14 DAY TRIAL // Beginning with his sting at Strategic Simulations Inc., Gary Grigsby has become recognized as one of the greatest if not the greatest wargame designer in the videogame world. And he will now apply his expertise in designing Gary Grigsby's War Between the States, a grand strategy title dealing with the defining conflict of American history that was the American Civil War.
As with all Grigsby games War Between the States, developed by 2 by 3 Games and published by Matrix Games, abstracts the minutiae of the fights and economy elements while focusing on the strategic and far reaching decisions that a commander in chief of either side can make during the course of the war. Where titles like Sid Meier's Gettysburg or Antietam focused on specific battles with realistic handling of brigades and individual regiments War Between the States will focus on appointing generals, allowing for supply to flow uninterrupted and maintaining the level of political determination of the nation.
The game promises to be as accurate as possible without ruining the gameplay representation of the forces engaged in the American Civil War. The Union will have the advantage of industrial might and of superior naval forces but will deal with issues such as the quality of its armies and generals and the possibility of international intervention, mainly from the part of Great Britain. The Confederates will enjoy better leadership, but will be strained economically and will need to conserve their manpower.
The main change if you're familiar with Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided, the grand strategy title dealing with World War II, is that characters, both political and military, will play a much larger role in the game. They will develop over time, gain new capabilities and different military assets will perform better or worse, depending on the way their leaders are mixed and matched. So expect another layer of strategy and depth added to the game.
David Heath, who is the director of operations at Matrix Games, said, "2 by 3 Games have brought us some timeless wargames that people will be enjoying for years to come. Now that they're taking their talent in grand strategy games to the American Civil War we can look forward to another masterpiece of wargaming".