14 DAY TRIAL // I’m thinking of pushing one Panzer as far toward the enemy line as possible. If I’m a little lucky, the tank will attract defensive fire from most if not all the anti-tank guns the Soviets have and will give my other armored forces more options to maneuver or simply deliver supporting fire. If the dice don’t roll my way, I’ll lose a powerful unit and make it harder to achieve objectives.
I have the infantry to properly support the unit and some indirect fire capabilities that will also come in handy. Theoretically, the attacker needs 3 to 1 local superiority to have a shot at a breakthrough. I don’t have that, but I might be able to shift resources to achieve something close to it. Until then, I will try to get infantry into good assault positions and weaken at least a portion of the enemy line. I have one squad pinned that I don’t think will get through the next turn.
Kursk is a downloadable content pack for Valor & Victory, developed by Yobowargames and published by Slitherine Ltd. I played it on the PC using Steam. The DLC introduces new combat scenarios and units to the core turn-based tactical experience.
As the name makes clear, the action is centered on the massive Kursk battle, Nazi Germany’s attempt to turn the tide on the Eastern Front after the disaster at Stalingrad. The Wehrmacht concentrated a lot of troops and modern tanks, but Soviet Russian commanders countered with an in-depth defense and their own heavy tank divisions.
The campaign is transformed into a variety of scenarios in the DLC, which pit the Germans against the Russians with a range of objectives and forces for each side. The gameplay mechanics are the same as in the main game, with separate phases that allow each side to develop a plan and react organically to enemy decisions.
Valor & Victory stays very close to its boardgame roots. It doesn’t feature special abilities for units or general powers that can be activated. There’s a purity to the experience but it might feel underdeveloped to some fans of World War II video games. As always, over-exposed units can be quickly eliminated by concentrating fire and the defender tends to be favored in most situations.
The quality of the scenarios in the DLC is decent. But it feels weird to accept that content packages do not introduce any new mechanics or at least interesting twists to existing ones. For truly dedicated players, Valor & Victory does offer a scenario editor that gives them ways to create their own battles.
Kursk doesn’t try to update the rather spartan presentation of the core game. This is an experience that evokes the boardgame space, which will appeal to many grognards. But zoom in too low and the lack of quality becomes clear. Try to keep an airplane’s camera view at all times to assess the tactical picture. The sound design isn’t more successful, and I suggest loading up on history podcasts while turning down the game’s volume.
Conclusion
This is a Yay for anyone who has consumed previous content for the game and wants more. But World War II enthusiasts need to demand more from developers who turn the conflict into a video game. A DLC like Valor & Victory: Kursk should come complete with new mechanics and at least some innovation.
Review key provided by the publisher.
