The AI is competent on defense and in handling small numbers of troops but has difficult attacking with large numbers—not unlike Santa Anna himself. Hence, players can expect better solitaire games when the AI plays Mexico on the defense. Strange things can happen though: the defenders of the Alamo don’t fight to the last man but rout out of the compound, rally and try to retake the place. PBEM and LAN play can provide truly exciting games. All scenarios can be edited.
Campaign mode is very instructive. Five campaigns can be fought. The early ones are the War for Texas independence or just the Alamo campaign. The contrast between weapons and troop quality of this period sets off the innovations of the later campaigns. Players can either play the entire Mexican-American War, Gen. Zachary Taylor’s northern campaign or Gen. Winfield Scott’s audacious central campaign. Common to all of these is the ability to select the AI’s style of play and then choose from different strategic options, flowing down an alternate history campaign branch. The California campaign is missing, but we can always hope for an update.
The amount of research and detail that went into making The Mexican American War is outstanding. Players interested in the period or fascinated with how a game engine can handle different periods should get this game. While casual gamers might find the larger scenarios too much work, serious gamers will recognize a prize.
Armchair General is the INTERACTIVE history magazine where YOU COMMAND and decide the course of action!
Armchair General (ACG) and ACG online feature a unique, interactive editorial approach that invites the reader to decide the course of action in challenging historical scenarios, to step into the shoes of a battlefield commander. Leading historians and contributors lend integrity and credibility to this fresh presentation of historical and contemporary events.
