UMS II: Nations at War

UMS II: Nations at War
Developer(s)MicroProse
Publisher(s)MicroProse
Designer(s)Ezra Sidran
Platform(s)Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Macintosh
Release1990
Genre(s)War game, strategy

UMS II: Nations at War is a 1990 video game by MicroProse.


Gameplay

UMS II: Nations at War is a sequel to the computer wargame The Universal Military Simulator.[1] It has a strategic emphasis that includes nation management, weather systems, and naval and orbital operations as well as expanded historical scenarios.

Reception

According to designer Ezra Sidran, UMS II was a commercial success.[2]

M. Evan Brooks reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "Somewhere, there is a game in UMS II — the difficulty lies in ferreting it out."[3]

Computer Gaming World's 1993 wargame survey gave U.M.S. II two-plus stars.[4] A 1994 survey of wargames offered it the same rating.[5]

A review by Neil Jackson in ST Format magazine gave it a grade of 87%, writing, "Despite its graphical and musical shortcomings this game is marvelous. The depth of detail in the combat systems is phenomenal," adding, "UMS II doesn't set out to amaze you with displays of techno wizardry; it's there to stretch your imagination and provide a basis for you to live out your military dreams (or nightmares). Without doubt there's no other program that even comes close to achieving this."[6] In 1993 a bundle called "The Complete Universal Military Simulator" was released that included the original game, the "Nations at War" sequel, and a "Planet Editor" that let users design planets, weather systems, nations, AIs, event effects, and scenarios as well as unit types and armies. Reviewing the package in Amiga Format, Richard Jones gave it a rating of 74%, writing that it wasn't recommended for "frivolous gamers after a quick thrill", but "is a must for the serious war gamer."[7]

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared UMS II: Nations at War the 8th-worst computer game ever released.[1]

Reviews

References

  1. ^ a b Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World. No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
  2. ^ Sidran, Ezra (November 17, 2016). "A Wargame 55 Years in the Making". General Staff. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020.
  3. ^ Brooks, M. Evan (October 1991). "UMS II: Nations at War". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 87. pp. 36–38.
  4. ^ Brooks, M. Evan (October 1993). "Brooks' Book Of Wargames: 1900-1950, R-Z". Computer Gaming World. pp. 144–148. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. ^ Brooks, M. Evan (January 1994). "War In Our Time / A Survey Of Wargames From 1950-2000". Computer Gaming World. pp. 194–212.
  6. ^ Jackson, Neil (October 1990). "UMS II". ST Format. pp. 58–59. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  7. ^ Jones, Richard (November 1993). "Universal Military Simulator: The Complete Compilation Pack". Amiga Format. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Universal Military Simulator 2 (UMS 2) review from Amiga Format 22 (May 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  9. ^ "Universal Military Simulator 2 review from Amiga Power 3 (Jul 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  10. ^ "Strategy Plus (All Issues)". 1990.