It’s a great time to be a PC gamer right now. According to Statista, over 10,000 games were published on Steam alone in 2022. Microsoft Xbox Game Pass offers a generous selection of games for a monthly subscription, which also includes certain games from EA Origins library. The Epic Store is also still a thing from what I hear. We truly are spoilt for choice. But when does a lot become too much? We can’t play every single game out. Gone are those days where you could ask a friend “Have you played this yet?” and stand a very good chance that they will reply with “Yes of course I have!”. There are obviously exceptions, but I can almost guarantee you haven’t played a game that I’ve been playing almost non-stop for a few weeks (if you want to know what that is, read this review).
The importance of a trusted brand
Time is precious, even more so as we get older. Once you reach that stage, you’re looking for trusted brands and titles. A player is not going to wade through 10,0000 games to find one they like. Trust me, I’ve tried. You give up after a while. So while you might have a specific genre in mind, you may need a little more guidance. You see a brand, and you recognize it as a brand that has put out some games you’ve enjoyed. Square Enix – you’ll likely end up with a well-made JRPG. Klei – you’ll end up with a well-made indie with an iconic art style you’ve come to love since your first outing with Don’t Starve. These are good publishers because they’ve recognized that trust between seller and consumer is vital to sales.
The rise and fall and rise of MicroProse
If you didn’t play PC games in the 90s, the name MicroProse might be a bit new to you, but you will almost certainly recognize some of the titles. This is because their initial success has meant their names have lived on, either through remakes, sequels, or sheer fandom. X-Com. Civilization. Transport Tycoon. Rollercoaster Tycoon. Magic: The Gathering. Mechcommander. Mechwarrior 3. The brand gave us some great titles that were both enjoyable and memorable.
However, in 1998, they were bought by Hasbro Interactive. A few years later, Hasbro was acquired by Infogrames and operated under the name Infogrames Interactive. And then from 2003 onwards, it went dead.
Fast forward to 2019 when a gentleman called David Lagettie picked up the brand. Since then, the brand has gone through a revival. Through the publication of some very carefully picked games, MicroProse is starting to gain its ground once again as a trusted publisher of good quality products which appeal to both those who came to love the brand in the 90s, and to newer players who are perhaps looking for something different from the brands we’ve come to recognize during this age of digital distribution.
So please, lend me your eyes and ears, as I cover some MicroProse releases that I feel deserve your attention.
Carrier Command 2
Carrier Command 2 is the sequel to Carrier Command, originally published in 1988, which itself was remade in 2012 in the form of Carrier Command: Gaia Mission. Artistically, it looks like a 90s game, but graphically it has been given a modern overhaul. Gameplay-wise, it is much the same.
With a combination of Real Time Strategy and First/Third Person Shooter, you are in control of an aircraft carrier on another planet. Colonization of the planet hasn’t exactly gone to plan, as the other aircraft carrier has been taken over by terrorists. The aircraft carriers are able to deploy and remotely control other vehicles, and it’s up to you to deploy and take over islands one by one. Ultimately, your goal is to destroy the other aircraft carrier.
As the captain, it’s your task to go to all of the consoles available to you to accomplish your mission. You truly feel in control of this huge ship, launching invasion fleets against the enemy while raining death down on them with missiles. If you feel the need to control deployed units, that’s no problem – take control of them from a console and move and fire as you feel.
Carrier Command 2 succeeds in delivering a solid strategy with a retro feel game but with a modern aesthetic. As an added bonus, it can also be played in Virtual Reality (VR), so those with compatible headsets can really get immersed in the battle.
Regiments
Regiments is a Cold War-era Real Time Strategy game that has you taking control points across a vast battlefield that the player can zoom in and out of. You do this by calling in units from off the map by spending gradually increasing points or using them to throw in artillery or airstrikes. This all sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It certainly feels like a Eugen Systems game in a lot of ways.
There are however some very important differences to the Wargame series. Firstly, it’s single-player only. Secondly, the units you call in are based on the Regiments that are available to you in each phase of the battle, as opposed to selected units that you have unlocked and built your army with. Finally, it’s not nearly as stressful as the Wargame series. While Wargame is excellent at what it does, missions are incredibly tense and the smallest of errors will cost you dearly. Multiplayer is also a very uncomfortable place to be in, especially if you are a new player. Regiments strips all of the negative elements of Wargame and leaves you with a well-built, utterly enjoyable RTS with a presentation not dissimilar to the Eugen Systems games we’ve grown accustomed to since the release of Wargame: European Escalation (or if you want to go back a bit further, RUSE).
Waronoi
Perhaps Regiments is still a touch too familiar to Wargame for you? Perhaps you are looking for an even more casual, retro take on the RTS genre which still offers a fair challenge?
Waronoi is the game for you. Much like Regiments, you take over control points on a map, but your ultimate goal is to destroy the HQ of the other player. Waronoi however does something very cool – using the HQ, you deploy a command structure of units. You can then select units by chain of command and give them orders separately from other chains of command. If a higher level of a unit in a chain of command is destroyed, then the whole chain is destroyed.
The unit choice is fairly limited, but the gameplay more than makes up for anything this game lacks which Regiments and Wargame has. The maps are also procedurally generated, so every battle is different. It should also run on a potato, so if you need that war game itch scratched as swiftly and as easily as possible, you can’t go wrong with Waronoi.
Second Front
Those looking at a Turn Based Strategy should look at Second Front. Hex-based Turn Based Strategies set in World War 2 are not very hard to come by. In my view, Unity of Command set a solid standard for what games in this genre should aspire to, but many have failed.
Second Front takes a unique approach. One stark difference is its art style – it is much different from what one might expect. It’s almost cartoon in nature, but there is nothing comical about the gameplay. It has some great elements to it, and it offers a challenge to both novice and experienced players.
Once you’ve completed the generous amount of missions available to you, you can go and create your own. Second Front offers a very thorough Map and Scenario Editor, allowing you to get your creativity on and build your own unique battlefields and missions.
HighFleet
Roguelikes are very much in and have been for a while. MicroProse clearly recognizes this, and in 2021 they published HighFleet. Set in what appears to be a vast desert landscape, HighFleet combines fleet management with diplomacy and arcade combat to bring you an interesting take on the roguelike genre.
As a pilot of a rag-tag fleet of flying ships, you have to fly across various points on a map, scavenging or purchasing new parts to upgrade your craft, while avoiding battle where possible and engaging where necessary. Fuel is scarce, and difficult choices have to be made.
It’s an interesting concept, and it’s got a lot of style and substance to it, though the arcade combat is tricky to master. With time and perseverance, this game shines and ultimately, it is a rewarding experience.
What’s next for MicroProse?
David Lagettie was brave to pick up the MicroProse brand, a brand that has some of the best-known strategy games tied to it. In order for its revival to succeed, the games that they choose to publish have to be very carefully selected to ensure that the trust of its intended audience is either born or born again and then built upon as time goes on. Given what they have already released, they have so far succeeded in giving those looking for solid, single-player experience what they’ve been seeking for some time.
Currently waiting in the sidelines (but with a demo available), is Arms Trade Tycoon: Tanks, a business management game where you design and sell tanks. And then, during the time of writing this piece, MicroProse announced that they’ve brought Falcon back into their fold, a series of flight simulator games they published back in their heyday. You can find the collection on Steam.
You could say that MicroProse has arrived at just the right time, either by identifying customers’ needs or by sheer coincidence. However you look at it, MicroProse is back, and they mean business.
