Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy
Encyclopedia
Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy, abbreviated to EE II:AoS or AoS for short, is the official expansion pack for the 2005
game, Empire Earth II
. Released on 15 February 2006, and developed by Mad Doc Software, Art of Supremacy presents new features for Empire Earth II. Some of the new additions to Empire Earth II were four new civilizations and several other new features. Several more campaigns were also added, which focused on the Napoleonic Wars
, Ancient Egypt
and a third which was a futuristic campaign centered on the Maasai.
Art of Supremacy was developed by Mad Doc software, the makers of the Empire Earth II, and was re-released with Empire Earth II in the Empire Earth II: Platinum Edition. Art of Supremacy was given mediocre reviews by critics, with an average of only 61% according to GameRankings.
The expansion features three new campaigns, each of which is divided into separate scenarios like the rest of the Empire Earth franchise. The first campaign is in the Egyptian
times involving Pharaoh
s. The second is based in the Russian era of the Napoleonic Wars
. The third is a campaign based in the future. It involves Africa and the Maasai tribe fighting for liberation.
and 2152 BC, focusing on one of the Pharaoh's most trusted generals. In the campaign, the player undertakes a variety of missions, including defeating bandit tribes and eradicating religious cults, leading up to fighting a sworn enemy of Egypt in the last mission.
. The main character is Czar Alexander I
, the "Czar of all Russia". Most of the scenarios focus on giving resources to allies, so the player can build up his or her army in order to defeat the French Army under Napoleon
. This occurs in the second to last mission, where Napoleon has invaded Russia. A favored strategy of players playing this mission is to use a strategy similar to the "scorched earth
" policy used by Russia in both the Napoleonic Wars and The Great Patriotic War (WWII).
against one another. Eventually, the Maasai gain enough power to liberate Kenya from the clutches of disaster, and Africa becomes a major player on the global stage.
gave the game a 5.4 out of 10, saying "French and Russian civilizations have been done to death in other RTS games; many odds and ends would more appropriately have been provided in a patch or in the original Empire Earth II; a lot of the rule tweaks are worthless." GameSpy
disapproved giving it a mere 2/5 stars, saying "Generic civilizations; new multiplayer modes aren't very exciting; bad campaign voice-overs and 'gimmicky' maps". Strategy Informer gave an average score of 5.8 out of 10, saying "Unfortunately, the overall impression that this expansion leaves is that there really isn't much point to it at all". Eurogamer
gave it a 6 out of 10 saying other strategy games had superior graphics by then "booting up the expansion pack to discover that it suddenly looked really, really old".
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
game, Empire Earth II
Empire Earth II
Empire Earth II, also called EE2, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Mad Doc Software and published by Vivendi Universal Games on April 26, 2005. It is a sequel to the 2001 bestselling game Empire Earth, which was developed by the now-defunct Stainless Steel Studios...
. Released on 15 February 2006, and developed by Mad Doc Software, Art of Supremacy presents new features for Empire Earth II. Some of the new additions to Empire Earth II were four new civilizations and several other new features. Several more campaigns were also added, which focused on the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
and a third which was a futuristic campaign centered on the Maasai.
Art of Supremacy was developed by Mad Doc software, the makers of the Empire Earth II, and was re-released with Empire Earth II in the Empire Earth II: Platinum Edition. Art of Supremacy was given mediocre reviews by critics, with an average of only 61% according to GameRankings.
Additions to the game
The game adds 3 new campaigns which are described below and two new turning points missions. It also has a new region (African) with 2 civilizations (Maasai and Zulu) and 2 new civilizations in existing regions (France and Russia), which are in the Western region. It allows soldiers to become heroes if they get a certain amount of kills. These Heroes can form groups (called armies) with other soldiers and doing so enables all soldiers to become stronger. The expansion pack introduces an option to have native tribes, who are neutral players. You can leave them alone, ally with them, or be at war with them. There is also a new crown power called the supreme leader. Any leader or hero can become this, and it allows them to have stronger leader powers and form stronger armies.New Campaigns
- For further information see Empire Earth II Campaigns.
The expansion features three new campaigns, each of which is divided into separate scenarios like the rest of the Empire Earth franchise. The first campaign is in the Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
times involving Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s. The second is based in the Russian era of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The third is a campaign based in the future. It involves Africa and the Maasai tribe fighting for liberation.
Egyptian Campaign
The Egyptian Campaign focuses on the time period between 2183 BC22nd century BC
The 22nd century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2200 BC to 2101 BC.-Events:right|thumb|170px|The [[deluge |Deluge]] tablet of the [[Gilgamesh epic]] in [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]...
and 2152 BC, focusing on one of the Pharaoh's most trusted generals. In the campaign, the player undertakes a variety of missions, including defeating bandit tribes and eradicating religious cults, leading up to fighting a sworn enemy of Egypt in the last mission.
Russian Campaign
The Russian Campaign takes place from 1805 to 1813, during the era of the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The main character is Czar Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
, the "Czar of all Russia". Most of the scenarios focus on giving resources to allies, so the player can build up his or her army in order to defeat the French Army under Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. This occurs in the second to last mission, where Napoleon has invaded Russia. A favored strategy of players playing this mission is to use a strategy similar to the "scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
" policy used by Russia in both the Napoleonic Wars and The Great Patriotic War (WWII).
Maasai Campaign
The Maasai Campaign takes place in the near future, specifically from the summer of 2037 to the spring of 2039. The entire campaign centers on the theme of freedom, as in this campaign greedy corporations are turning the various tribes in KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
against one another. Eventually, the Maasai gain enough power to liberate Kenya from the clutches of disaster, and Africa becomes a major player on the global stage.
Reception
Art of Supremacy earned average reviews, with critics averaging 57%. However, it was generally praised for its new features and gameplay. Some of the critics weren't satisfied; GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a 5.4 out of 10, saying "French and Russian civilizations have been done to death in other RTS games; many odds and ends would more appropriately have been provided in a patch or in the original Empire Earth II; a lot of the rule tweaks are worthless." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
disapproved giving it a mere 2/5 stars, saying "Generic civilizations; new multiplayer modes aren't very exciting; bad campaign voice-overs and 'gimmicky' maps". Strategy Informer gave an average score of 5.8 out of 10, saying "Unfortunately, the overall impression that this expansion leaves is that there really isn't much point to it at all". Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
gave it a 6 out of 10 saying other strategy games had superior graphics by then "booting up the expansion pack to discover that it suddenly looked really, really old".
External links
- Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...