Much is at stake when battles are planned or when commands that might get your troops killed are made . . . but no one said it wasn’t fun doing it in a game.  In Airborne Assault: Red Devils Over Arnhem, you are the one making these choices in a strategy game that takes more than just an iron will.

Concentrating on a famous military campaign known as Operation Market Garden, the First Para Brigade--along with the First Airlanding Brigade--landed on a soft patch of grassland for the sole purpose of seizing the Arnhem Bridge.  The Axis forces, knowing the importance of keeping this bridge from the Allied troops, prepared to defend it as best as they could.  If the Allied forces were to take the bridge, Germany will loose their chief means of transporting arms or crossing their Panzer divisions to the other side where the British and US forces are slowly advancing.  In short, the German forces will be crippled.

Airborne Assault offers twenty-two scenarios based on the actual events that occurred during the assault on the bridge.  The mission scenarios range from defending one spot to stopping a division of Panzer tanks from reaching a certain spot.  While the bulk of the missions are historically accurate, the are a few scenarios that are “what if” fantasy scenarios that offer up interesting new prospects.  Historically speaking, the First Para Brigade didn’t make it to Arnhem Bridge in force . . . but what if it did?  Would the outcome have been any different?

It’s highly recommended that gamers start with the two tutorial mission scenarios before tackling on the main missions.  While the instruction manual is very detailed and offers wonderful playing suggestions, the tutorial missions basically offers a direct show-and-not-tell approach.  Once you are comfortable you can move on to the main missions.

Still, like most strategy games of this kind, the interface can be difficult to make sense of even though everything is lined up for you and filled with explanations.  You can press a number of buttons that have such commands as Defend, Air Strike, Attack or Secure.  Gamers can be more specific about certain commands, for example, if you order and attack you can choose how swiftly you want them to move and how aggressive you want to attack.  Your interface has all the information you can ever need, including how the weather is holding up.

The game is played over a large map of the area surrounding Arnhem and your divisions, as well as those of the enemy, are displayed on screen.  While normally I would get into the graphics at this point, the only thing that could be said about it is that the map comes in sharp and smooth and the game moves along nicely because of it.

Since this is a strategy game, gamers must think twice about each move.  The computer-controlled opponents always seem to be a step ahead of you in terms of their strategy, thus forcing gamers to carefully plan every move. A wrong move will not only result in heavy casualties on your side but also smash all hope of successfully completing the mission.  Careful planning results in a victory (as well as gaining Victory Points).

Airborne Assault also gives gamers the option to play the game as a multiplayer game over the Internet.  You can play against a friend, hosting the match yourself or joining the game, or you can go directly to an Opponent Finder forum (see Multiplayer below) and challenge other gamers in a friendly match complete with a chat dialogue box. 

Advanced strategy game fans will find Airborne Assault a true challenge and this game should not be missed.  Depending on your hard disk space you can run the game--with good results--with partial installation.

 Gameplay: 7.0
Those gamers unfamiliar with the interface of a strategy game of this kind will find themselves scratching their heads even though the basic commands are easy enough to identify.  The commands range from Defend to Attack and you can even choose how fast you can move or you can even change the mood of your troops.

As you might have already guessed, this game requires gamers to carefully select a strategy and implement it without risking the lives of all of the troops under your command.  You must weigh the risks involved in every decision you make before you decide on a course of action that will cause you to loose your position in the map.  Moving your forces is easy, but deciding what to do with them is another story.

Graphics: 5.0
It’s often difficult to rate the visuals of a game that is simply a large map used as a playing field.  The sharpness of the playing field is actually noticeably sharp and smooth to look at but there is not a lot that would impress gamers. 

Sound: 5.0
Due to the nature of the game, sound effects or a musical score is absent and rightfully so considering the fact that nobody plays music during a chess championship or any game that requires heavy concentration.  In order not to disturb the players as they ponder the next move, the game doesn’t even bother with sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium
Making heads or tails of the game’s interface can be a bit disorienting to those gamers that have never played a strategy game of this kind before.  Still, the game has two tutorial mission scenarios that practically lead you by the hand every step of the way or you can leaf through the instruction manual that is very detailed. 

From there the game’s single player opponents make well thought out strategic moves that can not easily be countered.  For example, you might put yourself in a position where you think you can get the upper hand on your opponent by taking down their small division of troops in the center.  Then, while you are wiping out those troops, you’ll find that the Panzer divisions already surrounding you.   

Concept: 7.0
Airborne Assault relies heavily on the historical side of this operation while offering a glance at what things might have been like if the Axis forces had won a particular battle that the Allied forces might have won in real life.  There are also fantasy scenarios where Allied troops are defending the famous Arnhem Bridge (the focus-point of this game).

Multiplayer: 7.3
Setting up a multiplayer match against a friend online is actually a breeze and highly recommended for those who like calculated strategy games in the same mold as Risk.  And with one player playing as the Axis forces and the other playing the Allied forces, the game becomes a game of chess where both players must think out their next move thoroughly.

The best part of this particular multiplayer option is that you can also seek out other players on the game’s official Opponent Finder website (www.battlefront.com).  You can also interact with the other player through dialogue boxes and chat while playing.  I logged on to issue a challenge and found myself with two very resourceful players challenging me instead.    

Overall: 7.0
Airborne Assault is a cerebral strategy game that requires a lot of patience and a series of well-thought out orders, but overall the game’s complexity might turn off those gamers who are use to a more simple interface.  However, the smoothness of the game, and the plentiful yet diverse mission scenarios, makes for solid ride strategy fans will want to take.