FleetCOMM: Operation Vigrior PC

FleetCOMM: Operation Vigrior for PC is a science-fiction tactical game featuring an innovative approach to space battles. It is the first game developed by the independent studio Mercenary Games—which has several former members of the U.S. army in their ranks.

Plot

The story takes place in the distant future, during humanity's colonization of exoplanetary systems. One day, however, this dynamic expansion comes to a halt when humanity encounters an aggressive alien race, whose behavior resembles that of a deadly virus. The enemy's army seems inexhaustible, and every soldier they lose is replaced by two others. The humanity's fleet is currently unable to fight them off, which leads to the decision to evacuate of all the colonies located in the Vigrior sector. The player has to command the fleet that is protecting the evacuees during their escape.

Mechanics

FleetCOMM: Operation Vigrior is an open-world strategy game. You start in a closed-off part of the galaxy, but what follows is up to you to decide. During the campaign, you choose the missons to do, fight enormous battles, rescue the colonists and conduct reconnaissance. The game features 2D graphics and focuses on the tactical aspects; you don't build anything or collect any resources. Achieving victories allows you to level up, which in turn lets you expand you fleet, upgrade your ships, and eventually command several flees at once.

What makes this game unique is the formation mechanics, which is the key element of the gameplay. A fleet consists of many different ships, but even the most powerful cannot do much on its own. You need to arrange your ships into complex patterns, which strengthen the attack and defense force of the whole armada. The basic destroyers use powerful laser beams, and several of them usually proves to be deadly to the enemy. On the other hand, the cruisers' cannons have little firepower, but are protected by strong energy shields, which can reflect the enemy's own fire and destroy the units you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach. Laser beams don't just stop when they hit their target, so you can arrange your shields in such a way to destroy several enemy ships with just one beam. Thanks to this system, commanding the fleet seems like something out of a logical game, in which you position your units in order to create carefully woven nets of deadly lasers.

FleetCOMM: Operation Vigrior for PC provides a pattern-memorizing system, which allows you to recreate previously used ship arrangements with just a few mouse clicks. At the same time, the enemy forces move in an erratic and unpredictable way, which calls for constant modifications of your fleet's positions. Sometimes a boss in the form of a gigantic ship makes an appearance, and to defeat them you need to use vastly different tactics. The game also features a multiplayer mode, which pits you against other players or teams you up with them to fight AI-controlled opponents.

Last updated on 11 May 2012