E3 06: War Front: Turning Point Impressions

LOS ANGELES--Imagine that Hitler was assassinated during World War II, and the new German government sided with the Western Allies, battling the Soviet Union together. That's sort of the premise of War Front: Turning Point, an alternative history of World War II played out as a real-time strategy game. To be clear, this isn't World War II as you know it, as you'll be able to command tanks and infantry alongside robotic-style exoskeleton war machines, flying wings (sort of like today's stealth bombers), jetpack soldiers, and more.

War Front feels sort of like a Command & Conquer game, because it blends historical events with an almost sci-fi reality. After Hitler is assassinated, the new alliance of the Western Allies and Germany are invaded by the Red Army. Many of the prototype weapons that began development during the war--such as jet fighters, nukes, helicopters, and more--make it into mass production. On top of that, even more exotic technology is developed, such as energy shields.

The game will feature two campaigns, one from the German perspective and one from the Western Allies, and developer Digital Reality made sure to bring in a screenwriter from Hollywood to polish the dialogue. The visuals are certainly intriguing. In one cutscene, you see a mass attack of American tanks and infantry heading into battle, with German troops clad in exoskeleton armor tearing through their lines.

One of the game's features is that you can jump into first-person and control many of the weapons in the game yourself, from tank cannons to defensive turrets. The factions in the game are distinct from one another. The Germans have the most advanced weapons (they did invent the jet fighter and ballistic missile during the war), though these are also the most expensive. The United States, on the other hand, has lots of mobility, thanks to helicopters and paratroops, and the ability to call in nuclear bombers. We didn't get a good chance to see the Soviet Union, though we can imagine that they're tank heavy, like in reality. War Front is scheduled to ship this September.