As you may already know, Savage is one of the first games to blend first-person shooting with real-time strategyUnlike most games these days, which are essentially copies of older games that were successful, Savage actually brings something genuinely new to gameplay

One player on each team assumes the role of commander, giving them a 3rd person perspective of the game, while the rest of the players engage in first-person combat much like any other shooterThe commander manages resources, builds structures, conducts research, and guides the other players while they try to destroy their opponent's baseThere is no single player component to Savage; it must be played online, but, like most shooters, anyone can set up a server, and there are no monthly feesHumans and beasts are the two playable races, each with a different selection of warriors and seige weaponry.

 The game begins with only the most basic equipmentThe more advanced units become available as commander builds and researches in a true RTS fashionThe commander can actually select other player units and issue orders, but it is up to the individual players whether to follow the orders or ignore them

Playing as a Warrior
Since there is only one commander on each team, it is the shooter-like role of a warrior that you will be playing most oftenThe FPS aspect of the game is reasonably well-executed, offering an interesting variety of weapons and most of the functionality action gamers are accustomed toThere is some great physics behind the bows, crossbows, and such that demands a little more skill than the average sniper rifle.

The enormous seige weapons, moving slowly into position outside an enemy base, towering over the soldiers defending them, are truly magnificient

Although it gets the job done, it doesn't match the standards set by games like Unreal Tournament and Battlefield 1942The interface could be a lot more customizable, details like the prone position are absent, and, perhaps most annoyingly, you automatically move from 1st to 3rd person depending on whether you're using a ranged or a melee weaponThat's right - you hit the '1' key to switch to your axe because you're out of ammo, and suddenly you're outside your head, sometimes with a tree or something blocking your view, trying to locate the enemy that is about to cleave you in halfI've heard more experienced players say that it's a good system once you get used to it, but as far as I'm concerned it just isn't right

The game can get extremely unbalanced if one side gets way ahead on technologyHardcore FPS fans might not enjoy relying on their commander to keep them competitiveMatches can be very short if one team rushes the other's base before they have adequate defenses.

Playing as Commander
Commanders are in a very different and relatively difficult situation, as they are playing a game akin to Warcraft or Command & Conquer, and the team is, in many ways, depending on themLike most RTS games, gathering resources, researching new technology, building the right things in the right places at the right times, is crucial to winningWhile good warriors can definitely influence the outcome of the match, without a solid commander a team has little chance of successAs a result, the commander will almost invariably be barraged with insults from teammates and burdened with all the blame for lossesOn the other hand, it can make victory particularly sweet for commanders that exhibit superior craftiness

There is a voting system that allows a team to impeach their commander if they are unbearably inept, or, god forbid, they become hostileUnfortunately, the kick vote is all too frequently initiated less than two minutes into the match, long before the commander has had a chance to prove themself either wayThis can be especially frustrating for newbies, as they must sharpen their commander skills in online games, because there is no single-player mode to practice with.

Again, it would appear that some compromises had to be made to make all this possibleThe tech trees and unit varieties pale in comparison to what is available in current RTS favoritesNevertheless, just the fact that there are real people controlling the units in the battle makes up for many of these weaknesses

Graphics
Savage isn't quite up to what the latest shooters have to offerIt looks pretty good from a warrior's perspective - less so when playing as a commanderThere's nice terrain variety in the maps and the environments are excellent, but the textures, models, and weapon effects are not that impressiveStill, it is distinctive, and it certainly isn't hard to look atOne unique feature is that the sun moves across the sky over the course of a matchYou can also turn on moving clouds that cast shadows

Sources : Game Gold Supply Online