was that it would be a competitive title with up to four players knocking the ball(s) between each other and defending their base from contact.  Unfortunately, there has been little evolution since then and there is an overall lack of polish in the finished product.

Developed by Griptonite Games, the 2012 version of Warlords retains the same gameplay elements, but now includes various power ups.  These powers include reversing the paddle control for your opponent and having temporary steel protection for the base you are defending.  Only a handful of abilities are available, resulting in matches that will quickly become repetitive.  With a precision demanding title such as this, it is baffling there would be frame rate issues as I saw myself take damage on several occasions due to the delay in response.  When the action is at its apex is when the game lags the most.  Oddly enough, the frame rate notably dips even in the main menu of the game when switching between modes; this points to a clear lack of refinement by Griptonite Games.

With such a simple gameplay mechanic as Warlords, one would assume there would be a bevy of alternate gameplay options and modes to keep the player engaged.  This is not the case as it is a relatively barebones affair.  The saving grace for the title is the multiplayer, which is well implemented and offers all the customization options one would expect.  The campaign mode is just a series of bouts against the A.I. and the developer does little else to help engage the gamer.

For what Warlords offers, the asking price of $9.99 will likely be too much to request from gamers, especially with so many expansive downloadable titles in the same price range offered on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade (releasing next month).  This game would be much better suited in bite-sized experiences and offering no Vita supported was a real missed opportunity.  Another reimagining may be due for the Warlords franchise (*1/2, Available now on PSN for $9.99 and on November 14^th on XBLA for 800pts).

+ Multiplayer support

+ Faithful translation of classic gameplay

- Steep price at $9.99

- Frame rate drops during hectic moments

- No variety and little incentive to return to play

- Missed opportunity for Vita support

Tags: Griptonite Games, Warlords

This entry was posted on Friday, October 19th, 2012 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Video games.
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