A preview of the War Thunder MMO from a beta player says the game is fun to play, with various levels of realism to suit all tastes. The graphics are beautiful, the sound immersive, and the game is fun to play, but at present there are some problems.

One hundred free keys for the Beta of Red Orchestra: Rising Storm.

An AAR (After Action Report) on the “Operation Konrad” scenario – the German attempt to relieve Budapest late in WWII – from “Gary Grigsby’s War in the East” PC game.

A behind the scenes look at the improved AI in the new expansions for “Strategic Command 2 – Brute Force,” “Assault on Democracy” and “Assault on Communism.” The combination of intrinsic tactical logic, the system of operational objectives, and strategic-goal control make SC a powerful game engine.

Paradox Interactive’s PC game “March of the Eagles” combines depth of play with diversity of nations and cultures to provide a grand strategic Napoleonic game that is second to none.

“Panzer Corps: Grand Campaign ’45 West” is an expansion for the popular “Panzer Corps” series from Slitherine / Matrix with 18 historical and six “what-if” scenarios.

A report from the closed beta of “World of Warplanes” says the graphics are amazing, and it has the screenshots to prove it. The game shares some of the same strengths and weaknesses of its predecessor “World of Tanks.”

With a greater variety of nations, scenarios, troop types and options, “Birth of Rome” is even more interesting than its predecessor, “Alea Jacta Est,” which was no slouch of a game itself.

“The Campaign of 1863″ MMO has been a work in progress for several years. This beta report finds it has a lot going for it but still has a ways to go before it will be ready for release.

The iOS game “Great Big War Game” from Rubicon Games rounds out the essentials of a turn-based combat game with little touches that add another layer of challenge, and is a lot of fun to play, though after awhile the weak AI takes away some of the joy.

John Tiller’s games are accurate recreations of Civil War combat, and “Campaign Overland,” covering the 1864 duels between U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee, is no different. Unfortunately, neither are the 20-year-old graphics and sound.

A guide to creating “Combat Mission” scenarios from interactive articles in “Armchair General” magazine.

“Scourge of War: Chancellorsville” offers PC gamers superlative graphics, a high level of realism and historical accuracy, and innovative game play, but it has a steep learning curve.

“John Tiller’s Napoleonic Battles: Campaign Bautzen” focuses on the 1813 battles around Bautzen and Lutzen, but also has scenarios from the Russo-Swedish Wars of 1808 – 1809.

An intuitive interface and brilliant AI make “Unity of Command: Red Turn” an excellent introduction to wargaming while providing plenty of depth for experienced gamers.

“Jagged Alliance: Crossfire” can be “frustratingly satisfying.” It offers a chance to use a variety of tactics and it has improvements over “JA: Back in Action,” but the player’s mercs sometimes keep bumping into each other like bumper cars.