War on a grand scale
This is a collection of games from the military strategy series which started out with the original Operational Art of War Volume 1 and which brings together both Operational Art of War II and its expansion pack, Flashpoint Kosovo. Like other games in the series, this is a pretty detailed and authentic look at a defined period in military history, in this case, 1956 to 2000 and is best suited to hardcore genre fans as it's a bit too dry for more casual players. What you have here is a very hefty simulation and scenario editor which allows you to play out any number of real world or fictional campaigns of your own design. There's a lot of detail here and your many units all behave realistically and offer their own unique challenges in their effective use, while you also need to think about things like supplying and tactical movement. The expansion pack brings in new locations for you to fight in, not just Kosovo but also Korea, the Middle East and elsewhere. If you are into exhaustively detailed recreations of military history, then you will probably find this of much interest. There's certainly no denying the level of authenticity that's on offer here, in terms in locations, units and tactics, and there's much to find compelling. The interface isn't overly complex and should be figured out with relative ease, and while the visuals are little more than functional, that's not a great issue. There is a good level of challenge, with smart enemies, and perhaps the game's main fault is that it is simply too bog, with a single turn often taking 30 minutes or more to complete. Apart from this though, this is a good experience.
