Oil Rush: 3D Naval Strategy Review

Oil Rush: 3D Naval Strategy says it all in its name. It’s a rush for oil in this naval based real-time strategy title where those who control the oil will control the map, leading to more unit production and victory. Oil Rush features a campaign mode and a quick battle mode for players to delight in. The story-based campaign has multiple chapters to sift through that lead up to discovering all of the units, while quick battle features different scenarios to compete in.

The game has decent visuals when looking at it through the action camera, but most of the time players are sitting on the display screen that shows what type of bases they hold and where their troops are located. Players begin each stage by owning one base and it’s up to them to send their troops - either 25%, half, or the full squad - to another location in order to claim it. Obviously, it’s important to claim the oil rigs first which allows players to earn oil in order to build defenses for when they do capture other zones, making it less likely for the enemy to snatch them back. Each zone features different types of vehicle units as well, such as speed boats, heavy boats, and seaplanes.

The strategy is definitely slow going as players slowly build up their troops and move from one location to the next. It’s important to always leave at least one or two vehicles at each location, but most importantly on the oil rigs as players aren’t allowed to build defenses at those platforms. Players must possess control of every platform on the map in order to claim victory, so missions can last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. It might be possible to do it quicker, depending on play style and how much risk each player puts into their strategy. I like to make sure I build defenses on each of my platforms and then upgrade them to maximum potential before I leave that location and move my army of boats on to the next location.

Oil Rush has good strategy and simple enough gameplay that can keep players interested, especially with the campaign mode. While it is slow going, the enemy is persistently trying to recapture the oil rigs or reclaim facilities that players have already grabbed. This is partially why missions go on for a while.

I do like the campaign that Oil Rush offers as it slowly introduces the player to all of its features and how they work. It’s nice that it has characters and a small story to go with it, but I didn’t find it to be very intriguing. Players should come for its gameplay, which is the best and most important feature anyway. Just be prepared to watch dots more than live action cameras due to situations always changing in each sector of the map.