Many game critics and players alike have declared 2011 the “year of zombies,” not due to the apocalypse hype, but because of the overload of video games either set in a pre-apocalyptic time, set the midst of a zombie siege, and most popularly, set immediately after the apocalypse.
To the dismay of many gamers, the video games to be released in 2012 appear to be no different. Released earlier this week was “Amy,” which revolves around escorting an autistic 8 year-old girl out of a town overrun with disease and monsters. Sound familiar? Unigine Corporation is also set to release their long-awaited game, Oil Rush, whose story is a little more interesting and unexpectedly more political than fleeing a town full of zombies.
Originally planned to be released near the end of 2010, the release of Oil Rush was pushed all the way through 2011, with a final release date of January 25, 2012. The publisher expects such a huge demand, as Oil Rush has been on pre-order since March of 2011.
With all of the extra time, the developer apparently took care in adding a single-player mode, as well as a version of the game for Mac OS X. With versions for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and PlayStation 3, Oil Rush will soon have a presence in every sphere of the gaming world.
The storyline is on par with many of the other apocalyptic games I mentioned. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the game involves a similar mission to the other games; however, Unigine brought in a whole other dimension to game play: one of politics.
The player’s job is to defend the last resource in a flooded world. The resource happens to be oil, and the players must use strategy to protect the oil wells and natural reserves through a “tower defense” strategy. Many, especially residents of the American Gulf Coast, have viewed this theme as highly controversial. Oil Rush is to be released less than two years after the devastating Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that decimated the ecological systems and economy along the Gulf Coast.
In response, Unigine’s CEO commented that the game will actually send a message of environmental warning, saying, “Fuel devouring armies that fight over the last drops of oil and pollute already trashed world is nothing but doublethink. That is a warning environmental message we’d like to deliver.” Even with this being said, it is still quite a political statement to have players trying to protect a substance that is so controversial.
With all of this being said, many in the gaming world are excited for a storyline that is slightly more original than average. Pre-sales have been solid, and the graphics and soundtrack are receiving slightly above average reviews. If you are shopping around for a game this winter with an interesting storyline and active game play, pick up Oil Rush, but only if you can look past the politics of it. This naval strategy game can be found for approximately $20.00.
