The Outforce

In 1944, when the Germans were facing the wrath of the Allied bombing campaign, many attempts to divert attention from the real targets were made. One such decoy was built in occupied Holland. The German 'airfield' was constructed with meticulous care and was made almost entirely of wood. There were wooden hangars, oil tanks, gun emplacements, trucks, and aircraft. The day finally came when the decoy was finished, down to the last wooden plank. And early the following morning, a lone RAF plane crossed the Channel, came in low, circled the field once, and dropped a large wooden bomb.

Outforce too could be described as a copy of a true RTS with a bit of a wooden feel to it. While the background graphics are utterly splendid, and there is flare, smoke and every other type of 3D effect known to man, it still doesn't quite pass itself off as the real thing. Sure, there are some heavy Homework! influences in the graphics, and as with most RTS games, there's resource gathering and construction. But it just doesn't feel solid. The lack of a proper 3D view might have something to do with it. Also, there's the fact that it relies too much on force and not enough on tactics, so that the side with the biggest ships and most firepower will always win the day.

However, The Outforce isn't a Westwood or Ubi Soft production. By all accounts this is the first attempt at a game from a bunch of guys somewhere in Eastern Europe. And a valiant effort they have made too, although the $29.99 price tag is taking the piss somewhat. If the game was pitched at under $20 it would definitely be worth a punt. Instead it's more of a wooden wonder.