Flashpoint Campaigns: Southern Storm
The successor to Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm. The team at On Target Simulations really did take this game to the next level. The game pits NATO forces against Pact forces and features Standard Operating Procedures which are very customisable. Appreciation must also be given to the GUI – it’s very well presented and gives the play good levels of information whilst carrying out loads of data checks in the background giving you really authentic outcomes in battle. Flashpoint Campaigns: Southern Storm is also a WEGO game – meaning anticipating your adversary is critical and gaining initiative is key.
Steel Division 2
Whilst not very realistic Steel Division 2 is still a fun WW2 RTS game. Its graphics are great and you can zoom in to specific units and then zoom all the way out to see the whole map. It has several campaigns and also an interesting deck-building system allowing you to design a force around your preferred play style, without allowing you to go too crazy. It can become a click fest as you mercilessly throw units into the meat grinder.
Tank Warfare: Tunisia 1943
It’s a Graviteam game set in Tunisia during World War 2 rather than the usual Eastern Front. Whilst the game still has the same frustrating UI as all other games in the series, it is a really fun game. I chose Tank Warfare: Tunisia 1943 rather than the more renowned Mius-Front because it features British and American units, which I found refreshing. The attention to detail in the game is wonderful and at least for me, it runs more smoothly than the combat mission games – so it’s easier to get my realistic WW2 fix that way. – Oh, and it also features a campaign mode.
Kerbal Space Program
Wait this is Strategy and Wargaming what heresy is this!? Well, the Kerbal Space Program is one of those games that makes you try, fail and then iterate – if that’s not the essence of strategy and wargaming I don’t know what is! The only casualties in this game are my dignity and a few Kerbals. In all seriousness, I think the Kerbal Space Program is a great game where you learn from your mistakes and it drives you to try again. It encourages good traits that I try and replicate when I wargame.
Rule The Waves 3
A great naval game that whilst not visually stimulating, unless spreadsheets are your thing, is still captivating. Design and build your national naval fleet within the constraints of your technology and budget. – just like real navies! The game is still reviving updates and refinement to ensure it squeezes out as much accuracy and details as possible. I think I hadn’t anticipated learning about my production style, in most strategy games you can often wait for a big tech discovery and then quickly upgrade all your units. In Rule The Waves 3, just like in real life, this won’t work. You need to adopt spiral development rather than waterfall in my experience. – fun stuff to learn hey!
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