The Third World War (video game)
| The Third World War | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Micronet |
| Publisher(s) | Micronet, Extreme |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega-CD |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Simulation, Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Third World War, released in Japan as The IIIrd World War (ザ・サード ワールド ウォー), is a 1993 turn-based strategy game for the Mega-CD developed by Micronet.
Gameplay
You play against the computer as a nation of your choice in the present day or in the future. The game is similar to a computer game version of Risk. Each nation has its own strengths and weaknesses and the player is given a limited number of terms to develop their nation's society, technology, and military power.
You have the option to play the game in different historical points in history, i.e. during the Cold War or in the future. The object of the game is to defeat the computer without starting world war three. The game failed to generate much commercial success due to its limited graphics, and difficulty the player often had in developing a military presence that could compete with the computer.
Winning
Victory is achieved by one of two ways, a military victory or an economic victory. To achieve military victory, you must conquer 51 different nations. Once the 51st location is conquered, the victory will commence, and a small speech by your country's leader will ensue.
Nations
You can choose one of 16 nations to lead. The United States of America, Russia, Japan, Germany, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, or Libya. There are several other areas in the map that are gray in most game options, that are not selectable to control, but are conquerable (such as Cuba, Vietnam, Mexico, and Ethiopia for example).
Reception
Entertainment Weekly gave the game a C and wrote that "Assuming the leadership of any one of 16 countries, players negotiate treaties, deploy armed forces, and shore up their economies in this complex, menu-driven brain strainer. But while it's hard to dislike any game that includes options like 'aid terrorism' and 'manipulate media,' Third World War is a bit dull-by the time the shooting starts, you'll probably have tuned in CNN to catch the real thing."[1]