Personal Compuer Games


Insurgency
By Cases Computer Simulations
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #14

Insurgency

Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a Che Guevera, fighting for the freedom of the people? Or, for that matter, a government, battling for democracy and stability in a tiny state? If so, then C.C.S.'s latest release, Insurgency, will appeal to you.

The cassette describes the game as simulating 'a campaign of subversion in an isolated region of a third world state that has come to a head'. It's a story that will be all too familiar to anyone who reads the newspaper: martial law, task forces hunting down dissidents, neighbouring countries supporting guerilla forces.

It's a two-player game, with one player taking the part of the rebels, the other controlling state forces. Whichever role you choose to play, you will have an equal number of complicated options and eventualities to juggle with.

Insurgency

The tape contains two programs. The first holds the routine which sets up the game - the two players choosing the various forces with which they will wage the campaign, and the map upon which it will be fought.

The next program uses this data for the game itself, a complex affair in which the players can move forces, occupy villages, bring in new supplies, receive intelligence reports and so on.

As you can tell the game is fairly complicated, so arcade aces who cannot think beyond the trajectory of their next missile should give this one a miss.

Graphically it is quite well done, the map being clear and easy to understand. The text is laid out neatly and with some thought and is therefore simple to follow. Sound is necessarily limited to informative beepings, and the controls are limited to the keyboard.

It is difficult to follow at first and takes a lot of thinking - every tactical nuance will not be immediately obvious. If you do enjoy tactical games, then this is about as good as they come.

Martyn Smith

Although this game is in Basic, it's quite quick and there's a lot to think about. The graphics are fair and there is sound. The main criticism I have is the fact that two players must play - there is no option of playing against the computer - so while one person sees his instructions, the other must turn his back!

If you like this sort of wartime/strategy game (They seem to have a small cult following, though I don't think I've ever seen one in the charts!) this is perhaps one you might like to invest in. However, I think it is rather overpriced.

Steve Spittle

Graphics are used to display the troop positions but most of the symbols are unclear. The maps are probably more confusing than helpful. Sound is virtually non-existent.

I played Insurgency with several different people and nobody could really grasp the mechanics of the game. It would probably appeal to wargamers who play in the conventional way and would like to play a quick game (by quick, I mean less than a day) when they come home from work.

Quick, somebody give me an arcade game!

Peter Walker

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