The Unholy War

The Unholy War is a PlayStation video game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Eidos Interactive. It is a fighting game in which characters fight in a 3D environment using melee and projectile attacks. The game features two modes: Mayhem Mode, in which the player fights other characters in one-on-one battles; and Strategy Mode, in which the player fights campaigns on various battlefields. The game came with a demo of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

The Unholy War
Developer(s)Toys for Bob[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: September 30, 1998
  • EU: October 30, 1998[1]
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Story

The game is set on the planet Xsarra, on which two powerful forces are at war: the Arcanes (Xsarra's original inhabitants) and the Teknos (cybernetic conquerors who want the planet's resources for themselves). The Teknos crash-landed on Xsarra because they were fleeing from the "Hunters", a mysterious, powerful alien race unusually bent on the Teknos' destruction. The Teknos were hoping that the unusual radiation in Xsarra's atmosphere would mask their ship from the hunter's radar scanners. Finding out that there was Aur on Xsarra, they decided that if they stayed here and mined all the Aur on Xsarra, they needn't worry about the Hunters ever again. But the Natives of Xsarra didn't like this idea, so they formed an allied group, the Arcane forces. They waged war for 20 years, until an uneasy peace was formed that lasted a few years. There was only one common rule: no two people (one from each nation) can have a baby. A few years later, Katrina, a rogue Quicksilver (a human-like creature that can transform into a silver being), and Andrus, a rebel Dark Angel/Stygian (an experiment gone wrong that created humans with wings), escaped into the wastelands to hide. Eventually they were captured before they could conceive a child. This is what started another war, but if they did have a child, the war would have "destroyed all of Xsarra" (according to the being known as the Observer). This is where you start off: commanding one of the sides in the last war between the two nations.

Gameplay

In both modes, the game is based around the taeng arena. Each character has three attack moves that take power from a constantly regenerating energy bar. The arenas have numerous hazards, teleporters and power-ups. Every character has its strengths and weaknesses against other characters.

In strategy mode, the overview map is made of a series of interlocking hexagons (called Hexes). On most maps, both sides have a base occupying a single Hex that can be used to buy or sell units. The player's aim is to destroy all of their opponent's units and their base. Strategy mode is turn-based; the player is allowed to make up to three moves before control switches to their opponent, who then makes three moves before said player regains control and so on.

A 'move' consists of either moving a unit, or using a unit's special skill. Buying and selling units do not count as moves. The player can only move the same unit once per turn and use its special skill once per turn. Different units move different distances.

To attack an enemy unit, the player moves a unit onto an adjacent Hex and confirm an attack. The game then enters arena combat mode. Whoever loses the battle has the option of bringing another unit into the arena, provided it is next to the Hex being attacked. Combat ends when the loser surrenders or all of his 'backup' units have been killed.

AUR is a magical resource that can be mined by placing a character onto a Hex containing AUR and as with moving and fighting, some units are better than others when it comes to mining. The player can get an extra 20 or 40 AUR at the start of every turn, provided the Hex stays occupied. AUR can be used to buy units or use a unit's special skill.

The enemy base is destroyed when one of the player's units enters the Hex it occupies, and all units guarding it are killed. The base generates 10 Aur per turn until it is destroyed.

In between each level, the player gradually receives more information on the game's story by an unknown being called "the observer". Reading these will show them how the story develops.

Arcane characters

"§" Denotes that this character is playable in a demo of the game

  • Dark Angel: Humanoid character with wings. Can fire eye lasers, deliver a shockwave attack or place a crystal that heals him gradually.
  • §Brontu: Resembles a six-legged rhino. Can charge at high speed for a ram attack, roar a shockwave into the enemy, or place toxic gas clouds.
  • Ecton: Humanoid devil. Can place net traps, spray Baygon to the enemy, drain an opponent's health to restore his own and whip a beam that damages and slows the enemy.
  • Fire Witch: Flying woman made of fire. Can place patches of fire, shoot fireballs and dive-bomb the enemy. After the dive bomb she needs a few seconds to get back up.
  • Mogalin Rider: Humanoid woman riding a bipedal monster known as a Mogalin. Only character with four moves; can fire a quick magic beam, switch places with an opponent, use a weak tongue attack or swallow a power-up to deliver a homing belch attack when the tongue attack is pressed again.
  • Magus Lizard: Humanoid lizard with mage clothes and a sword. Can swipe his sword, summon homing ravens, or summon meteors.
  • §Prana Devil: Demonic creature resembling a scrawny lizard. Can bite an opponent, fire spitballs and lay eggs that hatch into Prana chicks. There can only be 3 chicks in the arena at one time and they are easily slain.
  • Megaprana (Secret Character): more powerful version of the Prana Devil. Has the same moves, but are all more powerful and can jump much higher too.

Teknos characters

"§" Denotes that this character is playable in a demo of the game

  • Jaeger: Tanklike droid fitted with arms. Can shoot homing missiles, fire a powerful laser or deliver a heavy punch.
  • §Killcycle: Humanoid cybernetically attached to a flying jetcycle. Can fire plasma blasts, drop bombs, or sacrifice its life to deliver heavy damage.
  • Mantis: Mechanical insectoid robot. Can lay suction-vortices, crush the enemy with his mandibles or launch homing techno-tics that take health from an opponent back to Mantis.
  • Quicksilver: Humanoid woman similar to the T-1000. Can fire orbs, deliver a slice attack, or use a shield that can protect against any attack and reflect projectiles.
  • Tesla Lord: Humanoid carrying an electricity conducting staff and backpack. Can teleport to a random spot, fire a shock beam or plant a crystal that shoots lightning balls.
  • §Razorfane: Human brain in a mechanical body with circular saws and spikes. Can fire ripsaws, place bladewalls (saw-barriers) or spin on the spot for a close-range attack.
  • Wasp: Cyborg woman outfitted with hovering wings and blaster. Can hover, freeze enemies, drain their health (giving it to her) and fire a gun.
  • BetaRazor (Secret character): Razorfane with twice the health, bigger energy meter, thrusters, fires energy blade circular saws, Razorfane's spin-on-the-spot and energy field slam attack similar to Fire Witch's (but without the slow recovery).

Maps
  • Cenotaph (Ecton level)
  • Desert Ruins (Magus level)
  • Factory (Jaeger level)
  • High Temple (Dark-Angel level)
  • Juicer (Quicksilver level)
  • Mystic Glen (Mogalin Rider level) - if the player jumps down the pit at one end of the arena, they pop up out of one at the other end.
  • Proving Grounds (Mantis level)
  • Steel Hallway (Razorfane level)
  • The Depths (Prana Devil level)
  • The Hive (Wasp level)
  • The Lab (Tesla Lord level)
  • Toxic Dump (Killcycle level)
  • The Volcano (Firewitch level)
  • Water Hole (Brontu level)
  • Menhir Circle (Megaprana's level) (SECRET)
  • Dark Maze (Beta-Razor's level) (SECRET)

Secret maps are unlocked by completing Strategy mode on Normal.

Secret characters are unlocked by completing Strategy mode on Hard.

Reception

The game received an average score of 76.58% at GameRankings, based on an aggregate of 6 reviews.[2]

Notes
  1. Released under the Crystal Dynamics brand name.

References
  1. "Games Guide". Computer Trade Weekly. No. 711. United Kingdom. 26 October 1998. p. 29.
  2. "The Unholy War for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  3. Fulljames, Stephen (1998). "PlayStation Review: The Unholy War". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  4. "The Unholy War". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1998.
  5. "The Unholy War". Game Informer (67): 81. November 1998. Archived from the original on 1999-09-30. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  6. Bobba Fatt (1998). "Unholy War Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-02-12. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  7. MacDonald, Ryan (1998-10-09). "Unholy War, The Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  8. Nelson, Randy (1998-09-28). "Unholy War". IGN. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  9. "The Unholy War". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
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