4 – Scourge of War – Remastered
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough video games set in the Napoleonic period. In fact, we don’t have enough video games set during the entire era of muskets and gunpowder. On the bright side, the ones we do have are very good, and that includes Scourge of War: Waterloo. Now, before we go on, I just want to preface this entry by saying that this is not your run-of-the-mill, Total War-esque kind of strategy game, where you can click and drag units and pretend to be Napoleon. Oh no. Not even close. What you have here is a true simulation of the Battle of Waterloo in the truest sense of the word. If you want, you can even replay the whole battle, in real-time, at a one-to-one scale, and you can even do so from the perspective of Napoleon and Wellington, by sending orders to your commanders via courier. Each individual regiment is meticulously mapped out, from their orders of battle, commanders, and stats, to the buttons of their sleeves. If you want to know what it was like to command during these days, and how immense the battlefields really were, I advise you to pick up Scourge of War. Did you know that the battlefield of Scourge of War was over 3 miles (5km) long? You’re already learning!
3 – Burden of Command
Having previously mentioned that World War 2 has its fair share of amazing titles as well as terrible ones, there are also some fairly unique experiences in here. This entry could have been many things, from more traditional wargames like WDS, to even something more arcade-like like Gates of Hell, and those wouldn’t look out of place in an article like this. However, I have decided to go with Burden of Command due to its sheer dedication to History, even to the point that it might feel a bit detrimental and overwhelming, especiall if you’re not a World War 2 buff, capable of making the most of every reference, document, piece of trivia and media that the game constantly trows at your over the course of its massive, war-spanning campaign. But what makes Burden of Command so special when compared to other similar, hex-based wargames?
The game’s narrative experience, where you lead the fictional Nickel Company of the very real Cottonballers regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army, starting at bootcamp, and going all the way until the later stages of the war. Along the way, you’ll be faced with real-life decisions that real-life commanders had to make when conducting missions. Each decision will carry permanent consequences, with men living or dying based on your moves, with a real impact on the campaign, both from a narrative and a gameplay standpoint. It’s such a unique game, there’s nothing else like it, and I’ll never get tired of recommending it. The turn-based combat is equally great, with a lot of emphasis on the 4Fs of combat (Find, Fix, Flank, and Finish), as well as the importance of officers’ control and command on the field.
2 – Valiant Hearts: The Great War
A World War 1 had to be sneaked into here, somehow. Several decent games could have shown up, including Battlefield 1 and The Great War: Western Front, so why did I go with Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a 2D atmospheric and puzzle adventure game? Without spoiling the story too much- because this is the kind of game you only get to experience once and make the most out of it- I’ll just say that this is the only game that takes the emotional aspect of World War 1 and gives it a story that’s engaging, highly respectful of what soldiers went through, and how devastating and unfathomable the conflict was. I’ll say nothing else, pick it up during a sale, and play it.
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