Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

Still the gold standard for WEGO, squad-based, company level "strategy" games set in the Second World War. Panzer Command is coming along nicely, but lacks a decent map editor. It's unfortunate BFC put this one in the rearview mirror with a couple of minor bugs still on the workbench, but it shouldn't deter players from still enjoying this one, even years after release.

I don't think it deserves 10/10 for a simple reason: chain orders are not properly executed by tanks. But that's it. The rest is absolutely perfect. So... What is this horrible looking game? Basically, for newcomers, it's a turn based strategy game. Both players provide, at the same time (paused game) orders for their troops. Those orders are rather standards: move, attack that unit, crawl, run etc. After both players provided their orders, the game runs for 1 minute and both players simply watch their units (trying to) execute the received orders. When the minute is over, you can keep the orders provided from the previous turn or provide new orders. Then again, once everyone provided their orders, game runs for an extra minute and so forth. This way of doing is so gratifying as you watch, with an increasing heartbeat, your troops firing, panicking, hiding, not executing the orders. You will exult as your Stug explodes a T34 and rage behind the screen as your cannon misses or your troops start panicking. The game may look at first sight hard to handle, but it isn't. Deploy your troops, make sure your squads aren't too far away from their officers and officers aren't too far away from the HQ or else orders will be executed with a more or less substantial delay. The game itself is FAR more realistic and strategic as it may seem, and infantries react actually in a very realistic way to which players are not used to. Example, from the woods to a Trench you order your squad to run across a wheat field. As a gamer you would expect them to simply run and jump in the trench, even if under fire. Here, it won't. If a MG is suppress-firing the squad, even though not hurting anyone (they are hidden in the wheat field), the MG will prevent them from running. And that's actually how real soldiers would behave. Once you are used to this kind of behavior, you understand the huge strategic decisions you must undertake. Suppose you are the player who owns the MG. Maybe there is another squad nearer, easier to kill. But that squad running across the fields may represent a danger if it reaches the trenches because you want to get first to a house nearby. If that squad reaches the trench, it will prevent your troops to reach the house and secure the entire area. You see the point now of this game and how important very small decisions may be. Furthermore, as the orders are provided at the same time, as a real general, you must foresee what your enemy will try to do. And as a real general, once your orders are provided, there is nothing you can do to cancel it quickly. And, as a real general should expect, the reality of the terrain and situation well may prevent your soldiers to accomplish their duties. Graphics aren't nice. Interface is not very well done. You don't have any feedback-feeling from the animations providing you a high sense of immersion (see soldiers dying, running, recharging etc). But, if your mind is open enough to conceptualize the situation, not only you will find a completely immersive and tense game, but you will find one of the best WW2 strategic game ever released with Sudden Strike Forever. Believe me.