Stormrise
Encyclopedia
Stormrise is a real-time strategy
video game developed by The Creative Assembly's Australian Studio and published by Sega
for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
, and Xbox 360
.
real-time strategy
game, with the ability to control units in the air, on the surface, and underground. Stormrise is set in a post-apocalyptic world, presenting a civilization that has begun to once again emerge after a catastrophic event. Two warring factions arise from the rubble: the Echelon, a technologically advanced race that endured the planet's fallout by way of self-induced hibernation, and the Sai, a tribal society that adapted to the new environment and evolved. Units can be deployed in the air, on rooftops, at ground level, or below the planet's surface.
, Microsoft Windows
, and PlayStation 3
in March 2009. The Windows version requires Windows Vista as the engine has been built on and designed around DirectX 10.1.
One of the units revealed was a massive spider/crab-like beast unit called the Matriarch, one of largest of the land units for the Sai. Its special abilities include spitting a huge barrage of acid rain across a field, and the ability to spawn small baby crabs that scurry off and attack at will.
suggests deliberate commercial suicide - that its genuinely progressive ideas will be ignored and lost as a result is a minor tragedy. Although Stormrise had some interesting concepts, its overall execution made for some horrendous gameplay."
The PS3 version has received similar reviews from GamesTM with a score of 5/10. GamesTM described Stormrise as having "Cumbersome controls and an ornery camera make any intriguing ideas irrelevant."
PushSquare scored the PS3 version 2/4 claiming that the game was "heavy on innovation but weak on execution". PSM3 Magazine UK gave the game 7.9/10. PSM3 said the game was "smarter than the average console RTS but not quite brilliant." Hyper
's Daniel Wilks commends the game, saying "when Whip Select work[s] it is a brilliant innovation. The full 3D rendering of the landscape is great." However, he criticises the game for "the muddy graphics [that] hinder gameplay. Whip Select is awkward to use during pitched battles."
Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot
said in his review of the game, "Stormrise is one of those games that makes you wonder, 'What were they thinking?' This real-time strategy game is, from top to bottom, misconceived, frustrating, frequently broken, and rarely fun." VanOrd claimed "Developer Creative Assembly has built an entire product around a fundamentally flawed control scheme and neglected almost every important facet of the RTS genre." He ultimately scored the game a 2.5/10. VanOrd summed it up by saying "This frustrating, broken mess is one of the worst strategy games in years."
Tom Price of TeamXbox
gave the game a fairly good review of 7.3/10. Price said the game had "Some really cool ideas that needed a bit more help from the game’s interface and information-delivery systems." He also said the game was "almost too innovative for its own good."
The critical response and low sales have been cited as being factors in the financial decision.
Following the cancellation of the patch, Ken Turner, the Creative Director behind Stormrise, was released from the studio.
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
video game developed by The Creative Assembly's Australian Studio and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Story
The game is a post-apocalypticApocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game, with the ability to control units in the air, on the surface, and underground. Stormrise is set in a post-apocalyptic world, presenting a civilization that has begun to once again emerge after a catastrophic event. Two warring factions arise from the rubble: the Echelon, a technologically advanced race that endured the planet's fallout by way of self-induced hibernation, and the Sai, a tribal society that adapted to the new environment and evolved. Units can be deployed in the air, on rooftops, at ground level, or below the planet's surface.
Development
Stormrise was in development at The Creative Assembly's Australian studio and was released for the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in March 2009. The Windows version requires Windows Vista as the engine has been built on and designed around DirectX 10.1.
One of the units revealed was a massive spider/crab-like beast unit called the Matriarch, one of largest of the land units for the Sai. Its special abilities include spitting a huge barrage of acid rain across a field, and the ability to spawn small baby crabs that scurry off and attack at will.
Critical reception
Stormrise received generally negative reviews. Early reviews from Edge Magazine UK gave Stormrise for 360 a 4/10. Edge Magazine is quoted as saying "certainly, releasing it so close to Halo WarsHalo Wars
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
suggests deliberate commercial suicide - that its genuinely progressive ideas will be ignored and lost as a result is a minor tragedy. Although Stormrise had some interesting concepts, its overall execution made for some horrendous gameplay."
The PS3 version has received similar reviews from GamesTM with a score of 5/10. GamesTM described Stormrise as having "Cumbersome controls and an ornery camera make any intriguing ideas irrelevant."
PushSquare scored the PS3 version 2/4 claiming that the game was "heavy on innovation but weak on execution". PSM3 Magazine UK gave the game 7.9/10. PSM3 said the game was "smarter than the average console RTS but not quite brilliant." Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
's Daniel Wilks commends the game, saying "when Whip Select work[s] it is a brilliant innovation. The full 3D rendering of the landscape is great." However, he criticises the game for "the muddy graphics [that] hinder gameplay. Whip Select is awkward to use during pitched battles."
Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot
GameSpot
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...
said in his review of the game, "Stormrise is one of those games that makes you wonder, 'What were they thinking?' This real-time strategy game is, from top to bottom, misconceived, frustrating, frequently broken, and rarely fun." VanOrd claimed "Developer Creative Assembly has built an entire product around a fundamentally flawed control scheme and neglected almost every important facet of the RTS genre." He ultimately scored the game a 2.5/10. VanOrd summed it up by saying "This frustrating, broken mess is one of the worst strategy games in years."
Tom Price of TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
gave the game a fairly good review of 7.3/10. Price said the game had "Some really cool ideas that needed a bit more help from the game’s interface and information-delivery systems." He also said the game was "almost too innovative for its own good."
Patch cancellation and departure of staff
Development of the second patch was cancelled on 28 April 2009 one month after release. The Creative Assembly indicated that the cancellation was due to the financial costs involved, stating "The second patch that has been worked on by The Creative Assembly Australia will not make it into the hands of the Stormrise players, due to costs and risks associated with testing and certifying the new changes and features."The critical response and low sales have been cited as being factors in the financial decision.
Following the cancellation of the patch, Ken Turner, the Creative Director behind Stormrise, was released from the studio.