Ok, first I'll tell you that this game is a little hard to get used to and understand. You start at the Main Menu as you do in most games. You chose what battle/scenario you want to play, a few options like do you want air support and how much, and if you want to do it by email (witch I'm not sure if you can do now) then press begin battle. I was a bit confused when I started my first game and I found it a bit hard to figure it out so I'll help you. There is a row of options at the top of the screen. It includes things such as air strike, HQ and maps; these don't play a big part in the game. You'll also have units scattered around the game map (Infantry, tanks, big guns ext.) waiting for your orders.
To move the units, click and hold down then drag to were you want them to go. To attack an enemy unit, click and drag onto the enemy. You can also perform air strikes and shoot from ships.
Winning a scenario was a real let down. There are no fireworks, no celebrations and no patriotic "You have Won!" messages. All that happens is that you get returned back to game map. There is a red and white bar at the bottom of the screen that shows who has supremacy. At the end of the scenario, if your color prevails, that means that you have Won!
Replayability is also poor since all you do is re-fight battles (and they are always the same!). There are even no points or high scores to beat. The only positive thing about this game were the graphics witch I found to be quite eye pleasing. Overall, with the game failing to motivate me to continue playing and having clumsy controls and a steep learning curve, I can give this game a 3 at best.
World At War - Stalingrad
As you can imagine, I expected a lot from a game with that title. Especially since the battle at Stalingrad is one of the most intense battles in the whole of World War II. I have to say that I didn't get quite what I expected. Let me explain.
The setting of the game fails to capture the athmosphere of Stalingrad. Actually, I shouldn't be the one to judge since I've never been there, but at least in my opinion, a game with that title should have a more sinister feeling. Or at least a colder athmosphere.
All of you who played the Battle Isle series will feel at home. The screen is partitioned in a myriad of hectagons, on which you can place your units. The game itself is structured in three different phases: The planning phase, the execution phase, and the after-action phase. In the first phase, as you might have guessed, you plan the moves of your units, the supplies, the attacks, the arrangement, and so on. By pressing Alt + E, you move on to the execution phase. In this phase, you sit back and relax as your units move around and battle the enemy. After everything is calm again, the game automatically goes to phase 3, in which you can read the after-action reports and see how well your men are doing. Morale is also an important factor in this phase.
Furthermore, the game has daytime and nighttime, which is very important in terms of cover, rest (dig in your units at night, then let them sleep), and concealed movement. Artillery is poorly to not at all usable.
There is sound in the game, although only when certain actions are taken. For example, you can hear the gunshots and explosions in the execution phase, you hear a "no go!" sound when you have scrolled to the bottom of the map, and you get error sounds when trying to do something impossible, like moving a static unit
The game uses 256 colors, but not very well. The main screen consists of a map where you move the units, so there's not much to animate. The explosions you see on the screen are limited to a little red flash and the "bang!" sound.
Conclusion
Over all, I give this game a 3. Why? Because those of you who loved Battle Isle may actually like it. Those of you who don't have just wasted their time reading this. Stalingrad is not a bad game, but it's disappointing. You could have made much more out of a game like this. They did okay, though. 3 points for that.
Atomic Games, best known for the V for Victory games published by Three-Sixty, has revamped their already highly evolved engine for these "World At War" games that capture bocage battles and several interesting stalemate situations in WWII. At a scale of one-hex-equals- one-kilometer, the map design vividly recreates the restricted, even claustrophobic, nature of the terrain. Excellent AI, campaigns, and intuitive interface make the series some of the best wargames ever made. Highly recommended!
Note: This download includes all three World at War games.
People who downloaded World at War Series (a.k.a. Operation Crusader, Stalingrad, D-Day: America Invades) have also downloaded:
V for Victory, World at War: Operation Crusader, World at War: Stalingrad, V for Victory: Market Garden, V for Victory: Utah Beach, V for Victory: Gold Juno Sword, V for Victory: Velikye Luki, Wooden Ships & Iron Men
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