I have always loved the Close Combat series since it`s first inception. The concept of being diversely tactical with intuitive simplicity was irresistible for a PC war-gamer who came from the board game culture of Panzer Blitz and Combat Leader. For those of you who have played the original Combat Mission you will feel similarities when you play (zoomed out) in this regard. The combined arms work well coupled with the modeled soldier phycology and the dynamic morale factor. The path finding seems much better especially for vehicles and leaves the player feeling this is the way it should have always been. Tactical moves with combined arms leave the player with a satisfying feeling when executed correctly. Rushing the enemy may work in some situations but will most likely end up in disaster. Slow methodical tactics work well and the player will be rewarded for doing so. I`ll mention a few critiques even though there are several the developers must be aware of. Smoke dispensers should have the ability to be thrown without LOS restriction. Why is a soldier unable to lob a smoke grenade over a small ridge or hedge or even a small bush for that matter? Or even out the window from a building? Where are the multi-level buildings? Why do the soldiers refuse to fire from them? At the present development cycle (1.06), this game is it is still very playable and a must buy (if not in support) for those who have always been a fan of the franchise. In my opinion it is a definite move forward from the original version. Furthermore, you can jump in and play a quick battle in under half an hour. Close Combat: The Bloody First has loads of potential.
This game really surprised me despite having a long way to go in “beta” state. Nevertheless, Uboat is still very playable if you work around the bugs and save often. It also looks rather stunning on a higher end system. Furthermore, if you love sub sims you are missing out. Uboat primarily stresses the importance of logistics and crew management. Most time is spent managing the crew while jumping around the North Atlantic in and out of time compression while avoiding detection by enemy patrols. On the other hand, combat can be exhilarating with a sense of immersion unmatched by any other single player sub simulator. Consider it an achievement to sink one or two freighters and live to talk about it. Just make sure you have enough fuel and a healthy crew to make it home. Some missions are milk runs; others are frightening ordeals. I have experienced patrols shadowing me for quite some time while submerged driving me to go deeper to evade. Escaping a depth charge attack is tense and deeply satisfying. The future potential of this sim is fantastic.
