Chairman of Beam Software, Mr. Alfred Milgrom, today claimed that the competition has plenty to fear from Beam's much anticipated real-time strategy game sequel KKND2: Krossfire. Even compared against the so-called cutting edge games in the genre - such as Total Annihilation - KKND2 comes up tops.
 "There's this perception people have that 3D is better than 2D. It's not technology that matters, it's gameplay. Period. Of course Beam is capable of creating stunning 3D visuals in some of our new games, such as Dethkarz, but we don't really feel it's appropriate for the real-time strategy end of things. In the RTS genre, you're really only looking at a top-view or - at best - isometric game anyway. Large 3D-based RTS games become unworkable unless you have some kind of super-juiced computer because the 3D stuff devours so much of the available resources. And it doesn't even look good.
"And it doesn't have to be that way. In KKND2 we give you all the useful stuff a 3D environment can give - line of sight, height advantage in combat, different terrain types affecting the speed of your units, the ability to hide behind terrain - but are using a fraction of the player's computer resources.
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"We can better use those resources for higher color sprites and more detailed backgrounds than anyone else in the market. AND of course for the AI and unit pathfinding which seem to be basically getting overlooked by other companies in this headlong rush for 3D."
KKnD: Krossfire has also added a myriad of improvements since the original. The game now features three unique armies: the militant Survivors, the hideously mutated Evolved and the mad-as-hell Series 9 Robots. Battle can now be waged across air and sea with the introduction of Aerial and Amphibious units. Constructible units allow the gamer to experiment with self-made armies that will ensure every game is a new experience and a new challenge. Internet play has been vastly improved, and along with the unit and mission editors, this game should fulfill
the dream of every KKND fan, as well as winning over a whole new audience of RTS gamers.
The second of three KKND2: Krossfire demos, the Evolved mission, was released last week - the first (the Series 9) was released in May and the third (the Survivor mission) will follow in mid July. The full game is expected to hit shelves in August.
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