State of War (video game)
| State of War | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Cypron Studios Cinemax |
| Publisher | Crystal Interactive |
| Platform | Windows |
| Release | 2001 |
| Genre | Real-time strategy |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
State of War is a real-time strategy game, developed by Cypron Studios and Cinemax and published by Crystal Interactive in 2001.
The classic versions of State of War and State of War: Warmonger were bundled together and ported to modern systems, releasing on Steam in December 2018.[1].
Story
This description is told by narrator at the beginning of the game.
After centuries of continuous struggles, war and turmoil; humankind finally came together and founded the United Federation of Seven Continents (UFSC). It was decided that every member of the Federation would provide their armed forces to build a single military unit with the goal to protect the Earth and settle eventual conflicts. Thus it was no longer possible for any individual group to use military force to resolve their personal aim.
Within several years, the Federation created a Global Defense Network, known as "Overmind". Actually, it was a super intelligent mainframe computer - a unique work of hundreds of the most gifted scientists on the planet. It was operated by an intelligent software and consisted of 22 military bases worldwide located far from populated areas ready to act in case of the conflict. Since then, no machinery was ever controlled by man. Only the formal approval to activate "Overmind" had to be given by each UFSC representative.
Global society, however, carried its burdens. People suffering from spiritual emptiness sought refuge in organizations that offered salvation. The most influential among them was the Beho-Sunns. Charismatic leaders of the cult used their personal charm and rhetorical skills to attract more and more people. Their audience included every social group from workers, scienties, lawyers to elite politicians. Behind it all, there was the wicked plan to get hold of "Overmind". None of the Beho-Sunns followers knew that during their meditation seasons the cult gathered all kinds of information from their minds. Over years, the Beho-Sunns discovered much about Overmind's mechanics and were able to hack the software which controls Overmind.
It so happened that the Beho-Sunns leaders tried to hack Overmind, but due to sophisticated firewall protection, they failed. Consequences were fatal. The Global Defense System went out of order and malfunctioned. Members of the Beho-Sunns quickly recovered from their defeat and started occupying defenseless military bases. Their actions must be halted! To do so, the UFSC have declared a state of war.
Sequels
A sequel titled State of War: Warmonger was released.
In 2008 a Nintendo DS game titled Command and Destroy was released[2] featuring similar visual and real-time strategy design. It was met with mixed reception from critics[3] and GameZone's review stated that is a "half-decent effort that doesn't live up to the legacy created by the game it mimics",[4] referencing the similarly titled Command & Conquer.
Controversy
Example of early 2000s software piracy in Eastern Europe
State of War has been cited as an example of how PC games were commonly pirated and distributed in Eastern Europe and Russia during early 2000s. At the time, enforcement of intellectual property rights in the regional software market was inconsistent, and unauthorized retail editions of various Western and Central European games frequently appeared in local stores.
In Russia, the game circulated in unofficial editions attributed to local distributors such as Fargus[5]. These releases were not licensed by the game’s developer, Cypronia, nor by its official Russian distributor, 1C Company. The unofficial editions often closely replicated the artwork and packaging of the legitimate versions and causing copyright infringement. Such releases reflected broader industry practices of the period rather than a controversy specific to the game itself.[5]
The widespread availability of unlicensed copies in the region illustrates the distribution environment of the era, when physical PC game online piracy was common and affordable localized editions were in high demand.
Title controversy in China
Although the game’s official English title was State of War, it was allowed to be distributed in China under the translated name Blue Alert[6][7]. According to Chinese media sources, the title was interpreted as a deliberate contrast to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, the popular real-time strategy game.
References
- ^ "State of War : Warmonger / 蓝色警戒 (Classic 2000)". Steam Store. Valve. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
- ^ "Nintendo - Official Site - Video Game Consoles, Games - Nintendo - Official Site".
- ^ "Command and Destroy". Metacritic.
- ^ "Command & Destroy - NDS - Review". 4 May 2012.
- ^ a b
"Video Game Editions of the 1990s–2000s: State of War". Dzen (in Russian). Dzen.ru. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
Before us is a pirate fan jewel of the computer game State of War. The name of the game is not translated into Russian. The publisher on the cover is indicated - Fargus. Russian and English versions are declared.
- ^ 夜雨陈灯 (2019-01-18). "经典RTS《蓝色警戒》Steam正式发售 中文稍后推出". 游民星空. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
- ^ "永远的争议话题：浅析有关于游戏汉化的七宗罪 [Everlasting Controversial Topic: An Analysis of the Seven Deadly Sins of Game Localization]" [Everlasting Controversial Topic: An Analysis of the Seven Deadly Sins of Game Localization]. Xinhua Net (in Chinese (China)). 新华网 (Xinhua News Agency). Retrieved 15 December 2018.
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