Combat Mission 2: Barbarossa to Berlin – PC – Preview

I have not had the
opportunity to play the original Combat missions Operation Beyond Overlord,
but everything I have read about it sounds awesome.  As I approached this
title with some skepticism, I was truly impressed.  I’m not a big fan of
turn-based war games, but after playing for a few days, I think I’m hooked. 
What grabbed me is that it’s actually a kind of hybrid of turn-based style of
play and real time.  You make your movements, attacks, etc of all your
units….your opponent or computer does the same.  When you are finished, you
and your opponent click done and you get to watch the battle in 3D take place
until the next move.  You can get really close to the battle and experience it
from just about every angle imaginable. Very cool!

The main goal in CMBB’s
scenarios is to take and hold the victory locations on the battlefield, marked
by victory flags. There are small and large flags, each worth a certain number
of victory points. Unlike classic board games, however, you don’t need to have
your units sitting right on top of the flags – each flag has a certain control
radius around it (approx. 80 meters), in which you have to place a sufficient
number of troops (usually one tank or a couple of non-broken squads are
enough) to exert control. However, again unlike classic board games, when the
enemy manages to keep his troops close enough also, the flag will be contested
and will not be under control of ANY side! So keeping the enemy sufficiently
far away from the flag is as important as bringing your troops into the
territory as well
.

Combat
Mission differentiates three distinct game phases – set-up phase, orders
phase, action phase. These phases play simultaneously for both players. The
set-up and orders phases allow you to set-up and give orders to your units
(your opponent does the same), while game time is paused. The Action Phase
plays the action simultaneously for both sides in REAL TIME. Each Action Phase
is 60 seconds of real time, during which you can see the results of the orders
you have given to your troops. After each Real Time phase, a new orders phase
follows and allows you to give new orders or adjust old orders to your units.

 

Unless
playing a timed TCP/IP game, you can take as much time as you want during the
orders and set-up phases, and replay the action during the action phase as
many times and from as many angles as you like.

 

Here a
short list of features, which will be included in the final version:

 

         
Units,
vehicles and equipment from 7 nations – German, Soviet, Hungarian, Romanian,
Italian, Finnish and Polish; the full version contains a total of:

o       
300+ different
tanks and vehicles

o       
600+ other units
(guns, infantry, aircraft)

o       
50 scenarios and
operations

o       
15 fortification
types (bunkers, mines, trenches…)

o       
50 different
terrain types (including “destroyed” versions)

o       
9 types of ground
conditions and 8 different types of weather

         
Quick
Battle generator

         

Full-featured integrated scenario and map editor (which was used to make the
included scenarios and operations)

         
Play
against human opponents via PBEM (email), Hot seat on the same computer or
TCP/IP over the internet

         
Air strikes
(dozens of airplane types simulated)

         
Realistic
3D Sound effects in CD quality       

         
266 page
printed full color manual

 

If you are into the historically
accurate realism, here are some things that the developers have put into CMBB.

Using the research and
effort put into Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord as a benchmark, they have gone
even further with CMBB
to bring you the utmost in historical integrity. Fully researched and detailed
TO&E (Tables of Organization and Equipment) for all seven nations. Accurate
OBs (Orders of Battle) for 5 years of conflict, 1941-45.  Optional Historical
Variety of Units ensures players will no longer have to worry that their
opponents "cherry picked" their forces.  Advanced and updated armor
penetration algorithms where even the amount and density of the armor *plug*
that is pushed into a vehicle from a penetration is now calculated and
modeled.  Meticulously researched vehicle and uniform models, paint schemes
and even sound effects help to bundle
CMBB
in a package that is a
joy for the eyes, ears and mind to behold. 

Though this is a preview
version of the game, I thought the graphics, game play, concept and sound were
quite decent.  I would think the final version should be very appealing and a
must have for any WWII buff.