Tuesday 14 June 2011

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission Preview

Rock Paper Shotgun have a detailed preview of the new Carrier Command game, Gaea Mission. Bohemia Interactive (the creators of the Arma franchise and the original Operation Flashpoint) are hoping to release the game next year.


The original Carrier Command was released on the Amiga, Atari ST and PC in 1988, with some ports to less-powerful systems like the Spectrum following soon after. The game cast you as the commander of an immense automated aircraft carrier as it tried to colonise an island chain in the Pacific Ocean in the 22nd Century, building up resources for an attack on an enemy carrier as it did the same thing. The two carriers had to colonise and strip-mine islands for resources, the idea being to keep a steady flow of fresh supplies whilst squeezing the enemy's supplies. The ultimate goal was to immobilise the enemy carrier (which was faster than the player's), corner it and destroy it.

The new version is a faithful remake of the original, but obviously with vastly upgraded graphics and AI, a better user-interface, and two modes of play: a 'campaign' mode which is story-driven and features cut-scenes and specific mission objectives, and a more sandbox 'strategy' mode in which you take complete control of the war effort, like the original game.

In 2001 Rage released a 'homage' called Hostile Waters, which was similar but adopted a linear, mission-based approach. It was also spectacularly awesome.

Hopefully the new game will live up to its heritage. It's due to hit in Q1 2012.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I don't think "vastly upgraded graphics and AI" on a 1988 game would quite cover it.

"Modern graphics and AI" should fit the bill nicely ;)