Strategic series Wargame from Eugen Systems personifies a certain compromise between harsh games for lovers of “glue tanks” and strategies for a wide audience. There is no stop on the realism inherent in classic wargams (despite the name, the game to this genre cannot be considered in any way), but there is a good picture and ease of studying the rules. True, the principle of Easy to Learn, Hard to Master is relevant here, which, coupled with the lack of a normal “single”, was not in the best way for the development of strategy for beginners.
Projects like Wargame, not so much. More precisely, they are practically not, except for the predecessor of Wee – R.U.S.E. Large -scale battles on huge maps, several gaming modes, various combat equipment … Oddly enough, the epic in the screen did not disgust the picture – it looks decent and now thanks to the Iriszoom engine, which allows one movement of the mouse wheel to be transferred from examining a separate soldier to the view of the wholepoultry.
Each battle is not much like the previous one, which is especially clearly visible in multiplayer zarubes. A solitary campaign in Wee turned out to be completely weak and was only suitable for familiarization with the basics, but the real hardcore of the third world began already in the network game. The typical path of a beginner who decided to test European Escalation is noticeable later than the release, looks like this: to drive a boring campaign, stick into multiplayer, to launch from “folders” (find the new ones in the
enemy’s network modes for a long time) and postpone Wee on a distant shelf until better than better.
And these times, perhaps, have come. A year after the release of Wargame: European Escalation and the release of four free DLCs for her Eugen Systems finally releases a full continuation.
Northern borders
They decided to please everyone – from Airland Battle Fans of the Wee multiplayer waited for airplanes, new network modes and an increase in the number of players on the map (up to twenty people in one battle), and those who are just starting their acquaintance with the series can now calmly fight AI in a new modedynamic campaign.
The scene of the game was chosen by the Scandinavian Peninsula, which became the Arena of the confrontation of NATO and the countries of the Warsaw Treaty. Why Scandinavia is incomprehensible;Much more logical (and noticeably more interesting) would look at the battle for Europe in the open spaces of Germany and France, where the main ground forces of the two warring parties were concentrated at one time. It is a pity, but about the tank march on Paris (or Moscow-as you wish) and the landing throw through the La Cans can only dream. At least for now – judging by the experience of Wee, Eugen Systems It is unlikely that he will leave his fans without additions to their favorite strategy. You see, it will be possible to fight in central Europe, and not just in its northern backyards, especially since now in Wargame troops of four more countries appeared, three of which are European.
The dynamic campaign, which can be played both on the network and alone, at first somewhat reminiscent of the “old-school” Vargaima, those very step-by-step, with “hexes” and a somewhat schematic picture (in general, the graphics have never been a strong feature of this genre). IN Airland Battle There is also a global card divided into provinces, the “purchase” of troops for glasses, the step -by -step return of the army’s orders and … all, the similarity on this, perhaps, ends – the innovations begin. There are no resources in the usual sense, but there are two types of glasses – mobile spirit glasses and trust points. Having gained a certain number of scores of the fighting spirit, which are charged for victories in tactical battles and the destruction of enemy troops, you can force the enemy to surrender, and the initial significance of this indicator can be different in each side. The second resource is issued for holding the provinces under its control, each of which brings several confidence points. They can be spent on a call of reinforcements and the use of special skills – for example, the installation of sea mines excludes the actions of the fleet in the specified location for a certain period, counterintelligence measures do not allow enemy special forces to penetrate the rear, and the bombardment of the province reduces the initiative of the enemy detachments.
The initiative and fighting spirit of the detachment are parameters that are no longer related to the whole side, but to a specific formation;They are of paramount importance during a meeting with enemy troops. When two warring armies face in one location, a tactical battle begins, the initial conditions of which depend on the initiative and the fighting spirit. The first indicator determines the number of points at the start of the battle, and the second – how many points the advantages must be drew in this collision for victory.
The world around did not freeze in anticipation of the end of the next stage of the battle for Scandinavia. It is only worth giving orders to your subordinates and pressing the passage button, as information messages about the situation in the region and events begin to appear on the screen that remained behind the edge of the card, but nevertheless have their influence on what is happening. Some of these news reports are not only informational in nature, but also provide the opportunity to choose. For example, the command invites you to send part of your forces to another battlefield, where the enemy began the offensive. Agree – you will lose the detachment in the line of reinforcements, but you will acquire confidence points, refuse – your troops will remain in place, but at the other end of the world the allies can be defeated, which will affect the situation on the Scandinavian front of military operations.
The dynamic campaign, although it looks noticeably more attractive than the unintelligible “single” from European Escalant, but still turned out to be somewhat faded. There is not enough scope of events, the epic of what is happening – the third world is in full swing, and we are fighting local significance. I wish the map would cover the entire globe … However, this is already some kind Hearts of Iron It turns out, a Wargame – Game primarily about tactical battles.
The main novelty of the fighting Airland Battle – This, of course, is the emergence of aircraft aviation. Previously, the Air Force was represented only by helicopters, but now the aircraft fleet has grown significantly: fighters, attack aircraft, interceptors, front-line bombers-from the old MiG-17 to the famous “invisible aircraft” F-117 Nighthawk, at the time of the game of the game that had just been released into the series. But there are no strategic bombers and landing aircraft, which is very missing to recreate a full -fledged picture of the battle. To plant paratroopers in the enemy’s rear and destroy the headquarters, thereby depriving an adversary of control over the zone – the most that. Yes, you can do such a feint with a helicopter landing, but I want big scope. It will not be possible to crush the numerical superiority in the air – the planes are expensive, but knock them down with ease, especially if they do not take care of clarifying the positions of enemy air defense. Even in the battles of 10×10, aviation is used mainly for spot strikes and is more used to repel tank breakthroughs of the enemy – to open the enemy defenses with its help too wasteful.
The remaining changes are not so noticeable. The infantry now knows how to hide in buildings, occupying entire city quarters;The interface has changed (for the better – now it is much more informative);The total number of different “units” increased to seven and a half hundred-mainly due to aviation and new countries participating in the conflict.
Airland Battle It turned out a good example of how to make additions. Here, however, the publishers are a little sly, selling it as a full-fledged continuation of European Escalation-nevertheless, the emergence of a dynamic campaign and a new kind of troops, coupled with other small changes, pulls only on the addon. Otherwise, this is the same Wargame, became a little more friendly to newcomers, and the “fathers” of the network mode forced to shuffle the proven “decks” of the troops in search of the optimal combination of units. Epic battles have become even more epic, the picture is just as beautiful, it is still necessary to think through the strategy at the planning stage and be able to change it during the battle, and the interaction between allies and different types of troops is still in priority. What else is needed for happiness?
Pros: all the same as the Wee;new modes of the game;The appearance of aviation.
Cons: there are too few changes for a separate game;The mode of the dynamic campaign turned out to be too simple – it lacks scope and depth.