June 22 - Enemy at the Gates: A Review « Giveaway of the Day Forums

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June 22 - Enemy at the Gates: A Review

(20 posts) (8 voices)

Started 15 years ago by Whiterabbit-uk
Latest reply from kilgor

Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

The Game:

June 22nd: Enemy at the gates looks remarkably like battle rush that was given away just over a year ago, though I couldn’t swear to it now as I deleted the game due to having Tanks Evolution that was also given away a few months ago, which (IMO) is a much better version of this game. If you’re interested, check out the link to Tank Commander below; it’s one of those games from Gametop.com. If you don’t already know, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that it is the very same game as Tanks Evolution.

Today’s game has very basic graphics, the controls are clunky and the levels have very little variation in them apart from the color of the blocks. The one redeeming factor with this game is that you get a levels editor so you are able to create as many extra levels as you wish. You get 30 classic levels and 50 new missions plus as many new level’s as you care to make. These can be accessed from the games start menu. There is a separate shortcut for the map editor.

From the options menu you can select your screen resolution from several choices ranging from 720x576x16 to 1680x1050x32. There’s a toggle to set the game in windowed mode plus an additional mode called scaled that enables you to set the windowed mode to a size similar to a flash game, ie very small. There are three view modes from 2D to two 3D views as well as a gamma correction slider and music and sound controls.

Once you’ve selected new game from the main menu you can select either a one or two player game, where you play in coop mode. That is, you both fight off the enemy tanks, cooperating with each other. Accidentally shooting your buddy has no effect

There are four types of tank to destroy each one worth a different amount of points. These are: Light Tank (100 points), Tank Destroyer (200 points), Heavy Tank (300 points) and Assault Tank (500 points) The higher the point value, the harder it is to destroy the tank. In game there is little to distinguish between the tanks apart from their difference in size though checking the help file . As you progress through the levels you are awarded promotions, the first promotion is at the end of level one and isn’t actually dependent upon you score. The next rank is master sergeant; which appears to be score dependent as I held this rank for two levels?

There are in game bonuses that are gained by destroying commander tanks that appear slightly darker than the usual enemy tank. These bonuses include extra life (spanner/wrench), time stands still (clock), destroy all enemy tanks (bomb), a protect the base bonus(concrete block) and an invulnerability bonus(Shield). As well as a tank upgrade (red star that initially upgrades your weapon to a more powerful 85mm cannon that does more damage. A second upgrade will enable you to fire amour piercing rounds that are even more powerful. These are also capable of destroying the concrete barriers. The concrete blocks (betons), shield and clock are time limited and lasts for 30 seconds whereas the weapons upgrades last for as long as your tank survives or until your base is destroyed. It only takes one hit from an enemy tank to destroy you unless you’ve got the invulnerability shield active. Once your three lives are used up that’s the end of the game.

The editor is very easy to work with having only 12 types of block to work with that mainly includes brick and concrete style blocks with what are supposed to emulate trees and which you can hide under as well as barbed wire fencing. The concrete blocks are indestructible. All custom made levels are accessible from the new games menu. There doesn’t appear to be a save game option, but the review was based upon a demo of the game. I wasn’t able to access any of the new levels or test and save custom made levels.
The game is keyboard controlled. It says on the website that the game can also be controlled by a gamepad or a joystick

The aim of the game is to survive each level, protect your home base from being destroyed by the enemy and destroy a specific number of tanks which is indicated next to the number of lives you have left, which starts at three. At the end of each level you are presented with the end of level statistics which include the numbers of each tank you’ve destroyed, the points for each tank, the score for the level and the cumulative score for the game.

Images:

All on one page:

http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n61/Whiterabbit_01/gaotd/22%20June%20Enemy%20at%20the%20gates/

As a Slideshow:

http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n61/Whiterabbit_01/gaotd/22%20June%20Enemy%20at%20the%20gates/?albumview=slideshow

Googled:

http://search.msn.co.uk/images/results.aspx?q=June+22%2C+Enemy+at+the+gates&go=&form=QBIX

System Requirements:

Minimum:

- English version of Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista
- Intel Pentium II 300MHz or AMD K6-2 450MHz processor
- 64MB RAM (128MB for Windows 2000/XP)
- 4x Speed CD/DVD-ROM drive
- 20MB of uncompressed free hard disk space
- 100% DirectX 7.0 compatible 16-bit sound card and latest drivers
- 100% Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP,2003,Vista compatible mouse, keyboard and latest drivers
- DirectX 7.0
- 8MB 3D hardware accelerator card required - 100% DirectX 7.0 compatible and the latest drivers.*

Recommended:

- English version of Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista
- Intel Pentium III 500MHz or AMD K7 Athlon 500MHz processor
- 128MB RAM (256MB for Windows 2000/XP)
- 4x Speed CD/DVD-ROM drive
- 50MB of uncompressed free hard disk space
- 100% DirectX 7.0 compatible 16-bit sound card and latest drivers
- 100% Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista compatible mouse, keyboard and latest drivers
- DirectX 9.0c
- 32MB 3D hardware accelerator card required - 100% DirectX 7.0 compatible and the latest drivers.*

Conclusion:

Initially I wasn’t impressed with this game, but that was because of the very basic looking graphics. The actual game play is quite reasonable apart from the controls. I found those to be very clunky and lost loads of tanks due to the inability to turn away from incoming fire, though if you’re lucky enough you can destroy incoming shells from other tanks. Once you’ve got used to the controls though you can have a decent enough game. The variety of power ups is okay. If you wish you can change the music which can be found inside the music folder within the main games folder; though you’ll have to convert the music to the ogg format first, then rename the pieces you want to place in game. There are four files that you can add. I’d give this game 6 out of 10.

========================================================================

Suggestions:

Tank Commander (11Mb) This was actually given away a coup[le of months ago but was called Tanks Evolution.

http://www.gametop.com/download-free-games/tank-commander-download/

Tank Assault:

http://www.gametop.com/download-free-games/tank-assault-download/

Posted 15 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

Too bad I can't actually USE that redeeming factor of a level editor, as every time I try to open it I get the dreaded "Memory Access Violation".

Posted 15 years ago #
graylox
Moderator

Thank you Stephen WR for your review. I think I pass this time. Not my kind of game. But I have a question, you write
"System Requirements:
Minimum:
- English version of Microsoft Windows..."
Why? What's the difference for the game system?

Posted 15 years ago #
Midnite-Gypsy
Member

I downloaded this game, loaded it fine. It was all good until I looked at the map editor. Now ALL of my desktop icons have gone and changed to a really dumb one. All my files, folders, everything has the same stupid, ugly icon. I have rebooted, even restored to yesterday, but all to no avail. Any idea how to restore all of my icons?????????????????????????????????????

Posted 15 years ago #
robm
Member

Thanks for the review Stephen, I will also pass on this and seek out the Gametop alternatives. You really do save me an awful amount of time with your wonderful critiques. I am very grateful.

Cheers!

Posted 15 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

Right click the desktop, then click REFRESH. Maybe that will work. If not, you can play your own little game of "Where The Hell Are All My Icons?"

Posted 15 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

I have one further comment to add to WhiteRabbit's review:

"You don't have to e-mail the developer to retrieve a registration code, which makes this program, despite it's fallacies, about a billion times better than Flex GIF Animator."

-Dan

Posted 15 years ago #
graylox
Moderator

Dan, didn't we have quite a lot of fun and excitement with flex Gif? Some people are still expecting ;)

Posted 15 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

Yeah....some suckers....I mean people, think they will get an e-mail. Maybe they will.....but you and I will be long dead by then.

Posted 15 years ago #
graylox
Moderator

Well, I will be 120 (not sooo long to go)
methusalox

Posted 15 years ago #
CreamyPretzel
Member

Hey Graylox!.....Are you any relation to Bagels 'n' Lox?

Posted 15 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

Hi Midnite-Gypsy - Try cleaning out your temporary folders which you can find via:

C:\WINDOWS\Temp

You could also try cleaning the cookies from your system by right clicking on the internet explorer (or firefox if you use that) icon (if you can find it now) though this will mean you'll have to re-type all those saved addresses and passwords to get onto such pages as this one (to be able to post at least). Failing that you're going to have to find where each program is located and individually re-create shortcuts by right clicking on the executable and selecting Send to/create shortcut (desktop) You can see where each program is located by single clicking each shortcut and then hovering the mouse pointer over the icon.

It's really annoying when this happens. Someone last week posted details and a link to a freeware program that saves the positions of your shortcuts so that if something like this happens all you have to do is right click on the desktop and select the program. Voila! Your desktop icons are restored to their former glory. I can't remember offhand what the program is called, but I'll check over the giveaways and/or check my freeware saves. I've only just emptied the freeware folder on my computer that had become very large (around 60Gb) so I'll have to search through the discs (which I've not labeled yet apart from Freeware applications) I'd copied them onto backup DVD's. I also saved those giveaways that are standalone versions as well, plus most of the programs I've bought. Instead of having to search for the programs registration details I've created an executable registry file, which makes it quicker and easier to install the applications than inputting all the details. Though it doesn't work for those programs that have a hexadecimal code specific to one particular computer, (for example Reflexive Games)

Anyway if no one else can remember what the program was called, please bear with me and I’ll post the details when I can.

As for today’s game giveaway; I find Tanks Evolution aka Tank Commander from Gametop a much better game. It’s more challenging, has better graphics, has more environments, more power-ups, and more tanks’ more block types and is generally a more satisfying game, though it doesn’t have a levels editor. I will be keeping today’s game giveaway though because my nine year old son loves games that have their own editors, especially when they are as simple to use as the one for this game. He’ll undoubtedly make hundreds of levels as he has done for games like Professor Fizwizzle (A platform game) and Quadronoid (A breakout game) as well as other arcade games that come with level editors (at the moment he wants to be a game software developer)

On the subject of registration codes. I was quite surprised to get a registration code for today’s game. I can't ever remember getting a reg code for a game before? (<emThough with my awful short term memory I may be wrong - take note Midnite-Gypsy, I may forget my promise, lol)

Have a great weekend folks. Tomorrows game will be a total contrast to today’s game ;) hehe

To robm, you won’t regret choosing the Gametop alternative despite the nag screen that you get when you close the game down. :)

Posted 15 years ago #
graylox
Moderator

Hmm. Bagels, cream cheese ' lox, delicious. But I don't think, that there is an other relation than that I eat them up, I love them so.
bagelsnlox

Posted 15 years ago #
Buckleysmom
Member

Foodlox....you're making me hungry.

Posted 15 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

It's been over 16 hours since I posted my review over in the comments section and it still hasn't been moderated. After staying up till 6am to finish the review I went to bed for two hours and had to set the alarm with the volume full on to wake me up so that I could ensuurethat it was posted when the game was first put up.

Hmmm, I'm not sure about Sundays game giveaway now. I've not started the review yet and there's less than 8 hours to go before the change over. Should I or shouldn't I?????? lol

Posted 15 years ago #
Lockett
Member

That's weird. It showed up as the first one when I visited it. Maybe the page is loading from your browser cache?

Posted 15 years ago #
robm
Member

Lockett is right Stephen. Your review showed up as being first at roughly 3:03 am.

So yes, you should proceed with the review for Sunday.

Thanks!

Posted 15 years ago #
Midnite-Gypsy
Member

Update on my Icons....
Well, I tried everything, and I do mean Everything to get my icons back. Just to let you know, they are back, it Only took, re-formatting my puter.
No idea what happened. And Hubby who's a puter whiz, couldn't fix them.

Now, I have just downloaded AquaWords. I haven't opened it yet.
If it takes my icons away again, well...I will not be held resposible for my actions.....J/K.....

Posted 15 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

You were right Lovkett. I only realised this morning as I always clean out my internet cache when I boot up each morning, and after reading a few of the comments it was obvious that the commet had been moderated.

Sory to here about how you had to cure the problem with the disapperaiong icons. That must have been really infuriating. I haven't found that program mentioned yet.

Posted 15 years ago #
kilgor
Member

I was trying to play June 22, Enemy at the Gates. When I try to play with 1 player, the gun won't shoot. When I try to play with 2 players, player 1, gun will still not shoot but player 2 works fine. I tryed with all Levels of play including the Editor, but player 1 gun will not fire. Is there anything I can change to correct this problem?

Thank you for any help you can give me.
kilgor

Posted 15 years ago #

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