Field Commander

{{Short description|2006 video game}} {{about|a video game|the military discipline|battle command}} {{Infobox video game |title = Field Commander |image = PSP-FieldCommander-FrontCover.jpg |developer = Sony Online Entertainment |publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|Sony Online Entertainment|PAL|Ubisoft}} |engine = |released = {{vgrelease|NA|May 23, 2006|AUS|July 22, 2006|EU|July 28, 2006}} |genre = Turn-based tactics |modes = Single-player, multiplayer |platforms = PlayStation Portable }}

'''''Field Commander''''' is a military turn-based tactics game for the PlayStation Portable. The player takes on the persona of a new Advanced Tactical Legion for Allied Security (ATLAS) recruit, an international military alliance. The player battles Shadow Nation, a criminal empire.

==Gameplay== The multiplayer options include Infrastructure, ''Ad Hoc'', Hot Swap, and a unique feature called Transmission mode, which is somewhat similar to the play by email system of older PC games. While playing in Transmission mode each player takes turns and sends them off to the server.

Players can choose a commanding officer to act as the player's avatar. Divisions determine the player's allegiance as well as Division Bonuses that can be activated. Each division has a unique strength and a corresponding weakness. The Card Sharks, for instance, feature strong infantry units but they move slowly, while the Killing Depths' naval vessels deal heavy damage at the cost of having weak army units.

Fuel and ammunition are finite for vehicles and primary weapons, while infantry have unlimited fuel and secondary weapons have unlimited ammunition. When fuel is exhausted, there is a high chance the unit will explode. All units can be resupplied by either trucks, transports, or cities. Certain division powers can also recover unit health, ammunition and/or petrol.

Fighting works similar to other games in the genre but had many unique elements which included the ability to destroy terrain, reduce and eventually destroy cities, special buildings that could call in attacks from off the board, such as Airstrikes, Napalm Launchers, Satellite Lasers, EMP and concussion blasts, stealth units in every terrain type, as well as the ability to stack units in a single tile. Stacking units could be taken to an extreme. A player can have a plane, a tank on a bridge, a boat under the bridge, and a submerged sub all in the same grid space.

Certain terrain will slow down movement, or even be completely impassable. For example, the Teton cannot be traversed by any unit. Swamps slow down treaded units and do not allow wheeled units to proceed. Some terrain also increase or decrease unit defense.

A few units have a ranged attack, allowing them to fire on enemies from a distance, but firing will count as a turn unless that unit is under the effect of a division power.

Revenue can be gained by capturing buildings, and some buildings provide more money than others.

The game also includes a built-in map editor, which allows players to create and share maps with other users online.

==Reception== The game has received an 8.4 rating on ''GameSpot'',<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/psp/strategy/fieldcommander/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs&tag=tabs;reviews Field Commander for PSP Review – PSP Field Commander Review]</ref> and an 8.4 from ''IGN''.<ref>[http://psp.ign.com/articles/709/709489p1.html IGN: Field Commander Review]</ref> ''Field Commander'' was the first PSP title to receive a perfect score from Official PlayStation Magazine.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} Review aggregator sites GameRankings and Metacritic gave ''Field Commander'' 79% and 77/100 respectively.<ref>[http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/929680.asp Field Commander Reviews]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/fieldcommander?q=field%20commander |title=Field Commander (psp: 2006): Reviews |access-date=2006-12-28 |archive-date=2007-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929155553/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/fieldcommander?q=field%20commander |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many sources pointed out that ''Field Commander'' is similar to ''Advance Wars'', with several reviewers accusing the former of being a clone of the latter.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/psp/field_commander |title=Field Commander - PSP |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-date=2006-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060910035534/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/psp/field_commander |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rewiredmind.com/review/fieldcommander |title=Field Commander (PSP) Review at RewiredMind.com |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061027230928/http://www.rewiredmind.com/review/fieldcommander |archive-date=2006-10-27 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/gamereview?cid=1951108590&tab=reviews&page=0&eid=461019 |title=Field Commander Review {{!}}Sony PSP Game Reviews - Yahoo! Video Games |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-date=2007-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319050943/http://videogames.yahoo.com/gamereview?cid=1951108590&tab=reviews&page=0&eid=461019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/005695.php |title=Field Commander - DailyGame |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527095211/http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/005695.php |archive-date=2008-05-27 |url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.psxextreme.com/scripts/reviews3/review.asp?RevID=88 |title=PSP Game Reviews: Field Commander |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-date=2008-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616022509/http://www.psxextreme.com/scripts/reviews3/review.asp?RevID=88 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=5008&sid=ca65c641cb3c8f89891e45b3f8bb1098 |title=Field Commander Review - Sony PSP Review |access-date=2008-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323160950/http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=5008&sid=ca65c641cb3c8f89891e45b3f8bb1098 |archive-date=2008-03-23 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.mygamer.com/index.php?page=gameportal&mode=reviews&id=551737 | title=Video Game Reviews, Previews and News - myGamer - Video Game Reviews, Previews and News | access-date=2008-07-14 | archive-date=2008-10-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007010727/http://www.mygamer.com/index.php?page=gameportal&mode=reviews&id=551737 | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Awards=== * ''IGN''{{'}}s award for Best PSP Strategy Game of 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070110101238/http://bestof.ign.com/2006/psp/17.html IGN.com presents The Best of 2006]</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{MobyGames | id= /field-commander }}

Category:2006 video games Category:Computer wargames Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:PlayStation Portable games Category:PlayStation Portable-only games Category:Turn-based tactics video games Category:Ubisoft games Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Video games scored by Laura Karpman