14 DAY TRIAL // 2013 was a good year for strategy not only because some solid games were released to the public, but also because more companies learned how to continually communicate with their fan bases in order to make sure that they had long-term support for their products.
The best example of this is Wargame AirLand Battle, the real-time war-focused strategy experience from Eugen Systems and Focus Home Interactive, a title that aims to simulate a possible Cold War gone hot scenario between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
The game is impressive because it simulates a few hundred of units from more than a dozen of factions, all of them based on real-world data and adapted to the needs of the battlefield it offers.
Even more interesting is the fact that players need to drop almost every habit that computer-based strategy has instilled in their minds and relearn some core military concepts in order to be successful.
Scouting is an essential part of the game, with choppers, well concealed vehicles and Special Forces units required to create visibility areas on the map and observe the movement of the enemy.
Attacking is hard and always results in losses even when a close to perfect plan is very well executed and much of the battles in Wargame AirLand Battle are decided based on feints, surprise actions, careful infiltration or overwhelming use of artillery and air power.
The single player is a good way for newcomers to understand the core concepts of the game, but the Eugen Systems experience shines in multiplayer, especially when well-oiled teams of two or more players face off.
The quality of the core gameplay is undeniable, but the developers have also understood how to keep gamers interested in the long term, releasing new game modes and more units to use, all for free, before organizing a number of tournaments for the player community.