Excellent WWII strategy sim
First in the Blitzkrieg series of real-time tactics wargames, this is a first-rate war sim that makes for some highly entertaining and strategic combat action for history buffs. The focus here is on combat, with a lack of resource management, like the Dawn of War games, and with a fairly extensive line-up of authentic military units on display. There are three campaigns to play through here, one each for the Allies, the Germans and the Soviets, with real battles like the Battle of Kursk featuring heavily alongside random encounters and engagements. Gameplay is fairly straightforward, with players simply required to engage the enemy and defeat them through sheer military might, wand with battles playing out over fully destructible environments. One of the interesting features here is the fact that players start out with core units and which then progress through the game with the player, gaining experience points and skills as they go, with new weapons also opening up the more you progress. For armchair historians and tacticians, this is a great game, while it is also highly accessible to newcomers to the genre. The interface is intuitive and flexible, allowing you to control your forces with ease, while the combat itself is fast and fluid, with its emphasis on action providing plenty of exciting and tense moments, but not at the expense of strategy. The game has a highly authentic feel to it, and while the graphics are simple enough, they do create a strong atmosphere, something which is supported by the wide range of sound effects and music. While the game is certainly nothing original, it does get everything pretty much right, so if you are a fan of the genre, or want to get started, this is a safe bet for some entertaining WWII action.
