Word War II real-time strategy game exhaustion is so well established in gaming these days that the genre seems incapable of surprising anybody. Even the standouts, such as Company of Heroes, follow a template so well worn that it has grooves; thus, Theatre of War comes as a shock. 1C Company's take on the old Axis-versus-Allies thing replaces RTS conventions with realistic battlefields, line of sight, and weapon range. Its tactical focus and total absence of resource gathering or base building make the learning curve a little twisty for tank-rush types. However, the authenticity and atmosphere bring the Second World War to life in impressive fashion.
Scope and scale are the biggest differences between Theatre of War and the usual WWII RTS. Five campaigns, plus a handful of standalone battles, let you guide troops from the US and UK, USSR, France, Poland, and Germany through more than 40 lengthy engagements. Multiplayer support for up to eight players also lets you take your fight to the Net or a LAN. There's a full suite of tutorials and a mission editor if you want to roll your own battles. However, it's the scale of each mission that is most notable. While the standard gaming re-creation of something like the aftermath of D-Day or the siege of Stalingrad shrinks the battlefield and adds artificial elements like fog of war, the average map here is at least a few kilometers across. You can see all the way across this expanse unless you're blocked by trees, hills, or buildings. Such tremendous size gives the game a feel that's considerably grittier than the standard, scrunched-together RTS and an authenticity that makes every engagement seem like a chapter out of a history book.
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