Battle Aces Aims to Make RTS Games More Accessible - Summer Game Fest 2024

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One of the first PC games I remember playing before I had dived into the world of Steam was Starcraft. I was blown away by how you could build up armies, strategically use your resources to create bases and advanced units, and how you could line them up to get the most out of each wave of attack. Even though I was able to get a handle on it quickly, many of my friends refused to play with me due to the strict learning curve. It's hard to have a real-time strategy game like Starcraft be more accessible and easy to learn without getting rid of the strategic elements. Well, it turns out the team over at Uncapped Games has found a way, and it's the core tenant of their upcoming game, Battle Aces.

After the incredible trailer during the Summer Game Fest showcase, I got to check out Battle Aces for myself and see how the team makes real-time RTS that anybody can play. After trying it myself, I would say they are succeeding. It's still a strategy game like Starcraft or Command & Conquer. You will gather resources and build units and different facilities to create a varied army to take down your opponent. However, the team has streamlined the process to make it easier to build these units and have matches that stick under a 10-minute timeframe.

The team removes some spots that take time away from the action. First, workers are automatically built when you create a base to get more resources. If your workers are destroyed, they will automatically respawn after time has passed. This means you don't have to worry about your workers at all, other than protecting them from being attacked.

Then, we have the instantaneous building of units and facilities. There isn't any time wasted when you need to build units in Battle Aces, and if you have the resources, you can raise armies instantly. This means that raising armies will be extremely quick, allowing you to attack or counter enemy groups quickly and on the fly. You will also be able to see which units your enemy has researched or has access to, which gives you the chance to try guessing to counter-attack your foe. I can also see those mechanics being used to trick an opponent, making them think you will focus on air units but instead do ground only.

All of this is put together in a fantastic-looking package with ways to customize your unit pool. There are eight different slots where you can pick and choose different ground and flying units. They all feel and play differently with different unique mechanics, so picking and choosing the right units for how you want to play is especially important. It's an intriguing game that I feel fans of the genre will really enjoy, even if it isn't as deeply strategic as other titles. It does have co-op and versus modes, too, which means playing with or against your friends is very possible and fun!

Currently, the game is designed to be played with the keyboard and mouse, and it makes complete sense. These types of games play significantly better with KBM vs a controller. Playing on the Steam Deck may put you at a slight disadvantage due to this, but is it possible? I would say a solid, maybe! Even still, if you have seen Starcraft and really liked how it looks but felt the strategy and learning curve was too high, I would definitely check Battle Aces out.

You can wishlist Battle Aces over on Steam now.

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