A-fighting we will go
The Cossacks series of historical real-time strategy games is a pretty decent set and which is well worth checking out if you're into the likes of Age of Empires and other such games. This franchise is known for its historical accuracy and detail and makes for a pleasant change due to its subject matter. Battle for Europe is a standalone expansion pack for Cossacks 2 and the main focus here is on four new campaigns as well as some cool historical scenarios to try out. As is usual for the series, this is set in the 18th and 19th Centuries and takes players to various parts of Europen and Africa, as they control one of various factions in an attempt to take control and expand their borders. This pack adds in some new nations to play as, including Spain, Saxony and Poland, each of which has their own unique units. This one likes to give the player the big player, and there's a strong focus on fighting massive battles, but there's also a lot of detail so you have to consider things like morale, exhaustion and so on, making this an armchair strategist's dream. There's certainly nothing new or staggeringly innovative here, but what is on offer is simply historical real-time strategy done very well. There's a pleasing sense of authenticity about the whole thing, with heaps of detail to absorb, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed by it all. There's a good sense of challenge to it all, although there's some occasionally wobbly AI, and the visuals are on the dated side, but these factors don't take away from what is a fine experience.
