Blitzkrieg II: Fall of the Reich Review (PC)

Jim Cobb | April 19, 2007  | 0 comments  | Print  | E-mail

Passed Inspection: Adequate graphics. Slick promotion system.

Failed Basic: Realism remains inadequate. Interface requires too many pauses.

Any once-innovative series is always good for one more squirt from the udder. CDV and Nival continue to milk the Blitzkrieg series for all it is worth. Blitzkrieg II: Fall of the Reich is the latest pump on the franchise but the age of this cow is showing. The manual itself issues the warning on this stand-alone game, recommending it to players who have played previous entries in the series. Beginners should visit the counter down the line and buy older products first. In a way, this warning underlines the ambiguous nature of Fall of the Reich very well.

Through a Reading Glass Darkly

Aggravation begins with installing the three discs. Although the protection key code is clear, the usual "Browse" function is not on the initial screen but is hidden under the spooky looking "Advanced" options. Neophytes will then be forced to load into the default directory regardless of their wishes. The last install step is a prompt to register on-line; a fine idea but the program refused to acknowledge a wide-open broadband connection. Looking for help in the seventy-page manual is actually painful. CDV continues to use the small font, black-on-grey format endorsed by optometrists with low caseloads. Dealing with the print manual is almost impossible and the PDF manual doesn’t copy automatically with the install. Savvy gamers will go back to the discs and copy the PDF file manually. The manual does not document some commands like "`" to bring up an event log. Fortunately, the in-game tutorial covers the basic concepts of play well.

A final documentary disappointment is the encyclopedia. All units represented in the Blitzkrieg II series have entries there but the quality is uneven. For example, the Pzkw Mk III ausf. G is described in detail but the much more interesting Ferdinand rates only an overview with no specifics on armaments or armor.

Very Nice - for an Octopus

Fall of the Reich’s graphics are nicely detailed for vehicles, terrain and combat effects, although infantry still resembles ants. The map is zoomable, tiltable and can be rotated 360 degrees. The 3D images would be even more effective if the tilt was more than twenty degrees and could be managed through the mouse instead of only through the keyboard. Wrecks are permanent and the smoke from them stays awhile. Buildings, especially castle ruins, are depicted attractively and night missions have a suitably eerie atmosphere. The animated information bar delivers valuable information on armor values and unit status. Combat sound effects are fine but the voices are repetitive and often out of context. The mouse tip changes with the action ordered, useful if players have time to notice the change. Similarly, small tags appear over units’ health bars to indicate special orders or status like thrown treads or low ammo.

The element of time is the factor that makes this game’s interface ambiguous. Basic move and shoot orders are given through the usual left/select, right/execute clicking convention but basic orders do not win games. Special orders including aggressive move, dig in, camouflage, ambush and rotate are essential to victory. These commands add an extra step after selection, either through clicking on an icon in a command panel or via the keyboard. To confuse things, executing a special command is done by left, not right, clicks. An option to use a "classic" interface indicates the developers are not completely sold on their own system. Double clicking on a unit selects all units of that type, a feature useful for creating numbered groups if players realize that only the left Ctrl key works for this purpose. The two slow game speeds and ability to give orders when the game is paused can take the edge off on the complicated command structure but interferes with game pace at the same time.

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