ashes of the singularity vs supreme commander

Ashes definitely takes some getting used to, as its emphasis on strategy over small-unit skirmish tactics is as zealous as it is relentless. In that department, I had few complaints. In all fairness, though, a game like this deserves to be evaluated primarily on how well it lets you blow up robots in vast quantities while using your wits to outplay all opponents on a scrap-strewn battlefield the size of a small city. Given that the campaign that comes with Ashes is labeled “Episode 1,” I hope to see a little more attention given to storytelling in the implied future installments. Supreme Commander and the recent Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak did a much better job of infusing some life and a sense of purpose into the plot. Unambitious story presentation is ultimately forgivable for a game like this, but it puts a flimsy foot forward that underrepresents what Ashes actually holds in store. The characters are as flat and flavorless as they sound, the story is about as minimal and straightforward as those in Ye Olde Games of Yore, and up until the last couple, the main missions feel more like an extended tutorial than a set of interesting challenges. Across eight main missions and three optional ones, the campaign introduces you to a future where the Post-Human Coalition (cybernetically-enhanced superdudes) send their remote-controlled robot armies out to do battle with the shinier, more-organic-looking-but-still-robot armies loyal to a mysterious, aggressive AI called The Substrate.

Someone who only played the disappointingly short single-player campaign would likely have a negatively skewed idea of the abundant strategic depth hiding in the other modes.

Ashes of the singularity vs supreme commander