The real-time strategy genre has seen some peaks and troughs throughout the years, but it is clear that even in this day and age, there is a clear appetite for strategic experiences with risk and rewards built in. One of the key players in the space is Relic Entertainment, the studio that has given us several Company of Heroes and Age of Empires games. And they have revealed an interesting new project in Earth vs Mars.
Earth vs Mars comes via the studio’s new initiative, Relic Labs, and is a much smaller-scale project with more indie vibes than the usual blockbuster releases, part of efforts to “explore new sub-genres, experiment, and release games more frequently.”
The setup reimagines the planet as one that Martians have been visiting for decades, using abductees to create bizarre hybrids, and now, they are ready to take over. Of course, Earth is not going to sit back. As part of the commanders tasked to fight back, players must contend with high-tech saucers, grav-tanks and elite alien warriors in a battle for the planet’s survival.
Thankfully, you will have the Splice-O-Tron on your side, making it possible to combine willing and unwilling volunteers with other Earth creatures to create powerful hybrid supersoldiers to augment your army. Some of the combinations described make for exciting possibilities, including acid-raining cheetah-flies, powerful human-rhino hybrids, or the squirrel-cow forest infantry.
The further players progress in Earth vs Mars, the more creatures become available, together with unit upgrades and commander abilities. All of that will come in handy as the Martian threat will evolve as well, making for a true war to remember.
Beyond its more vibrant visual style, Relic is also introducing unique gameplay mechanics. Unlike their traditional full-scale RTS games, Earth vs Mars adopts a turn-based style similar to Advance Wars. The game is set to feature around 30 campaign missions, online multiplayer support, skirmish battles against AI, and a map editor.
Earth vs Mars is scheduled for release this summer, though an exact date has yet to be announced. The game will be available on PC via Steam.
