Combat Chess

It seems strange because everything about this chess game says it should be better than Battle Chess, yet, imho, it`s worse. I think it`s because Battlechess kept it simple, while Combat chess got too overworked. They shouldn`t have so overdone the unit graphics which made it hard to tell one from another quickly. All they needed to do was add more varied animations for each taken piece (Battle Chess were way too few) and improve the Chess Player AI, maybe add a couple of extra table types and the ability to change unit colours from Red and Blue to say black and white. Then it might`ve been a winner. maybe one day, someone will make a Battle Chess 2011.

There might be a great game behind the highly amusing animations, but it's unlikely that I and my son will ever find it because the Windows-based interface is so INCREDIBLY limited. We are coming to this after LEGO Chess which, despite it's juvenile nature, is a far more pleasant experience. This game has obtrusive "panels" (information windows) all over the place and feels clunkier than the older BattleChess. I was hoping this would be "even better" than BattleChess - but it doesn't cut the mustard. very dissapointed indeed! :(

I bought this one despite the reviews as I love chess games - especially with graphics/animation beyond basic chess pieces. However, I must say it let me down in every major area. I gave it two stars (being generous) due to a couple of redeeming features: 1) there is a slider control for level of mistakes that the computer will make. THIS IS GREAT! I wish other chess video games had this. One downside of playing against a computer opponent is that the machine NEVER makes mistakes - despite the fact that you may be able to adjust the overall difficulty level - it's NOT the same thing. One thing unrealistic about playing a CPU is that unlike human opponents, you never get that chance to capitalize on an oversight by your opponent - you know you're playing a computer. 2) The 2D accompanying window is also a nice feature as it allows you to use a "fancy" board while at the same time being able to quickly glance at a clear view of the board. Now for the fails: fullscreen is 640x480 only, the animations are slow and repetitive, there are no alternative chess sets or boards, there are very few options to adjust, the soundtrack is dull and monotone, there is no display of think lines, captured pieces etc.

This game is exactly what is advertised: A Chess game with battle animations. The core chess game has some nice touches, like tutorials going from the very basics of how each piece moves to some basic ideas on how to play to win. The difficulty settings were also a pleasant surprise. Being a complete outsider to chess, seeing the beginner's AI was just as bad at chess as I am was a nice touch, helping the game become accessible. Where the game fails is in fulfilling its premise. The animations are mundane and boring, the combat feels detached and slow, and lack interesting events or characterisation. Contrast with Interplay's earlier Battle Chess, where combat was much more interesting, visceral, and told a story about the characters. I'd avoid this game.