Preview: Stalin Vs. Martians

By: Derek Yu

On: April 30th, 2008

Stalin Vs. Martians is being developed by no less than THREE Russian game studios – that could only be a good thing or a bad thing. Set in the 1942 Soviet Union, you must lead the Red Army to repel hordes of Martian invaders. Toward the end of the game, you may even be able to control Stalin himself – a “huge colossus, five times higher than any other creature.”

Other than the fairly entertaining premise, SVM promises to deliver a very simple, action-based RTS experience. The only resources you’ll need to worry about are the various power-ups, dropped by defeated Martians. These power-ups can be collected to bring in reinforcements or upgrade your troops. But no city-building or technology trees.

So! I like the “zany” storyline and the idea of a simple RTS. The screenshots look just okay, however. We’ll see if they can pull this one off by Fall (the planned release time)!

(Source: The Random Gnome’s Random Lair)

Posted in Previews, Strategy

http://0xdeadc0de.org Eclipse

just looks ok?? these cyan giant elephant aliens looks awesome!
haowan

The screenshots look completely awesome IMO
Fishy Boy

Looks pretty good, and the gameplay idea is certainly interesting. JUGASCHVILI needs to be a cheat code for something in it.
sinoth

lol @ “just okay”. Looks great from here. I guess it loses points for not being 2D, drawn in paint, or seizure inducing.
http://0xdeadc0de.org Eclipse

Derek is no indie, only pixel shakers ehm shaders for him you know…
blobby

Looks better than Aquarium, Aquaria or that… Jugaschvili!!
PHeMoX

Josef “Stalin” Besarionisdze Jugaschvili

…

You know after all these years,

it’s still an incredibly funny sounding name when fast spoken backwards…
Cave story

I bet it looses point for not using the C64 resolution or the NES piss palette.
Gr.Viper

Oh… dammit…
I mean, these guys who host the game website are known only for releasing a lame anime-lookalike visual novel about Soviet spaceship. The other team is known for series of monotonous add-ons for WW2 RTS games and a recently announced sci-fi RTS. The last team has some sort of ugly WiP TPS on display on their website which coupled with absolutely inadequate Russian descriptions… Well, I’m not expecting anything fancy :)
Bob Saget

Aw, come on guys. No need to hound Derek on the notion that the shots look “just okay.” I really have to agree with him. Take a look at this:

http://www.dreamloregames.com/stalin/eng/screenshot009.jpg

It’s not that it’s 3D, but that everything is really hazy and blurry. Look at the one tank in the top left-ish area of the screen, it looks like I’m seeing double. There are also super intense bright spots that glare out on my monitor. I think it’s unfair to assume that Derek thinks the game looks “just okay” because it isn’t cactus-esque visuals.
http://www.auntiepixelante.com auntie

but why am i tanks when i could be stalin?
Trotim

Is there a Stalin hack for Mario Bros. yet?
PHeMoX

Actually, there might be, as I heard rumors about a Saddam hack for Mario Bros.

Couldn’t find one though.
Derek

Well, I looked at the screenshots again and I stand by my opinion! Other than the blue elephant aliens (which I think are great), I’m pretty ambivalent about them.

EDIT: Thanks, Bob Saget!
Valkyrie

Am I the only one who thinks “Pikmin” when describing those Martians?
Derek

I’m pretty sure the Martians are supposed to be based off of Toy Story (three-eyed aliens), DOOM (Cacodemon), and Pikmin respectively.
Radnom

It looks to me like there’s some kinda motion blur or filter going on. I don’t think the game will look as ‘off’ as it does in those screenshots in the final game.
Gr.Viper

Radnom, it might. Most Russian game developers love bloom effect and stick it everywhere. I suppose some even go to bed with it…
haowan

It’s supposed to look like a fucked up TV signal, I think. That’s the reason for the blurring. I think it works really well, and gives it a crummy b-movie feel.
machrider

http://www.dreamloregames.com/stalin/eng/index.html

“Our game is unique. Trashy and absolutely over-the-top, arthouse kitsch production in its finest.”

I think the graphics are supposed to be like that.
kinda machrider

ALL YOU DO IS CLICKANNNNN
machrider

Hey, at least I’m not Derek Yu and I can realize when something is supposed to be the way it is.

Remember that whole “Cave Story ripoff” fiasco despite the fact that The Podunkian not denying that he was inspired by Cave Story?

I mean, come on. Just read the game’s website and you can tell that the graphic stlye is intentionally meant to look like kitschy B-Movie with blurry and overlit scenery. It’s supposed to look “just okay.” In fact, it looks amazing. This is going to be the best game since “Barkley Shut up and Jam: Gaiden.”
machrider

Or at least, I hope. The concept of the game is pure genius, at any rate.
Smithy

I think that Derek chose the screenshots that looked the best because he wanted to represent the game in a positive fashion. The majority of the screenshots I’ve seen outside of this site look pretty average and somewhat boring from where I’m standing.

Not that that’s a *bad* thing. I mean, I don’t really care about looks very much when considering a game. I’m just saying, the imagery doesn’t try to push any envelopes, which gives it an average look. Also, it doesn’t seem to have much variety at this point in development so it’s hard to be impressed by visuals just yet.

The concept sounds amazing, though.
Novichock

Obligatory link to the Stalin vs Hitler Jack Chick-style comic.
http://johnl.org/articles/comics/stalinvshitler.php