GM Edge

http://www.thepoppenkast.com/file.php?game=FOREST%20PLANET

For the most part, real time strategy games in GM are not much to get excited over. FOREST PLANET, by ShaneHeres, is an exception. It’s quirky, polished, and fun, if not that complicated.

The concept of the game is essentially this: in the future, humans have taken all the bears off of Earth and put them on a forested planet. You control a tribe of bears (the type is up to you, though I suggest the Pandas) that is at war with other bears for no real reason. And you like it. However, there is a problem: the planet is somehow not orbiting the sun, and is slowly flying further and further into space. Thus, you must keep your bears warm while warring with other bears.

In terms of mechanics, it’s a rather atypical game; it’s missing most of the aspects of ordinary strategy gameplay. All in all, it rather resembles the GM classic Medieval Clash, except that its view is overhead instead of from the side, and there are some nuances that are different. The basic concept, however, is the same – gather resources with “workers”, who simply leave your little cave until they run into the nearest tree, and then come back, then attack the enemy cave – or defend your own – with assorted units. To win the game, you must deplete the health of the enemy’s home cave completely. It’s more strategic than it sounds, especially because of the addition of new elements, like Heroes (super-powerful bears), waypoints, and the aforementioned necessity of keeping your units warm by building fires.

The sound is nice – a lot of bear grunts and such stuff. It’s rather humourous at times, and is a nice touch, but expendable. The graphics are fantastic; they have a cartoony, yet well-developed and detailed style. They’ve also got a touch of humour to them. On top of all this, they’re well-animated, and there are a lot of subtle touches – the way the trees sway in the wind and become transparent when you move your mouse over them, for example. All in all, it’s a very aesthetically appealing game.

Conclusion: FOREST PLANET is a game with more depth and strategy to it than is first evident, and even though its replay value isn’t stellar, it should keep you occupied for a while – not only is the gameplay enjoyable and challenging, but there are multiple AI types, and you can customize your bears. How cool is that?