Uprising: Join or Die
Action RTS blending tank combat with base building.
Uprising: Join or Die is an action real-time strategy game from American developer Cyclone Studios. It launched for Windows in North America on October 14, 1997, and in Japan on July 24, 1998. Players take charge of the Wraith, a powerful combat vehicle that carries rebel units into battle against the military. For the first several months of development, the game had no script. Near its release, gameplay videos were created to show off its support for the 3dfx graphics card. A PlayStation port, Uprising X, came out in December 1998, and a PC sequel, Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy, had already been released on December 9, 1998.
The game received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its graphics, gameplay, and online multiplayer, but noted issues with overly difficult computer-controlled enemies and the control schemes. It was named 1997's best action game by Computer Games Strategy Plus. GOG.com and Steam rereleases followed in March and May 2016, respectively.
**Gameplay**
Single-player missions revolve around building and fortifying bases to gather enough offensive power to attack, defeat, and capture enemy bases. Bases must be placed on predetermined map points. By positioning the Wraith over a claim square, players can call down a Citadel, which then allows additional structures to be built there. The number of structures per control point varies, and resources from those points are finite. To increase resource generation and building capacity, players must scout and capture more base locations, often through combat. A scenario usually ends when all base locations are under player control, though some missions have other objectives. After each mission, the player earns currency to upgrade units, structures, and the Wraith.
At the start of the campaign, the player has two weapons: a Gatling laser and heat-seeking missiles. These can be upgraded to weapons like landmines and mortar bombs. The Wraith's armor and all structures are also upgradeable, with structures available from the beginning.
**Plot**
When space travel became possible, Earth's people split along ideological lines. Some hoped exploration would unite humanity, but most factions instead claimed and settled worlds for their own purposes. Then the entire human population of the planet Albion was wiped out by an unknown force.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Uprising: Join or Die
- Developer
- Cyclone Studios
- Publisher
- The 3DO Company
- Series
- Uprising
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Genre
- Action, real-time strategy
- Producer
- Don McClure
- Director
- Helmut Kobler
- Artist
- Michael Janov, Michael A. Khoury, Maarten Kraaijvanger
- Programmer
- Doug Banks, Jon Cortelyou, Patrick MacKellar
- Designer
- Daryl Allison, Justin Bates, David Dodge
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's plot begins when humanity discovers space travel, leading to ideological splits and colonization of worlds. After the entire human population of the planet Albion is wiped out by an unknown force, humanity forms a vast military government to fight a belligerent race called the Swarm. Third-party reports, denied by the military, tell of usable alien technology recovered from Albion and a quarantine of the planet, causing many to question the military's version of events. The military, eventually called the Imperium, grants its general Caston the title of Emperor and suppresses open rebellion. The player character is a young man from the planet Caliban who avoids conscription through intellect and combat prowess, catches the attention of an anti-Imperium rebel group, and is chosen to pilot the Wraith—a highly advanced Imperium weapon and command vehicle appropriated by the rebels.
Reader's Guide
Uprising: Join or Die received generally favorable reviews upon release and was awarded 1997's best action game by Computer Games Strategy Plus. Critics praised its graphical presentation, gameplay, and online multiplayer support, but criticized its overly difficult computer-controlled enemies and control schemes. The mix of action and strategy elements was widely praised, with GameSpot noting it was set to carve out a niche in the real-time strategy market, though PC Gamer UK criticized it for trying to do too much at once. The game's graphics were commended but required at least a 200Mhz Pentium CPU with a 3D accelerator to run smoothly. The game received a PlayStation port as Uprising X in December 1998, and a sequel, Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy, was released for PC on December 9, 1998. It was rereleased on GOG.com in March 2016 and on Steam in May 2016.
Did You Know?
- For the first six months of development, no script was written; only a 10-page memo existed.
- The game's support for the 3dfx graphics card was implemented late in development, stunning the team and delaying release to create gameplay videos.
- The controls were intentionally kept inconsistent between the first-person view and the map to make the map more intuitive for new players.
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