14 DAY TRIAL // There are never enough naval guns for an amphibious assault. Two cruisers and two destroyers unload on the German beach fortifications, softening them up alongside a bomber. And still, they manage to deal damage to my incoming American landing craft, limiting my options once ashore.
And once the initial landings take place, it is even harder to deal with the dung-in position around major cities, which takes quite a toll on my infantry and force me to concentrate my bombers. This means I am advancing in only one direction, in danger of performing worse than generals did in the real world.
Order of Battle: Allies Victorious is developed by The Artistocrats and published by Slitherine Ltd. This is a big downloadable content pack that will allow players to complete the campaign on the side of the Allies, as they land in Normandy in the biggest amphibious operation of the war and then push into Germany proper.
Operation Overlord was a massive undertaking that strategy games have always struggled to completely re-create. The DLC asks players to secure the beaches in the first scenario and then offers another 13. They chart the historical path that the United States, United Kingdom, free French, and other forces took while they liberate Western Europe and then push to Berlin.
Allies Victorious introduces new units for both sides of the war and new commanders for the player to employ. But it makes limited changes to the core structure of the strategy game. Battles are turn and hex-based, with a focus on careful planning and good use of combined arms.
Order of Battle features a classic take on the genre. It is important to have a clear understanding of one’s own capabilities before deploying units and forming a plan of attack. Never underestimate the power of recon and artillery overload. If you need to sacrifice forces, make sure that it’s infantry that takes the brunt of the damage.
Allies Victorious has a solid selection of scenarios to work through, with plenty of tactical variety. Computer-controlled Germany has solid defensive positions to work with and can quickly blunt an ill-prepared offensive move. Airpower makes it easier to dislodge entrenched enemies, even if it means accepting some losses.
When players are not directing units, they will have to worry about the composition of their forces and how it can be enhanced with fresh recruits and tech progress. This side of the game is less engaging and could use some extra options.
Order of Battle remains enjoyable and challenging. The big problem is that many battles make things difficult for the player by simply making German forces significantly more capable than they were in the real campaign.
Allies Victorious introduces new maps and units but the look of the game will be familiar to anyone who has played before. It offers quick access to the info required to make strong tactical decisions. But it is also largely devoid of spectacle and players will have to supply much of the fireworks using their imagination. The sound effects are decent but do not impress, as does the soundtrack.
Conclusion
The issue with such content deliveries is that they do not tweak the core game concepts in any significant way. More scenarios are important but their design does not reflect historical conditions enough. And Order of Battle does need to introduce fresh new gameplay mechanics to keep its fans engaged.
A review key was provided by the publisher.
