KKND2: Krossfire

Last updated
KKND2: Krossfire
KKND2 - Krossfire Coverart.png
Developer(s) Beam Software
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) Windows, PlayStation
ReleaseWindows
  • GER: June 1998
  • EU: August 24, 1998 [1]
  • NA: October 19, 1998 [2]
  • AU: October 23, 1998
PlayStation
  • EU: October 1998
  • UK: April 15, 1999
Genre(s) Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

KKnD2: Krossfire is the sequel to KKnD in the KKnD series developed by Beam Software and published by Melbourne House in 1998 for Microsoft Windows. It was released on PlayStation in Europe in late 1998 to early 1999 as KKnD: Krossfire. It is set in the year 2179, 100 years after the Nuclear World War. After spending another four decades underground, the Survivors rose up to a new enemy: the Series 9. The Series 9 robots are machines that have advanced from their farming origins (having the original programming damaged by the nuclear radiation) and taken up arms against the humans, Evolved and Survivor, who destroyed their precious crops, their one and only reason for functioning.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay takes place after a worldwide nuclear war, on three map-types over land and water: a barren desert terrain, forest areas, or urban jungles. All three areas provide artifacts from the nuclear war, namely decrepit buildings and polluted water. Like other real-time strategy games such as the Command and Conquer or Starcraft franchises, the primary objective of the game is to eradicate all other factions on a particular playing map. This is done usually through resource management—oil reserves acting as a power source—and maintaining a base of operations while trying to destroy everything else. Fortifications and turrets can be used to protect a base, as well as making use of natural features such as cliffs or buildings. Unlike in KKnD, now each faction has buildings that can provide little more resource units at a constant rate, helping to gather resources, should there be a shortage of oil or if all oil runs out. There are two methods of gameplay: a campaign mode and a multiplayer mode. The campaign mode allows you to play one of three factions, fighting through a triangle-shaped map in order to eradicate all other enemies. Occasionally there can be multiple factions. Multiplayer mode allows for connection through LAN (IPX or TCP/IP), serial cable or modem, or a soloplay mode where one can choose between a variety of maps and settings to play a practice game against one or more AI opponents.

Factions

Survivors

The Survivors are the remnants of normal mankind that hid in underground bunkers during the first war for the surface. Once they saw how badly the first war for the surface was going, they returned to their shelters and have since been digging and building new weapons, new structures, new technologies and new ways to wage war. Determined to exterminate the "Evolved" and shut down the "Series 9", they must use their new technologies and units to overcome, overpower and overwhelm the enemy.

Evolved

The Evolved were on the surface during the Nuclear War, and mutated because of the radiation. While nowhere near as technologically advanced as their enemies, they have learned to herd and utilize the power of other mutated creatures, such as large wasps and scorpions. The mutants are very religious and believe that their gods (also known as the Scourge) were punishing them for their ignorance, use of technology, politics and the repeated use of TV. The Evolved are trying to eliminate the "symmetrics" (the "Survivors") and the "soulless ones" ("Series 9") in order to appease their gods. Notably, whereas the other two factions have parallel units, The Evolved have a special "Scourge Demon" unit, at the highest tech level, which can be constructed by sacrificing five infantry units.

The Series 9

The Series 9 are advanced farming robots that have become sick of the Survivors destroying their crops and have taken it upon themselves to destroy all organic life, so they can finally farm in peace. When the Series 9 finally gained their own conscience, they became aware that the earlier robots (Series 1-8) were still following their last orders from the humans. The Series 9 robots decided to shut down the other model lines in order to complete their goal. They were active during the first war, but realized that pitchforks and wheelbarrows weren't going to do much against tanks and mutant Mastodons. They took the time to research Earth's old weapons and wars from history in order to adapt their tools to become formidable armaments. They are farming robots, and as such much of their weaponry resembles farm tools, like the Seeder, Weed Killer, and Spore Missile. This faction is new to the franchise.

Reception

The PC version received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [3]

Sequel/Spin-Off

A spin-off named KKnD: Infiltrator was being developed in 1999, but cancelled later. It would have been a 3D action game, in which the player drove a dirtbike into enemy territory to do missions as an Infiltrator (hence the name).[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Total Annihilation</i> 1997 strategy video game

Total Annihilation is a science fiction real-time strategy video game released in September 1997 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS by Cavedog Entertainment and distributed internationally by GT Interactive. Two expansion packs were released in 1998, The Core Contingency on April 29 and Battle Tactics on July 20, while a medieval-themed spin-off called Total Annihilation: Kingdoms was released on June 25, 1999.

<i>Red Baron II</i> 1997 video game

Red Baron II is a video game for the PC, developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line. It is the follow-up to the flight simulation Red Baron, released in 1990. Red Baron II was released in December 1997. A patch was released in 1998 that added support for 3D acceleration and renamed the game to Red Baron 3D. Red Baron 3D was also released as a retail product.

<i>Warzone 2100</i> 1999 video game

Warzone 2100 is an open-source real-time strategy and real-time tactics hybrid computer game, originally developed by Pumpkin Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation, and is now also available for macOS, FreeBSD, AmigaOS 4, AROS, MorphOS, Linux, NetBSD and OpenBSD.

<i>Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom</i> 1998 video game

Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom, known as simply Knights and Merchants, is a medieval-time based real-time strategy (RTS) video game. It was developed by Joymania Entertainment and published by TopWare Interactive in 1998. The player takes the role of the captain of the palace guards and leads the soldiers and citizens to victory. An expansion pack was released in 2001, titled Knights and Merchants: The Peasants Rebellion.

<i>Pharaoh</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Pharaoh is an isometric city-building game released in November 1999. It was created by Impressions Games and published by Sierra Studios for Microsoft Windows. Using the same game engine and principles of Caesar III, it is the first such game in Sierra's City Building series to focus on another civilization of ancient times. Players oversee the construction and management of cities and settlements in Ancient Egypt, micro-managing every aspect of the city to ensure citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected from diseases, disasters and wars. An expansion pack, Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, was released in 2000, developed by BreakAway Games. In 2001, both the game and expansion pack were bundled together as Pharaoh Gold. A remake titled Pharaoh: A New Era was released by Triskell Interactive and Dotemu in 2023.

<i>Urban Assault</i> 1998 video game

Urban Assault is a 3D combined first-person shooter and real-time strategy computer game developed by the German company TerraTools and published by Microsoft in the year 1998.

<i>Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel</i> 2001 video game

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel is a turn-based real-time tactical role-playing game set in the post-apocalyptic Fallout universe. Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It had sold over 300,000 units worldwide by 2008.

<i>Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved</i> 2003 video game

Geometry Wars is a 2003 video game by Bizarre Creations. Initially a minigame in Project Gotham Racing 2, an updated version, titled Retro Evolved, was eventually released for the Xbox 360. That version, at one point, held the record for the most downloaded Xbox Live Arcade Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKnD (series)</span>

KKnD, or Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy is a series of post-apocalyptic real-time strategy games by Beam Software. KKnD was released in 1997, while a sequel - KKND2: Krossfire was released in 1998. KKnD Xtreme, an expanded version of the original, featuring extra missions and enhancements, was released in 1997, and later re-released on GOG.com in 2012.

<i>Viper Racing</i> 1998 video game

Viper Racing is a Dodge-licensed 3D car racing game, released in 1998 on the Windows PC platform. It was the first commercially released game developed by Monster Games.

<i>F-1 World Grand Prix</i> 1998 video game

F-1 World Grand Prix, developed by Paradigm Entertainment, is a Formula One racing game/sim first released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 game console and to later platforms including the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, and Game Boy Color. The Nintendo 64 version is based on the 1997 Formula One season, featuring each of the 17 circuits from the season and all 22 drivers, with the exceptions of Jacques Villeneuve and the MasterCard Lola team.

<i>Celtic Kings: Rage of War</i> 2002 video game

Celtic Kings: Rage of War is a game developed by Haemimont Games. It is set during the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar.

<i>KKnD</i> (video game) 1997 video game

KKnD, or Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy is the first of three real-time strategy games in the KKnD series, released on March 5, 1997 in the United States and Australia and March 21, 1997 in Europe. The game was an Australian project from Melbourne-based developer Beam Software.

<i>Tom Clancys EndWar</i> 2008 video game

Tom Clancy's EndWar is a strategy video game available on Microsoft Windows and all seventh-generation platforms except the Wii, with the timing and flow of gameplay differing across platforms. The console and PC version is a real-time tactics game designed by Ubisoft Shanghai, while the handheld versions feature turn-based tactics. It was released on Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360 in November 2008. A Windows version was released in February 2009.

<i>X-COM: Enforcer</i> 2001 video game

X-COM: Enforcer is the sixth game in the X-COM series, but takes place in a time line separate to that which was established by the first four games of the series. Enforcer is an action third-person shooter without the strategy game elements of previous games. It was the last game released in the series until Firaxis Games' 2012 reboot.

<i>Wild Metal Country</i> 1999 video game

Wild Metal Country is an action video game developed by DMA Design. The game was published by Gremlin Interactive and released for Microsoft Windows in May 1999. A Dreamcast port, known as Wild Metal, was released in February 2000 by Rockstar Games, which later also re-released the Windows version.

<i>Aqua</i> (video game) 2010 twin-stick shooter video game

Aqua is a 2010 twin-stick shooter video game developed by Games Distillery and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The game is set in an alternate reality where most of the Earth is covered with water and factions war for the remaining pieces of land.

<i>Creatures</i> (1996 video game) 1996 video game

Creatures is an artificial life simulation packaged as a video game developed by British studio Creature Labs for Windows, and was ported to Macintosh, PlayStation, and Game Boy Advance. It is the first game in the Creatures series.

<i>Defenders of Ardania</i> Strategy video game

Defenders of Ardania is a hybrid tower defense and real-time strategy video game for Microsoft Windows, iOS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It was developed by Most Wanted Entertainment and published by Deep Silver and Paradox Interactive.

<i>Buggy</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Buggy is a racing game developed and published by Gremlin Interactive in 1998, and published in North America by Fox Interactive. The game was released in North America as Team Losi RC Racer due to it having a license from RC car manufacturer/racing team Team Losi.

References

  1. 1 2 Shoemaker, Richie (September 1998). "KKND 2: Krossfire". PC Zone . No. 67. Dennis Publishing. p. 103. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  2. ↑ IGN staff (October 19, 1998). "News Briefs". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved December 10, 2020. KKND 2 Now Available: Melbourne House's KKND2: Krossfire is now being distributed throughout U.S. PC gaming retail outlets.
  3. 1 2 "KKND 2: Krossfire for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  4. ↑ Rausch, Allen (October 22, 1998). "KKND2: Krossfire". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  5. ↑ Brush, Ryan (November 20, 1998). "KKND[2]: Krossfire". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 18, 2003. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  6. ↑ Chick, Tom (February 1999). "Not Too Special K (KKnD2: Krossfire Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 175. Ziff Davis. p. 235. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  7. ↑ Bergren, Paul (November 1998). "KKND Krossfire [sic]". Game Informer . No. 67. FuncoLand. p. 74.
  8. ↑ Krol, Scott (December 3, 1998). "KKND 2: Krossfire Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "KKND2: Krossfire". GameStar (in German). Webedia. June 1998.
  10. ↑ lightman (November 28, 1998). "Test: KKND2: Krossfire (PC)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  11. ↑ lightman (April 30, 1999). "Test: Kknd [sic]: Krossfire (PS)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  12. ↑ Gillen, Kieron (May 1999). "KKND: Krossfire". Official UK PlayStation Magazine . No. 45. Future Publishing. pp. 102–3. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  13. ↑ Lindstrom, Bob (November 1998). "KKND2 Krossfire". PC Accelerator . No. 3. Imagine Media. p. 103. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  14. ↑ "KKND2: Krossfire". PC Gamer UK . Future Publishing. 1998.
  15. ↑ "KKND2 Krossfire". PC Gamer . Vol. 6, no. 2. Imagine Media. February 1999.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.