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Earth 2160
Released On: Nov 16, 2005
73
6.4
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
73
45% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
55% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
73
45% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
55% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It may not replace "Star Craft" in terms of stature—but it’s damn close. The multiplayer matches are suitably intense, and the single-player campaign delivers everything in terms of both expectation and intention.
Earth 2160 uses every trick in the strategy book to great effect. If you can think of a feature, it’s probably there. We can expect a sequel because of the way the last campaign ends, but I won’t spoil it for you.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 42 User Ratings
6.4
36% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
45% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
19% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 42 User Ratings
6.4
36% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
45% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
19% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
This is a thinking players RTS, not for the casual StarCraft or C&C fan. Hardcore players will like the challenge that it provides. Not quite as amazing as Earth 2150, but still a ten.
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PC
Easily worthy of your attention, and a worthy game to carry on a great franchise. Earth 2160 has most of what it's renowned predecessors brought to RTS gaming.....deep, involved gameplay, excellent 3D camera control, long involved missions, unique factions and excellent multiplayer. It adds a sleek new look with graphics that will stand the test of time, some colorful characters and a new race. I've played a lot of RTS games, and few have matched the depth of gameplay that Earth 2160 has to offer. It is one of the few games that allow you to orchestrate elaborate tactical maneuvers with your units using the record commands function. It works much like setting waypoints but gives you precise control over what your units will do and when. So you can give orders to groups of units and they will wait your command to execute their orders and then make adjustments on the fly. The four "factions" are all truly unique, sporting their own weapon systems to mount on their vehicles, which can be tailor made to perform various functions like main battle vehicle, artillery or anti-aircraft. They are all similar in function, but the actual weapons are different. Their buildings and resource gathering methods are unique as well. Each faction also has it's own "hero", and these characters figure prominently in the campaign, and not just in cut scenes, they are powerful tools at your disposal. Using these characters has a slight RPG feel to it, they don't level up or anything like that but the do have an inventory of weapons, armor and gadgets. The only real downside to the game I can see is clunky lip syncing when the characters speak, and some of the voice acting can grate on you, one voice, that of Sebastian comes to mind. But you get a nice package, four robust single player campaigns, skirmish and multiplayer. I've only played multiplayer on a LAN so I can't account for online play. For what it's going for these days, usually less than 10 dollars, every Sci-Fi RTS fan should have this game. One thing this game is not is a cheap Command & Conquer rip off. I Like the Command & Conquer series as well, but for a deeper, more cerebral gaming experience the Earth 2150/60 series is light years ahead.
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PC
With an interesting premise, four campaigns and a large amount of depth with the researchable technology tree, Earth 2160 allows hardcore strategy fans the option to tailor make their own units and plans for galactic conquest.
Earth 2160 is pretty much a game by RTS experts for RTS experts. This game is not novice friendly by any stretch of the imagination.
If you're a genre dabbler, there are a good dozen or so similar games released over the last several years that deserve your attention far more than this entirely average title. [Feb 2006, p.110]
Certainly, Earth 2160 is a long game, but tedium does set in and it’s difficult to escape the feeling that you’ve played this sort of title before.
"Starcraft," sans that pesky "fun" thing. [Jan 2005, p.90]
I finally got down and finished the game all the way through, after nearly completing it some 12 years ago, and then not-even-close to finishing it some 5 years ago, so I'm naturally biased with nostalgia, but I think it's an overall great rts, but sadly with a few shortcomings that can ruin the experience if you can't or can't be arsed to learn to avoid them.
The graphics in the game are often complimented, and at times they're really amazing for 2005, but it kinda depends where you look. What I'm most impressed with though, is that each of the four factions has a COMPLETELY different gameplay. Literally every mechanic is altered: completely different vehicles with completely different types weapons, different ways to harvest resources (which require very different planning and sometimes microcontrol), different ways to set up bases and interconnect buildings, different defence systems (which require completely different base layout), etc. It's literally a different game depending on what faction you play with, which is incredibly enjoyable. Crucially, the factions are all really well balanced, so that every faction has a fair chance against every other. Together with expansive unit customisation and cool base expansion options, it makes for tremendously fun gameplay once you get a hold of the basic faction mechanics. On top of that, the soundtrack is wicked!
HOWEVER. The story is pretty mediocre, and voice acting is poop. Literally. And cutscenes, which are rendered mostly in regular 3rd person, seem to use exactly the same models and textures as the zoomed-out RTS gameplay, so they look like poop too. Some campaign missions are rather poorly designed and boring to play, and difficulty can vary from no-effort to super unfairly hard at random. But maybe worst of all, movement AI of ground units is the worst in the history of ground unit movement AI. Units get stuck constantly, passing groups of units past each other is a nightmare, and it happens a lot that you suddenly realise you're missing some units, only because they decided to go around half the map (and through enemy bases) to get 1cm closer to their target position that was blocked by other units from the same group. This can be partly avoided by using small groups of units and a lot of microcontrol (sending groups to checkpoints instead of the whole way at once), but it can get very annoying indeed...
Overall, despite the issues I had lots of fun playing the game, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to everyone :)
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PC
We'll build a wall and have the UCS pay for it. Just kidding, the game is great. It has a few problems here and there, but mostly it's enjoyable rts. Pickens approves!
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PC
All around terrible experience. Terrabad Campaign, silly, overly complex game design make this a bore to play in MP. Kind of funny that the publisher/devs keep trying to bouey the score up with cheap, one line reviews. Do Not Buy.
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PC
Summary EARTH 2160 is the official sequel of the award winning, very popular and top selling EARTH series and continues the brand of "Earth 2140" and "Earth 2150." Only a few thousand humans managed to escape from the Earth before its collapse in 2150 A.D. They spent the next few years on the terra forming of the red planet, developing new techn...
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Nov 16, 2005
Developer:
- Reality Pump
Publisher: Midway
Genres:
