The game’s interface is well laid out and it is easy to issue commands to
your units with a few mouse-clicks. Movement orders support waypoints to allow
you to specify a unit’s route more precisely. Hot keys give access to instant
feedback such as pressing ‘L’ to instantly see all of the spaces within a unit’s
LOS.
Probably the game’s biggest weakness is in the way the action phase is
executed. While the action is carried out, you’re relegated to the role of an
observer which leaves you with a quite a bit of “sitting and watching”. The
feedback during this phase takes the form of text messages which scroll along a
window on the right side of the screen. It’s not very clear which message
pertains to which unit, especially during the larger battles. On the map itself,
units under fire will have little explosions appear on top of their counters but
it is difficult to tell where the fire is coming from. You could make a point
that this is all part of the fog of war experienced by commanders in the field,
but when it comes down to it you’re playing a game and not sitting in an APC in
a field somewhere, so additional cues as to what is happening would really go a
long way towards enhancing the game experience.
The game ships with a number of built-in scenarios that provide for varied
objectives and engagement sizes, but there are only four different maps in the
game which can lead to some déjà vu between the battles. You can take either
side in the battles or even let the AI play itself as you watch. Overall the AI
is a bit weaker than is found in most computer war games, and veteran war gamers
can expect to win more than their share of victories. For a real challenge
you’ll need to make use of the game’s LAN and PBEM multiplayer support.
In spite of its good interface and the inclusion of tutorial scenarios,
Flashpoint Germany is not for those new to war gaming as it really assumes that
you already pretty much know what you’re doing. Veteran war gamers will
appreciate the game’s setting, colorful map, and unique command and control
system, but will probably wish that the AI had a little more bite. Overall
though, the game is recommended for war gamers with an interest in fighting the
battles of a World War III that might have been.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
78%. Flashpoint Germany will make you feel more like a commander in
the field than most other war games out there.
System Requirements: Pentium II 600; 128 MB RAM;
16 MB
Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM; 400 MB Hard Drive
Space; Mouse.
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