Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a stand alone expansion to the original Supreme Commander title that features similar gameplay premise while expanding on some of the notable fundamentals for a new challenge. As a result in this standalone expansion players will find some new gameplay features, additional units and improvements to game performance over the original release that allow the franchise to reach a new level of heights.
Set in the same futuristic setting Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is set in a universe where humans have achieved space travel through the use of quantum tunnels that are capable of sending ships from one side of the galaxy to the other near instantaneously. This technology capability has in turn led to many human colonies across the galaxy who have since split into their own ideologies over the passage of time. Ultimately this has resulted in a world of three factions fighting for their own beliefs in a never ending war despite their shared history from Earth.
Forged Alliance picks up right after the first game and the firing of the Black Sun which is a weapon of immense distraction that turns the useful quantum tunnels into a planet destroying weapon. Following this event a new threat known as the Seraphim race has emerged who are powerful race that were believed to be extinct and now destroying Earth and the other core worlds with little opposition due to their level of technology. Before embarking on a counter attack against the Seraphim in the first campaign mission players must select whom they wish to play as from the three factions. While this choice has a small impact on core gameplay it does alter characters, story and units so that each feels unique.
Notable improvements to gameplay throughout these story missions include a rehashed UI, better path finding for your units and general unit tweaks that create new strategic choices in the real time strategy combat. While some of these are alterations of the original game units there is equally a large range of new units that add new mechanics or strategies to the mix entirely for returning players.
One major alteration of note that also fits perfectly into the theme of Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is the addition of orbital weaponry which adds an additional layer to the air, land and sea that was already available in the franchise and ensures players have the full suite of tactical options.
Outside of these adjustments the same Armoured Command Unit (ACU) approach to gameplay remains with this single giant bipedal mech allowing you to create your army of units and serving as the central structure to your base. This formula also holds consistent across the story campaign missions and alternative game modes for those that want to skirmish against the AI where you can also control the Seraphim race if preferred.
Summary:
- A new and improved game that builds on the first Supreme Commander to offer a familiar and fresh strategy challenge.
- An extra alien faction (Seraphim) and large list of units add more strategy to the core formula with over 100 available.
- Orbital weaponry adds a new layer of large scale warfare on top of the foundations of land, air and sea combat across planets.
- Improved UI, path finding and general game performance ensures your strategy plays out as intended.
- A stand alone expansion pack in the Supreme Commander franchise.
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Review Platform: PC