Blitzkrieg 2: Liberation
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Language - Mild,Violence
Publisher: Ascaron Genre(s): Strategy Home Page:
There are games intended for a broad market, and there are games with a focused target audience in mind. Where The Sims and Myst franchises cut a wide swathe through the PC market, strategy games occupy a much lower spot on sales lists. Even so, some reach a respectable level of mainstream success. But for every Age of Empires and Civilization release, there are dozens of lesser-known strategy titles aimed at smaller groups of strategy fans. One such example is the Blitzkrieg series, a blend of strategy and tactics genres set in World War II. We take a look at Blitzkrieg 2: Liberation, the second expansion for Blitzkrieg 2. With the release of Blitzkrieg 2 in 2005, developers Nival Interactive introduced gameplay that was differed significantly from the original Blitzkrieg. While the sequel retained the WWII setting, gone was any semblance of resource gathering or other notable RTS mechanics. Instead, Blitzkrieg 2 reduced gameplay to a fast-paced tactics exercise, much to the chagrin of fans of the original. In fact, many players refuse to acknowledge its existence, and some developers continue to release expansion packs for the original game. Visuals be damned, this crowd is hardcore - even the fully 3D engine in Blitzkrieg 2 wasn't enough to convince series diehards to move on. With that in mind, the sequel does have a fanbase, though it is considered more of a lateral move in gameplay rather than a leap forward.
The first expansion for Blitzkrieg 2 - Fall of the Reich Trailer
One For The FansLiberation is a standalone expansion, covering the closing battles of World War II on the Western Front. History buffs, take note: there's plenty of background information for each battle (with a comprehensive encyclopaedia of units), and the game strives to maintain historical accuracy (on a greater scale, at least) with regards to campaign progression. Two main campaigns - American and German - are included, and though the scope is reduced from Blitzkrieg 2, there's enough depth to the gameplay to please fans. Put an emphasis on the word 'fans', because this expansion is unapologetically pure fan-service. Even the manual (which is detailed and among the most useful I've recently seen) admits that Liberation is intended for veteran Blitzkrieg 2 fans. Admittedly, I've never spent much time with any of the Blitzkrieg releases, though I've spent an inordinate amount of time with other strategy games. With that disclosure in mind, let me say this: Liberation is among the most difficult games I've ever played. Even on the easiest of the four available difficulty settings, I was thoroughly trounced multiple times in every battle. Sometimes, I'd soldier on to success, but never was I victorious in my first few attempts at a battle. While the game's four-part tutorial did an admirable job of exposing gameplay basics, I was unprepared for the sheer challenge of the single-player campaign.
Related Stuff Games: Blitzkrieg 2: Liberation
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