Planetary Annihilation Is Something RTS Fans Should Keep An Eye On

Even though Planetary Annihilation was more then successfully kickstarted last year, a lot of people aren’t aware of it but they should be, as this game looks truly ground-breaking. Think of it like any other RTS game where you have to plan and take over opposite territories, and mix it up on a planetary scale, with Pixar-esque humor thrown into the mix and you get Planetary Annihilation. Where you are just not taking over a continent, but in fact the entire galaxy.

Every planet is yours to conquer and every asteroid belt is a mean for you to hide your base as you plot your next siege. This is all thanks to the new engine, which was made by the engineers that had worked on Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander. This engine allows for unique, and procedurally generated planets, so that the battlefield never gets stale or repetitive. Also, you can either play this alone or with friends in competitive gameplay modes that allow for up to 40 players.

Furthermore, if you are someone of a more creative nature, then this game is suitable for you as well, because it allows for the implementation of user-made mods, ranging from maps to entire game-types. Which, in my opinion is a great thing to offer as sometimes the best aspect of a game, is usually highlighted by a dedicated modder. It not only allows for creativity in-game but also extends the popularity lifetime for the specific game. Most interestingly, this game supports a NO DRM version and for multiplayer will connect to the official  UberNet servers, or yours, where you can setup your own rules. So this game is perfectly playable online and how you play it, is entirely up to you.

My favorite aspect of the game however, is the graphical design. It looks both cartoonish and detailed, providing for a unique outlook to this mostly bleak genre.  In fact, each procedurally generated planet will also support different biome conditions, that would mean different vehicles and strategies. You can click here to see the entire biome concept picture, as it is too huge for the article. Not only that but even the armory and mech designs are borderline amazing as each support a unique style that kind of reminds me of my favorite cartoon, “Megas XLR”. Furthermore, even the music from what I have heard is absolutely wonderful, and sounds like something you’d hear out of a big budget Disney movie. It has no expenses spared, and was orchestrally recorded and composed by Howard Mostrom. So artistically, Planetary Annihilation has lots going for it in terms of style and polish.

Another reason to look forward to this game, is because of the talent involved in making it. The team has highly skilled people who had worked on games like, Total Annihilation, Command & Conquer, Supreme Commander and Demigod before. So it is safe to assume that they understand the RTS genre well. Also, in case you are wondering, this is not a new studio, as they have worked on the humorous and successful game Monday Night Combat before, which was in my opinion, a really polished game that had unique new features to offer.

Also, remember when I was talking about the successful kickstarter when I began? Well successful would be an understatement as it generated more then double the amount of its base, $900,000 goal… hitting 2 million by the final moment. It was definitely a triumphant moment for the team, as they had not only managed to raise the funds required but also got a lot of exposure. This huge amount is also a reason, the music could be recorded by a live orchestra as I mentioned before. So finally, now you can see, why it might get the most dedicated of  RTS fans, giddy with excitment, because it has simply a lot going for it to fail, and if what I am hearing of the alpha phase is true, the game is coming out quite nicely.

The game is currently in ALPHA-MODE and the early-backers should have access to it. However, those that are not early-backers can still hope to get into the next beta, which will be running from September through November by buying the Warfare Version through the uber-store. Still, if you want instant access, you can think about shelling out for the Galactic edition which will get you started with the alpha phase, and if you feel particularly generous and actually want to support the devs, you can buy the Cosmic Digital edition that will run you back by a whopping $200. However the rewards for it match the price as you will not only get the soundtrack, Theta Commander Character, and a desktop wallpaper which is included with all other tiers, but instead you will also receive a Commanders Accreditation title, Delta Commander Character, Digital Artbook [Also Available With Galactic Edition], PA Founding Commander Badge and will get to name an entire planet, in game by yourself! How cool is that? Of course, if you just want the game when it comes out this December worldwide, you can buy the base, “Combat Version” which will net you the game, and the basic goodies such as the soundtrack, wallpaper and a Theta Commander. It is available for $40.

Again, be sure to check out the game’s website and hit the FAQ for more information. Then, If you like it, why not go over to the Ubernet store to get one of the four editions that are currently available for PC, MAC and Linux? Lastly, to watch the video version of the pitch this game was funded from, check it out below!