Roadwar 2000

Strategic Simulations

Industry	Video games
Headquarters	United States
Products	Roadwar 2000

Roadwar 2000 is a 1986 video game released by Strategic Simulations. This title is a turn-based strategy experience situated in a dystopian future, drawing clear inspiration from the Mad Max film series.

Gameplay and plot

Set in the year 1999, the United States faces devastation following the release of a virus by terrorists. In this chaotic environment, with vigilantes and survivalists on the rise, vehicles become essential tools for both travel and combat.

Players start as scavengers with the goal of assembling a force capable of traversing highways dominated by mutants, cannibalistic factions, and hostile gangs. Triumphing in combat can lead to recruitment by the remnants of the US government, who task players with recovering eight missing scientists crucial for creating a cure and delivering them to a hidden facility. The gameplay heavily features scavenging resources and plundering abandoned urban areas.

Battles occur frequently and provide comprehensive statistical details; enhanced versions for the Amiga and Atari ST incorporate digitized audio to enrich combat sequences.

Release

Initially launched in 1986 for Apple II and Commodore 64, Roadwar 2000 was subsequently ported in 1987 to platforms including Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, FM-7, NEC PC-8801, and MS-DOS. Ports developed by Westwood Associates introduced upgraded visuals along with digital sound effects.

Reception

In North America, SSI sold 44,044 units of Roadwar 2000. Critics noted its appeal to enthusiasts of fantasy role-playing due to its tactical combat system. The game received a perfect five-star rating from Dragon magazine. Compute! commended its combination of strategic planning and individual combat mechanics, coupled with high-quality graphics, deeming it one of SSI’s successful releases.

Later evaluations by Computer Gaming World assigned it slightly over two stars out of five, describing it as somewhat outdated yet still enjoyable for casual strategy players. Reviewers pointed out that the frequent combat encounters could be tedious, suggesting that faster or less frequent battles might improve player retention over time.

Reviews

• Happy Computer (1986)
• Computer Gamer (April 1987)
• ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (May 1987)
• Jeux & Stratégie #43 (February 1987)

Sequel

Following Roadwar 2000, the sequel Roadwar Europa was released in 1987 across the same platforms. Set throughout Europe, it maintains similar graphical style and challenges players with preventing terrorist threats aimed at continental destruction.