Hammer and Sickle Preview

Post War battles CDV Entertainment and Nival Interactive are the two names who pioneered strategy games based on the World War 2 scenarios. CDV with its Blitzkrieg series and Nival with its Silent Storm game paved the way for dozen other strategy games set in backgrounds of World War 2. Now they are coming with Hammer and Sickle, which is one of the first games that leads the gamer away from World War II strategy gaming, It takes place in 1949; a period where NATO and the USSR armies are amassing huge stocks of nuclear weapons. This leads to tensions in Europe, especially in Germany and the situations seems to be leading towards a new war. The game utilizes Nival Imperative’s Silent Storm game engine which is pretty impressive itself, and would enable the gamers to enjoy a challenging turn-based strategy gameplay.

What’s your type?

As u start the game, you have to create a unique character. The game features six character types each having their pros and cons, but you can customize the type you choose to fit your playing style. There is a Scout character which is particularly good at hiding and melee combat. Next you have a Soldier who lacks the ability to hide but makes it up with his weapons skill. Snipers, although weaker than soldiers in terms of taking damage, are preferable to take out enemies at long ranges. Next are the Grenadiers who are experts at using heavy weapons. Then there is the Engineer character who is a non-combat, but skilled at disarming devices and picking locks. Lastly, there is the Medic who can heal themselves and others during combat.

Hammer & Sickle puts you in the shoes of a Soviet spy at the end of the Second World War. You will have to create a network of spies and agents so as to create a team comprising various character types, for completing the missions given to you by the Soviet government. As you move forward in the game you will gain experience that levels up your character. On attaining a new level, you will be able to allocate points to learn new abilities.
Points of Action

Hammer and Sickle plays almost the same way as Silent Storm as far as gameplay is concerned. In terms of controls and mechanics also there isn’t much difference visible between both the games. Each of the six character’s every action uses the action points available in set numbers to each character in order to complete actions such as attacking, running, picking up a dead body, opening a window or even laying flat on the ground. Money can be earned from various opportunities available in almost every area of the game and can be spent for buying, weapons, forged papers, or hiring soldiers and agents to help you. The game features a team-based system which allows the player to control the actions of his whole team. A player can use everything from punches, kicks, knives, guns, grenades etc to achieve their target and eliminate the enemy.

The focus of the game is primarily spying and learning to adopt various methods to fulfill the same mission. Although the game emphasizes stealth to be the primary method to achieve objectives, you always have the freedom to choose your course of action. But if you choose violence as a statement over stealth, there will be repercussions both immediate and long-term.

All the actions taken by you put an effect on the player’s “behavior meter.” If it gets too high, the NATO authorities will assume that the Russians are carrying out sabotage in preparation for a nuclear attack, and hence, US will decide to launch their missiles in a pre-emptive strike. So one has to be careful about the course of action chosen for completion of objectives, so that the meter doesn’t go overboard.

Gearup

As mentioned, to use weapons action points have to be utilized, and depending on the type of weapon and the shooting mode chosen, the amount of action points used will be determined. There are six shooting modes available snap shot, aimed shot, accurate shot, sniper shot, short burst, and long burst. Firing a snap shot will cost less action points than a sniper shot. You will have access to classic World War 2 weapons such as the PPS-43 submachine gun which can fire off short or long bursts and the Mosin sniper rifle which would offers snap, aimed, and accurate shots.

Along with firearms, you also have access to other weapons within the game which includes bladed weapons, grenades, and landmines. The use of blades would require fewer action points, but your target must be very near to use them such as by sneaking up behind an unaware enemy, you can get rid of them by using a knife or dagger. There are various types of grenades available, ranging from fragmentation to stun, and can be thrown at varying distances. The landmines being more difficult to detect and disarm require characters with high engineering and observations skills, once they are disarmed you can replant them at location you choose.

SilentStorm reformed

The level of detail in the game is quite remarkable in both outdoor and indoor environments, and the scope of the world is also very impressive. With each new mission a new area is entered, and a large map is added to the available world. Players are free to undertake missions in new areas or revisit old areas, but sometimes they are forced to play in a specific area. The mission areas are large and well detailed. You will find many characters scattered around in the levels that can interact with the player and it depends on you to make friends with them or try to buy more bullets for your favorite gun from them. As the game uses the Silent Storm engine, the game is visually sharp with solid environments and detailed character models. The world also shows various other effects such as effects done by grenade on the surrounding areas.

The audio is equally as promising, featuring a library of effects authentic to the weapons used in the game. The voice-over work is very well done, adding a depth to the interactions that text-based games often lack.

Hammer & Sickle seems to be the new star on the horizon for real-time strategy games. The game’s turn-based mechanics, which allow several types of movement, attacks, and stealth techniques, are refreshing. The game has already been released in Russia and is being adapted for a US release, it is slated to be released in late October, and by the looks of the game so far it would be a dawn of a new day for strategy games.