Reviews / previews
Most strategic war simulations aren't viscerally
thrilling. Computer wargamers tend to prefer statistical
accuracy and careful planning to good looks and
hair-trigger action. But when a game combines
accurate historical data, great combat detail and
decent visuals, it's difficult for an armchair commander
to resist the challenge.
On this scale of measurement, Battle of Britain offers
strong value to its hard-core audience.
Battle of Britain is
unlike most strategic
wargames in that its
combatants are
locked into their
respective defensive
and aggressive
modes of combat.
The British win by
simply surviving the interminable German air raids of
1940 and 1941, while the Germans only win by
destroying British infrastructure."
But there's a lot more to Battle of Britain than just
dispatching or intercepting bombers and fighters. The
German side, for instance, can schedule a variety of
mission types (including recon, intruder, bombing and
fighter sweeps). You can choose raid altitudes, escort types, launch times,
the maximum level of cloud cover on which your missions will still occur, and
units' minimum morale level.
You can even give orders regarding
specific targets. Eighteen potential target
types are available, including radar sites
and aircraft factories. In longer games,
this kind of specificity proves invaluable,
over time resulting in degeneration of
various aspects of the British war
machine.
You don't need to get into this level of
detail. Your invisible staff, represented by
the AI, will plot any number of missions for
you, and with a fair degree of judgment. But handling mission components
and the distribution of defenses is what Battle of Britain is about, after all. If
you don't like strategic micro-management, look elsewhere.
Despite the wealth of options, Battle of Britain is relatively easy to learn. The
interface offers a good selection of buttons that affect map appearance (target
highlights, zooms and so forth) and checkboxes for everything else. I only
wish some of the checkboxes employed popup or right-click help
descriptions. Not all players will instantly know what is meant by "high
escorts" or the benefits and hazards of "flying under radar," but the extensive
written documentation explains all.
Don't be misled by the game box's claims of
"real time and phase-based action." No real
time or phase-based action appear in Battle
of Britain. You simply issue a series of
commands before battle occurs. Combat then
plays itself out as a computer-controlled
sequential resolution of all conflicts, without
player interaction.
Talonsoft has tried to make combat resolution
exciting by slowing it down to better
approximate a dogfight in-progress. They've added rotating animation to the
aircraft help screens, and interjected black-and-white film footage of bombs
dropping or planes lifting off at appropriate moments; but frankly, it doesn't
make for edge-of-your-seat play. Turn-based Battle of Britain is by its nature
tense, reflecting a clash of wills, rather than exhilarating. The music and 16-bit
graphics are appropriately moody, but few surprises crop up, with no visible
dogfights or damage, and victory tilts slowly to one side or the other.
Tactical simulation and RTS fans will be bored silly, but veterans of turn-based
strategic war games will welcome Battle of Britain with open arms.-- Barry Brenesal / GamePro
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