Oil Rush

I generally like strategy games and Oil Rush is a decent example of one, however I think the interface, built specifically for this game, is too clunky. Long loading screens and cheesy dialogue for the cut scenes don't help it's case either.

As the title suggests, you need to control resources (oil) in a future world that has been flooded. Using oil for currency you can buy units and upgrades to fight off attacks and take control of existing resources. The game is really well detailed, the action is pleasing to watch, and the game touts a stripped down interface. Unit and resource production bases are not built, only captured, and units are auto-generated based on the building designation; the same goes for unit deployments, you select their base, then determine what percentage of available manpower is sent out.

Definitely a nice looking game.

The game looks great and it has a decent concept for the plot, however I'm finding the interface to be problematic. The key to a great RTS is a fluid interface that allows you to be quick at each action; with this one I found unit selection and upgrading to be a bit slow. I'm sure more practice would increase my ability, but the great RTS's I can remember playing, like Warcraft I and II, didn't require that time, just time to get into the flow of the game. I also found the loading times to be a little too long, there is a lot going on in each map and, once loaded, they perform well, but it's a little distracting.

6/10 for Oil Rush, a good looking game with an interesting premise (even if a bit overdone), but execution on the game mechanics falls short, either because of or in spite of the design.