Game: Nuclear Dawn

Platform: PC (Online-Only)

Publisher: InterWave Studios

Developer: InterWave Studios

ESRB: NA

Genre: FPS / RTS

Players: 32 max

What's Hot: Variety of classes/equipment load-outs; Fun rock-paper-scissor class mechanics; Interesting implementation of FPS/RTS mechanics; Every round plays out differently; Working with a good team is an absolute joy

What's Not: Still feels unpolished; many annoying (minor) bugs; Poor hit-boxes on map objects and horrible ladders can make navigating levels a chore; Cumbersome in-game menu system; RTS implementation is a little clunky

---

Review by: Connor Cleary

At first glance, Nuclear Dawn feels like just another easily forgettable FPS, but if you fight past the fairly steep learning curve and dig a little deeper, you find a fun and surprisingly complex game waiting for you. Nuclear Dawn takes the basic “Red and Blue battle for objective points” formula and adds another layer by allowing one player on each team to take on the responsibility of Commander. While it certainly isn't the first game to combine FPS and RTS it does have its own spin on the concept. Playing as the Commander does indeed feel like playing an RTS with a human-controlled army—which can be either extremely satisfying or unbelievably frustrating and like many games that rely on player-based command-structures, the weakest link of Nuclear Dawn is, invariably, other players.

You choose between four classes: Assault, Exo (Heavy), Stealth, and Support—and each class has two or three different equipment load-outs. Since each class/load-out combination plays differently; there's a lot of variety for the ground troops to play with. There is also a persistent experience system that grants access to “Gizmos” that customize your load-out further—expanded magazines, armor-piercing bullets, different gun-sights, etc. (But these don't make Nuclear Dawn “top-heavy” and inaccessible to newbies like many games with similar systems.) The ground troops' main goal is capturing objective-points that provide a flow of resources the Commander needs to build structures and buy upgrades.

One of the best aspects of the class system is the rock-paper-scissor relationship between the three infantry types: An Assault can't hold his ground in a firefight with an Exo, but the Assault's (toggleable) thermal vision can reveal cloaked Stealthers. A quick-moving, cloaked Stealther can sneak up on a slow-moving Exo and score a one-hit-kill backstab, but won't last long if he's spotted by the Assault's thermal vision. The Support class options include the Engineer, Medic, or “BBQ” flamethrowers. Teamwork is really important in Nuclear Dawn, so landing in a team that works well together is an absolute joy—but this also means the opposite is infuriating.

Nuclear Dawn's RTS aspect wouldn't be able to stand on its own, but in tandem with the interesting ground-war and the difficulties inherent in issuing commands to actual people, it becomes a fast-paced, twitch-decision balancing act that is great fun. The RTS interface is pretty clunky, but you get used to it. Don't expect to jump into the hot-seat right off the bat though; to be an effective commander requires an intimate understanding of each map, and an understanding of defensible structure placement, both of which can only be obtained through experience as a soldier. Commanders also need to spend their resources effectively to balance troop supplies, forward spawn points, equipment upgrades and power management. Orders issued by the Commander, when followed, also grant bonus experience to the troops.

Even something as simple as a well-placed supply-station can change the entire momentum of a battle, so it probably goes without saying that a good Commander is a prerequisite for winning. Luckily there is a “Mutiny” system that lets the team give ineffective leaders the boot. Another brilliant little feature is the “Surrender” option; if your team is being beaten against the wall with no hope of a comeback, Nuclear Dawn gives your Commander the option to mercifully put an end to the slaughter by Surrendering.

It's far from the best-looking game on the market, but it's also far from the worst, and the gameplay makes up for it anyway. The levels are all inspired by specific locations—like New York, and London—which is a nice touch, and the scraps of an apocalyptic war are littered throughout the levels. Most importantly, though, the level designs offer a wide variety of strategic options, so every battle plays out a little differently. It's this kind of variety that will keep you coming back for more. As of this writing, the game lacks a level of polish that I would have liked to see. But a steady stream of patches gives me faith that the development team is working diligently to give Nuclear Dawn the attention it deserves.

Connor Cleary is a contributor to GameShark , Gamasutra , and GameCareerGuide . His video game writing archive is called The Blue Key , and he runs a freelance web and graphic design business.