One grand campaign, three theatre campaigns, 36 battles

Sep 20, 2019 19:39 GMT  ·  By

The Bloody First is the next title in the Close Combat series. Slitherine has just announced the game will release for PC via Steam on October 3. The real-time World War II strategy game features one grand campaign, three theatre campaigns, and 36 interwoven battles.

The game follows the war adventures of the mighty Big Red One, the 1st US infantry division from North Africa to Sicily and the final assault on the beaches of Normandy. Unlike many real-time strategy games, Close Combat: The Bloody First lets players always pause the game and issue new orders to their troops, but the action is fast.

The pause/play combination allows players to recreate complex historical actions like pinning down enemy nests with machine guns, flank them with fast infantry, cover your troop's advance with smoke barrages, target the vulnerable side armor of the German Panzers with armor-piercing weapons, scout enemy positions and unleash artillery or mortar fire before they see you.

Each unit in the game features a different line of sight, which adds another layer of strategy. Morale and experience will heavily influence how your troops will perform on the battlefield, so you won't be winning just because you have more troops at some point during the campaign.

In The Bloody First, players will get access to 50 different vehicles, more than 300 infantry and heavy weapon teams, over 100 weapons, including US equipment from 1942-1943.

Close Combat: The Bloody First features a multiplayer mode with a wide variety of new options such as integrated lobby and matchmaking forums.

Graphics-wise, this is the first game in the Close Combat series that uses the new 3D Archon engine, which should bring a whole new look and feel to the classic franchise. The new 3D engine allows an increased level of detail and more realistic movement and projectile physics.

Close Combat: The Bloody First screenshots (9 Images)

Close Combat: The Bloody First cover art
Close Combat: The Bloody FirstClose Combat: The Bloody First
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