Silent Storm

Silent Storm[lower-alpha 1] is a 2003 turn-based tactics video game developed by Nival Interactive and published by JoWood. The game is set in a fictionalized World War II Europe with science fiction elements.

For other uses, see Silent Storm (disambiguation).
Silent Storm
European cover art
Developer(s)Nival Interactive
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Dmitry "Zak" Zakharov[1]
EngineSilent Storm engine
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • RU: August 22, 2003[2]
  • EU: November 7, 2003
  • NA: January 20, 2004
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics, tactical RPG
Mode(s)Single player

An advanced game engine, the Silent Storm engine, was developed for the game and reused in several later titles. Silent Storm was followed by the expansion Silent Storm: Sentinels in 2004. A third game taking place in the same setting, Hammer & Sickle, was co-developed by Novik&Co and released in 2005. A Gold edition containing both the original game and the expansion was released in Europe later that same year.

Gameplay
An in-game screenshot showing troops and Panzerkleins

The player commands a team of up to six elite soldiers on the Axis or Allied side, undertaking a variety of missions. Once the player begins a campaign, they may select a premade character or create their own to lead the team through the game. Once the introductory mission is complete, the player can access a base complete with a medical station, armoury, personnel, and a panzerklein hangar. From this point, the player may select a team of six characters from a pool of 20. Each character has a role such as medic, sniper, scout, grenadier, soldier or engineer. Each role has different advantages and liabilities in battle. As the player progresses through the game, the armoury will receive new weapons for the player to use, either stolen from enemies or contributed from their own forces.

Silent Storm depicts a wide variety of the authentic weaponry and equipment of circa 1943 with great detail. Mixed into otherwise realistic elements is a plot that features secret weapon projects reminiscent of spy-fi, including energy weapons. Most notable are the Panzerkleins (pseudo-German for "little tanks"), crude powered armour suits.

The game features a remarkably advanced physics model. Nearly all structures are completely destructible. This has many tactical effects in the combat. For instance, if a character hears an enemy moving in an adjacent room, they can simply fire through the wall to attack them. Silent Storm also employs ragdoll physics for bodies according to the precise velocity of an impact. Fully three-dimensional mapping allows for obstruction calculations and cover effects from all angles. Bullets ricochet and their stopping power depends on the weapon. The effects are exaggerated for a more cinematic experience (a hail of non-fatal bullets only make the target shake, but a single fatal bullet can send the target flying).

Plot

The game's story takes place during World War II in an alternate history. Thor's Hammer Organization (THO), is a shadowy organization with connections all over Europe and the goal of world domination. THO knows that this goal cannot be attained while there are powers capable of challenging them, and aims to use its connections and advanced technology to make sure the two sides of World War II devastate each other, while THO makes a grab for power when both are exhausted. The obvious influence of Norse mythology on the organization's name is further shown by the fact that all THO members use a mythological name as their call sign.

In exchange for the services of both Allied and Axis higher-ups, Thor's Hammer provides them with some of their inventions, including Panzerkleins. Panzerkleins are very difficult to destroy, as they are essentially immune to small arms fire.

Development

Silent Storm was developed by Nival Interactive, a Moscow-based studio previously responsible for the Allods (Rage of Mages) series.[3] The game's showing at E3 2003 won it the "E3 2003 Best of Show" award in the tactical genre from Wargamer.[4] Its English version went gold on January 15, 2004.[5]

Reception

According to Metacritic, Silent Storm received "generally positive reviews" from critics.[8] The game experienced poor sales in the United States; GameSpot reported that "fewer than 20,000 copies" of the game sold during 2004.[10]

While praised for its tactical depth, aesthetics and the quality of its game engine,[11][12][13] the game has been criticized for its "silly", "over-the-top" story and voice acting,[11][12] and for its inclusion of science fiction elements—specifically the Panzerkleins—and their effect upon game balance in the latter stages of the game.[12][13][14] The game's "tired", "played-out" World War II setting,[12][13] poor performance on contemporary hardware,[12][14] lack of meaningful managerial features,[11] and lack of multiplayer,[11][13] were also noted.

Awards

GameSpot named Silent Storm the best computer game of January 2004,[15] and the "Best Game No One Played" of the year overall.[10] It also won the annual "Best Turn-Based Strategy Game 2004" prize from PC Gamer US, whose Mark H. Walker praised the game's "sweaty-palm firefights, clever leveling system, and its use of its World War II setting".[16] Silent Storm received year-end award nominations for X-Play's "Best Original Game",[17][18] Computer Gaming World's "Strategy Game of the Year (General)" and GameSpot's "Best Strategy Game".[19][10]

Legacy

Silent Storm was followed by an expansion pack entitled Silent Storm: Sentinels. The later Hammer & Sickle (2005) serves as a successor to the two games.

Notes
  1. Russian: Операция Silent Storm[2]

References
  1. Interview at GamersHell
  2. Горячев, Владимир (29 August 2003). "Рецензия на Silent Storm". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  3. Jonric. "Silent Storm Interview". RPGVault. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  4. "Press". JoWood Productions. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  5. Thorsen, Tor (January 15, 2004). "Silent Storm makes golden sound". GameSpot. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  6. "Silent Storm Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 21 May 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  7. "Silent Storm: Sentinels Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  8. "Silent Storm (pc: 2004): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  9. Keil, Matt (June 4, 2004). "Silent Storm (PC) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on December 6, 2005.
  10. The GameSpot Editors (January 5, 2005). "Best and Worst of 2004". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. Rausch, Allen (February 25, 2004). "S2 - Silent Storm". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  12. Butts, Steve (January 27, 2004). "Silent Storm Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 2, 2004. Retrieved 11 December 2007. There is one aspect of the game that really stood out as ridiculous to me. Since it's kind of integral to the plot, I don't want to spoil it. Just watch out for the suits.
  13. Kasavin, Greg (January 26, 2004). "Silent Storm Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  14. "Silent Storm Review". 1up.com. IGN Entertainment Games. January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015. But worse, late in the game Silent Storm falls victim to the nerd imperative of sci-fi elements that, though some gamers may enjoy, I found totally unnecessary and detrimental. After fighting so many tough, gritty urban battles, the introduction of Panzerkleins (powered li'l mech-like weaponized body armor) and ray guns struck a really sour note and seriously undermined the great WWII feeling the game had created up to that point.
  15. Staff (February 1, 2004). "GameSpot's Month in Review for January 2004". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 1, 2004.
  16. Walker, Mark H. (March 2005). "The Eleventh Annual PC Gamer Awards". PC Gamer US. 12 (3): 33–36, 38, 40, 42, 44.
  17. X-Play Staff (January 18, 2005). "X-Play's Best of 2004 Nominees". X-Play. Archived from the original on November 7, 2005.
  18. X-Play Staff (January 27, 2005). "X-Play's Best of 2004 Winners Announced!". X-Play. Archived from the original on March 15, 2005.
  19. Editors of CGW (March 2005). "2004 Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World. No. 249. pp. 56–67.
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