Battle Aces Preview: Simplicity stands out in this fast-paced RTS

For a while, RTS was all the rage on PC. During the 90s and to an extent early 2000s, iconic series like StarCraft, Supreme Commander, Warcraft, and such encapsulated the attention of many fans, locking them in intense multiplayer battles where strategic knowhow and prowess were put on centre-stage. However that era has long since passed, and now RTS is generally a different and significantly more complex beast, but the folk at Uncapped Games are looking to present a more nostalgic take on RTS all in a game known as Battle Aces.

I had the luxury to experience Battle Aces earlier in the year for a preview where I regarded the game as a true StarCraft competitor. At the time there was a lot to appreciate about this game and how its simplistic nature combined with fast-paced multiplayer to make for thrilling and tight matches. However, it was also quite basic and a little too rudimentary at the time, which is why I was eager to see how three months of development had impacted this promising project.

Recently I flocked back to Battle Aces to test the game once again and put the newest modes and features through the ringer. As per what these are, the main new mode is a 2vAI setup, which literally allows a team of two-players to come together and battle it out against the computer without the stress of facing a human opponent. There is also a 2v2 mode present, which is the same but against two actual human players, and truthfully there's not much difference here compared to how Battle Aces is played solo. But that's a good thing in many ways. The straightforward game design and strategy remains ever-present, except now you can team up with an ally, combine your resources and ambitious plans, and face off with twice the usual amount of units and enemies to overcome. Otherwise, the maps are the same, the bases are the same, the unit list is the same, and the concept of gameplay is the same: you need to reach the enemy headquarters and destroy it before they do the same to you, all in a set time period of 10 minutes.

The other major change comes in the form of a much clearer and refined strengths/weaknesses setup. Beforehand, it was more on the player to remember which units belonged to each type and which performed better against others, but now you can clearly see in-game that the Missilebot is a Small unit whereas the Knight is a Big unit, and the powerful King Crab is a Splash and Big type. In total, there are only four types available in Battle Aces, but it works in a methodical manner where Small defeats Splash and Splash defeats Big and so forth. It makes for an interesting yet easily understandable rock, paper, scissors setup, a system that fundamentally works without a hitch and yet is basic enough that on-the-fly you never feel overwhelmed with remembering how X type excels against Y type, for example.

The gameplay hasn't actually changed a whole lot since the last time I played Battle Aces. You still build out a deck of usable units and then proceed to spend generated resources on developing an army, researching more powerful units, and building additional bases to produce further resources. The setup is so straightforward and rudimentary that you could argue it lacks depth. The fact every game starts with both players/teams using their initial resource pool to build an additional base and then wait until they can get a second or third online and perhaps even begin the research initiative before seriously thinking about an army construction, it's this that makes you wonder if the starting procedure needs an adjustment to make it less repetitive on a game-by-game basis. Yet, the savvy player will see this as an opportunity and understand that while one person/team waits for greater resource yield, they can abuse cheaper units and attack undefended areas to slow this opposing effort.

It's because of this that the clear simplicity of Battle Aces also ends up being one of its greatest strengths. It's immensely fast-paced, with many games ending within five minutes, the action requires only minimal control from the player, and yet the strategic potential on offer is broad. This is a game that is made for those looking for quick and competitive action, and if that's you, without question you will fall in love with Battle Aces. I'm looking forward to seeing how this game continues to grow and further be refined as the months continue to roll on.