Savage 2 Review
Title: Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
Platform: PC
Publisher: S2 Games
Developer: S2 Games
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Time sure flies in the gaming world, especially while waiting for sequels. It's surprising to think that it has now been over five years since S2Games released the original Savage: The Battle for Newerth, which received a variety of mixed reactions from reviewers and gamers alike. With a somewhat steep learning curve, most who gave Savage a shot had to commit to taking the time to learn the more unique aspects of the game in order to fully enjoy it. It was because of this that some never had an opportunity to see the magic in the world of Savage, as it truly featured one of the most unique attempts at creating a fantasy-based hybrid FPS and RTS game. A world of man versus beast, with a variety of magic and technology mixed in, the original was certainly a breath of fresh air for a gaming scene dominated by almost unbreakable genres and sequels.
Regardless, Savage did well for a lesser known game without the backings of a mega-publisher like Electronic Arts. The community grew, and S2Games was always there nudging along their baby. If one things is for certain, the support that S2 gave to the original Savage was worthy of respect, with numerous free patches and updates throughout the years. They always seemed to see an opportunity to make their game better, and as balanced and fun as possible without ever charging a single extra penny. It was because of this that the Savage community lived on, and continues to live on now five years later. As such, one thing that we can certainly expect out of S2Games from Savage 2 is continued support in a similar fashion, which is always critical to the survival of an online product.
Savage 2: A Tortured Soul blends fantasy RTS gameplay with first-person shooter action in an online multiplayer-only setting.
Exclusively available for purchase directly from S2Games' Website, Savage 2 never requires you to take a step outside your door to get your copy, as the process of ordering is very simple and speedy. What is most interesting, however, is that without taking a single penny from you in advance - let alone any sort of credit card information - S2Games offers you a chance to play the full version of Savage 2 for free for a number of hours prior to purchasing the title. The free trial period for what is essentially a full-featured demo gives everyone an equal opportunity to judge what the game is like as a beginner, and how steep (or level) the learning curve will be for them. Be aware though that despite lessons learned with the original game, Savage 2 does take some getting used to, even if you considered yourself familiar with the original.
When you begin playing the title, it soon becomes apparent that Savage 2 is first and foremost a multiplayer-focused FPS game with an RTS element attached to it. If you seek a single-player campaign or a rich in-game story, look elsewhere, as this bad boy is meant for online play almost exclusively. If you are truly interested in diving into the story behind the Savage series, you may explore it on the S2Games' Website. Otherwise, you're going to have to make your own story as you play.
The only "single-player" types of game types available are training and practice modes, which are really just tutorials and sandboxes to play around in before jumping online to face off against others. While these offerings are nice, they are hardly sufficient to really teach all of the unique aspects of Savage 2 to someone new to the game. Instead, it's really best to jump straight into the action, as long as you're familiar with how RTS and FPS games work. Sure, you might get a smack down or two in your first couple of map loads, but soon enough you'll be having your revenge.
When it comes down to jumping online, there are some immediate basics behind the game mechanics specifically involving the difference between the RTS and FPS aspect. The pre-game gathering UI presents a voting system right off the bat, where your team votes for a commander, with the commander then picking leaders for a number of squads or groups that players may join. Each of the leaders assigned to each group has the unique ability to place a spawn portal for their group-mates to spawn on. Think Battlefield 2, but spawning via a placeable object instead of directly on your squad leader. To prevent abuse via endless waves of enemies, the spawn portal can be destroyed and is very visible, so it's usually best to place it in a relatively good hiding spot.
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