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Stormrise

EMAIL PRINT ps3

4.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 28 critic reviews
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Based on 14 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Creative Assembly

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: Multi

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 24, 2009

Summary

Stormrise offers fans of the classic RTS genre an immersive and dramatic twist while challenging the conscience of the gamer. Experience the heat of the battlefield by leading your troops from the front line, instead of the traditional way of controlling the units from a detached view point. Stormrise also allows units to be commanded in the air, across rooftops, on the earth's surface and even underground, this unique idea of "verticality" introduces multiple layers of gameplay that must be mastered for strategic advantage. The experience is heightened by a simple yet effective control system tailored specifically for consoles, which allows easy unit selection, rapid navigation and precise deployment. Set on a bleak and barren earth, devastated by a catastrophic event centuries ago, Stormrise sees the Echelon and the Sai battling to survive in a hostile and uninhabitable wasteland. Remnants of a superior technological people the Echelon survived the event through self-educed hibernation, while the Sai, a more tribal faction, still exist having learned to adapt to their surroundings and the new environment. Having evolved in vastly different ways, the differences between the two factions have spurred much animosity and hatred between the two races and the future of the planet is now hanging by a thread. [Sega]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PSM3 Magazine UK

Smarter than the average console RTS but not quite brilliant. [Apr 2009, p.70]

Games Master UK

If you adjust to the controls, Stormrise will create a new breed of hardcore RTS gamers. [May 2009, p.66]

ImpulseGamer

At the end of the day, Stormrise may have been better on the PC than the PS3, however it does have its moments from the clever RTS views and some twists and turns. It does feel a little beta-ish at times, however if you're after something DIFFERENT, than it's worth an investigation.

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WonderwallWeb

Stormrise as a RTS will probably not appeal to everyone, it's complicated and frustrating at times, however there is a fun and strategic game lurching underneath.

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Vandal Online

Stormrise produces an odd sensation: the ideas it proposes are very good for the most part, and its approach could have caused a new milestone in the genre, and set the way for the others to follow, taking advantage of its control. But the execution hasn't resulted so convincing.

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Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

Stormrise's innovation is heartilly applauded, but basic gameplay glitches and flaws weaken the experience. [June 2009, p.74]

3DJuegos

We don’t know if the concepts of Stormrise will be followed in the future of the RTS genre in consoles, but now it is a game pumped with great ideas though these are not well executed. Strategy hardcores can find in it an interesting entertainment, but as precursory of a new IP this first effort is disappointing.

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IGN AU

A decent but unpolished strategy game built around a technological concept that only sort of works in any practical sense. An amiable attempt, but a far cry from victory.

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Playstation Official Magazine UK

Making your men do what you want, when you want, is still clumsy and imprecise. [Apr 2009, p.101]

Cynamite

The imprecise controls, bad AI and a completely missing overview make this game more hassle than fun. Stormrise raises a storm – of frustration!

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Play UK

A brave attempt to tackle the strategy genre in a new way, but Stormrise is still left wanting in every area. If you’re looking for a brand new RTS, check out the more conventional Red Alert 3 instead.

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Play.tm

As the studio responsible for the ace Total War series, it's difficult to understand how they've managed to get this so very wrong. It's a real shame that what seems like a decent idea ultimately emerges as a visually unappealing, impenetrably tough and devastatingly unrefined sci-fi strategy title.

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Cheat Code Central

The controls prove to be the game's worst aspect, and the single-player campaign is additionally marred by a pedestrian storyline.

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games(TM)

Cumbersome controls and an ornery camera make any intriguing ideas irrelevant. [Apr 2009, p.115]

Multiplayer.it

Stormrise should have been a new start for the RTS genre on consoles, but it's not. The controls are too slow and unresponsive when you have to move several units on the map, the graphics aren't spectacular at all and the gameplay is cumbersome and frustrating. What a pity, since the story seems to be interesting.

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IGN

The frustrations that come from playing it outweigh the game's few positive elements.

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PALGN

StormRise is a project that has a great concept behind it, but fails to execute it with grace.

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Playstation Official Magazine Australia

Cack-handed. [May 2009, p.67]

Boomtown

There are some good ideas in here and with a bit more bug fixing and tweaking before release this could have been a decent offering. In the end Stormrise has so many problems that it is impossible to recommend.

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Playstation Universe

Stormrise's major innovations are also its biggest downfalls.

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XGN

Although the game is a good try, it does not accomplish what you expect. Only real RTS-gamers should consider buying this title.

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Game Informer

In trying to introduce a new, supposedly user-friendly unit selection system, developer The Creative Assembly instead destroys almost all of the game’s playability.

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Gamer.nl

Stormrise, and more so the Whip-system, could have pushed the boundaries of the consoles RTS to a higher level. Too bad it failed during the process. The game lacks a decent overview and you have little control over your units, making the game difficult to play. The game makes up for lost ground in multiplayer, but why would you settle for a mediocre RTS-game when there are so many others games that offer a lot more.

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Console Monster

It's quite a shame really, because it has a few nice ideas in it, but unfortunately they are buried beneath a mountain of mediocrity. As it stands though, this is a game that isn't even worthy of the bargain bin, rather the trash bin.

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DarkZero

A simple design idea for controllers created a massive chain reaction in how the game is played, and frankly, it’s for the worst.

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Eurogamer

There are undoubtedly excellent ideas hiding behind the scenes; they're just stymied by the method of execution.

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GameSpot

This frustrating, broken mess is one of the worst strategy games in years.

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1UP

Its eminently forgettable title notwithstanding, the significant flaws lie in core mechanics and not the story framework.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 4.7 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Paul D gave it a6:
Stormrise isn't all that bad, really. I bought it for ten bucks and I have to say, looking at these reviews, it surpassed my expectations. Visuals are reasonable; nothing fancy, but they work. Gameplay could have been better: the game's controlled very slowly and the 'whip' system gets wonky and frustrating when you have a lot of soldiers on the battlefield. Still, at these prices it's a cheap alternative for games like C&C, and it's quite enjoyable. The story's hit and miss, though.

Eric Aka G gave it a10:
Steep learning curve but very innovative! Great controls when you get used to it! Freshest game I've playen in years! Keeps me playing months after purchase... Whip select is the futur for RTS on consoles!

Sam gave it a1:
I don't know where to start with this game. Weel, I suppose I could start by saying that this game failed to get out of the beta stage before being released, 'cos frankly, its terrible. Controls don't respond to what you want, the AI is APPALLING... you send a load of troops over (guys armed with machineguns, mind you) to take care of a few scouts and poof, they vanish in the air. Not only is the enemy AI considerably more powerful than yours, but they'll die without any animation. They'll be firing, and then suddenly they'll be on the floor. Or they'll be firing, and suddenly they'll be halfway across the map. Whip select is a complete farce and you nearly always end up moving to someone you don't want... the camera is so far down it makes the whole RTS genre pointless as you don't have a view of the map. Enemy AI respawns like you wouldn't believe and sends wave after wave towards you when you're reinforcements haven't arrived yet (or have they? Hard to tell with this one!) meaning instant death. You're robot machines have armour made of tissue and if they die... game over! Not to mention the tutorial is the most basic of tutorials ever devised (its an RTS game for God's sake!). Its a joke of a game that should never have been released, and how this came out of Creative Assembly, Aussie division or not, is beyond me. Just read any review on IGN or gamespot, or whatever, and see how bad they say it is, 'cos its a waste of money!

glenn no gave it a0:
Worst Game ever! so many bugs. Cant even look around the screen without whipping over to another of your units. Worst balance too with too many strong units without the proper counters making it annoying and stretching the battles out far too long.

Tony M gave it a1:
Stormrise... Not only is this game technically unplayable. But it is extremely painful to try to like. It seems like all the "Professional" game reviewers that got tricked into giving Creative Assembly's Empire:Total War perfect scores without really testing the product, now finally scrutinizes whatever comes out of CA. Stormrise is a clear clone of Empire:Total War in the sense that the story is their, but the coding is just completely messed up. Graphics: 3 Sound: 2 Story: 4 Stability: 0 Replayability: 0.

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