Hammer & Sickle (Russian: Серп и Молот) is a tactical role-playing game[1][2] for the PC, co-developed by the Russia-based companies Novik&Co and Nival Interactive[1] and published by CDV in 2005. The game is set in the same universe (and runs on the same game engine) as Silent Storm, an earlier product by the same company.
| Hammer & Sickle | |
|---|---|
 European boxart of Hammer & Sickle | |
| Developer(s) | Novik&Co Nival Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | CDV Software Entertainment T-time Technology |
| Engine | Silent Storm engine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Background story
editGermany has recently been divided between Soviet and Western zones, the Cold War has just begun, and the Americans still have a monopoly on the atomic bomb.
Gameplay
editThe player takes on the role of a Soviet commando assigned to operate behind British-American lines in 1949 post-World War II Germany.
The game features an open ended storyline in which the player's actions determine the course of the game. The player also has significant control over the team's movement between game maps and the passage of time, both of which also affect the storyline.
The player can assign feats to the team members with each level-up, as well as outfit them with disguises for moving through towns without attracting attention. A wide range of authentic weapons of the era can be scavenged from dead enemies to outfit the player's team, as well as bought and sold for cash.
As with Silent Storm, nearly all structures are completely destructible with enough firepower. Hammer & Sickle 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.
Reviews
editReviews of the game have generally been average to poor,[3][4][5] with the polish and high difficulty of the end product being the most common complaint. Strategy specialist reviewers have highly praised the non-linearity and difficulty of the game.[6]
Releases
editTaiwanese company T-Time Technology translated and released the international Chinese edition of Hammer & Sickle under the name 諜報菁英 (pinyin: diébào jīngyīng) on March 18, 2006.[7] Also, the fan community released an unofficial patch to address issues left.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Nival Interactive Announces Hammer & Sickle". GameZone. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
- ^ "Hammer & Sickle". GameCritics.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
- ^ "Hammer & Sickle". Game Critics. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ Brad Todd (9 January 2006). "Hammer & Sickle Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ "GameSpy: Hammer & Sickle - Page 1". GameSpy. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ "Hammer and Sickle Review: HAMMERTIME! :: Tacticular Cancer > We'll have your balls". tacticularcancer.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ "Official Chinese Release Website". T-Time Technology. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
- ^ Unofficial English Patch 1.15 (H&S) on strategycore.co.uk