Did you ever pick up a book that you wanted to read but couldn't finish it?  Despite your friends, family, co-workers, journalists, and voices in your head singing high praises for the book, you just don't get it or really care about how the book ends? Or worse, you don't even care about the characters or the story they are involved in or how they got to where they are in the story?  You read the story, appreciate what is happening in the story and might even admire the author's proficiency with the written word. But, you just don't care. That to me, summarizes Silent Storm, a turn based squad level tactical shooter from Nival Interactive.

It really gnaws at me to not care one way or the other about a game.  Games are supposed to give you some sort of emotional response.  Whether it's fear, laughter, anger, or something else, games will normally bring out some sort of response from a gamer.  Look at all those message boards that allow users to vent their spleen about a game. Whether it's a 1000 word diatribe or the simple "This game sucks," at least the game brings forth some sort of emotional response.  Sadly, Silent Storm, when I think about it, just makes me think of nothing.

Sure, it's a technical achievement.  A lot of people have gone on and on in regards to the rag doll physics and how you can completely interact with the environment. For example, take a panzerfaust fire it into a wall, and the wall falls down and you can now go through that wall.  No doubt a difficult feat to achieve in game that we're still probably some time away from seeing in most genres, particularly those that need it the most (like first person shooters).   In fact, I actually enjoyed taking some sort of heavy grenade, tossing it into a wooden old house and the entire house, all three levels, imploded and killed everyone inside.  Again, a great accomplishment

The interface is a matter of simplicity and also deserves high marks.  There's various buttons for modes of walking, special skills, type of shot to take, characters status, which I suppose are all pretty standard fare for a squad tactical game. It's all laid out and easy to get a grasp of for even the most novice turn based player (like me).  Heck, I'll even give Nival high marks for the great documentation that comes included in the box.

But I just can't shake the indifference I have to everything else in the game. This game plays like it was written by a computer and was meant to be played by androids. There's no real emotional involvement of any kind or at any level for me to what's transpiring on the monitor. Is it because you have to handle everyone from how many steps they take to what weapon they have drawn? It's quite possible that for me I don't enjoy that level of  micromanagement.  A computer game should be something I enjoy, not another chore or job.  Could it be the slow pace?  Again, another valid reason for my apathy. About the slowest paced game I've played in quite a long time is the Total War series which itself is not geared to a complete twitch fest.

I think the biggest factor towards me not caring about Silent Storm is the time factor.  I spent approximately two to three hours on one map. Going house to house, picking off snipers and German soldiers, moving my team as a group and then repeating the process for the next house. And then next one and the one after that.  And even when I did finish the map, I didn't care that I did.  There's no feeling of victory, no real pleasure of wasting digital Nazis (as is the case in some other games like Wolfenstein or Call of Duty) and there certainly is no desire to go back and do it again. Is that what a leader in the military really feels?  Just a feeling of the whole process being a job that will only lead to more of the same over and over again of people killing one another with no really deep reason for doing so other than you were ordered to do so?

The truth of the matter dear reader is that I didn't finish this game. I finished the maps in England then my squad was sent to Luxembourg. I then proceeded into the city but after one map, I had enough of it and started writing this review. I understand there's supposed to be some sort of power armor or super secret technology of some sort that's to be captured by your group. But again, I just don't care about any of it.

Silent Storm is a technical marvel but lacks any real soul.  I suppose those who like Close Combat or games of that nature will enjoy this but as someone who has never played a turn based game, I don't think this is the one to start out with if you're curious about the turn based tactical format. The games lack of storyline, character development, and lengthy mission times unfortunately makes any technical breakthroughs a moot point. I'm really sorry people at Nival but I just don't like this game. 

-Sphinx