Total Domination

  Plarium has taken the post apocalyptic world by force! Keeping with the theme of connecting our fans with free-to-play games we sent some of our minions out to reconnaissance the violent world of mutated technological warfare and dominance. They came back a little odder than they were before leaving, but with terrifying stories of war, complete with mutant denizens and cybernetic power houses.

  Total Domination has justifiably earned a European award for strategic game-play, because strategy really is a vital element of its game play. From researching which Clans dominate your area to which generals (players) to be weary of, you are kept busy as you hustle  to make your stand against the mutant masses of Morgana and your power mongering neighbors.

Game Play: 8
   When it comes to making a complex game there are many fundamental hurdles that must be accounted for to keep players from tossing in the towel before they have come to sense the reward of achievement. The more complex the game the more likely a player is to move on before learning the mechanics of a game. Total Domination is a complex game but the folks at Plarium are no fools.

   New players are literally walked through the initial challenges by a helpful task/achievement feature that guides you through the initial set-up of your base and offers continued guidance as you slaughter your way into the ranks of mechanized warriors and mutants. Believe me when I say there are enough challenges to keep you from becoming idle.

   Between the balance of resources, attack troops, defensive troops, mutagen, crystals and recon units Total Domination is both fun and well designed. More importantly these various resources and units provide a way for each player to truly make their sector unique. Add onto that various skins for your HQ and several different special units and objects that can be purchased with crystals and there is very little chance that your center of operations is going to be the same as any of your opponents, thereby offering ownership.

Graphics: 6
   While the background for the sector leaves something to be desired with single graphics for: dead trees, dead shrubs, cracks, holes, ect... the graphics of the actual objects themselves are exceptional. The level of detail is truly amazing. There are animations that contribute to the reality of your post apocalyptic operational center and really add life to the game. The animations are also done well enough to make transition smoothly from frame to frame.

   Unfortunately there are no animations to depict the actual combat taking place when you are raiding, invading or defending. There is also no real player interaction with these activities which would possibly require an additional platform and could be in the works for all we know. Nonetheless, this is a browser game and it definitely makes the cut.


Sound/Music: 7
   The background music is appropriate, though something more gritty and industrial might have been a better fit. The sound track is unique and fitting for the theme of the game. It has a tempo that adds excitement without being obtrusive. The sound bites for affects are original, adequate and theme based. Their sound guy did a great job. While it does lack tempo changes to go with actions taken by or against the player there would be application for such a feature anyhow.

   What I really want to commend here is their voice overs. The General who walks you through the game, announces tasks and special events is outstanding! Being a veteran of the United States Marine Corp I was immediately taken aback by the feel that is offered by this feature. What is more, the scripts are absolutely entertaining and blatantly hilarious. This general had my ROFL'n when he said: "You are going to need artificial intelligence if you want to avoid authentic stupidity". These voice overs are the shining attribute of Total Domination.


Free vs. P2P: 10
   Obviously it takes money to support and maintain an online game. Servers cost money to purchase and require electricity to run as well as internet connectivity. So scoring a game on it's ability to provide users entertainment without any financial commitment is a tricky business indeed. Ultimately we here at Squiggle have tried to keep these elements in mind when scoring this category. Many of the most popular pay-to-play games have incorporated a Free trial run to allow players an opportunity to discover the joys of their alternate reality before making a financial commitment.

   That being said, I have never seen a game that accomplishes that nearly as well as Total Domination. There is not one single item in this game that cannot be earned through gameplay. Sure, it will take longer than it does for the financially secure to enter their credit card information but isn't the satisfaction from earning your way a reward in itself. I am old school so I can easily say I would rather earn my way than to be handed it...not that players didn't earn the money that they are spending...but that is a whole other discussion.

Depth: 5
   There is a bit of a back story and an obvious history that applies to nearly every post-apocalyptic themed game. General Winters is easily Plarium's iconic character and the voice actor does a stupendous job, Morgana who acts as the games antagonist is vague and could use some fleshing-out. Then there is the plethora of other players who can be enemies, clan members, allies or neutral to your sector, all of which depends on your actions.
   The game forum itself is active and involved which offers a promising future. What caught my attention most was the direct request for player opinions as well as the easy to understand method in which they track and retrieve this data. Plarium is very likely to receive a players choice award in the near future...hopefully before the apocalypse. 

Overall: 7.2
  Ultimately Total Domination is a free to play game that delivers fun, laughter and a social community. Their artists are accomplished, their voice over actor is outstanding, the scripts are awesome and the game play is challenging. The biggest detriment to the game is its lack of back story and details into the origins of the protagonist. Some of which can be discovered through the mutant unit descriptions.  If you like strategy games then you will like this game.