Allied General is basically a rehash of Panzer General but this time you command the Allies in their quest to evict the Third Reich from North Africa, the Steppes of Russia, and finally Fortress Europe itself. The game features familiar hexagonal grids and turn based play, so fans of traditional wargames will feel right at home with the basics of its interface. The emphasis in Allied General, like Panzer, is on the strategic deployment of men and material on the battlefield. As in a real war, you must pay close attention to logistics and troop deployment to emerge victorious. The game is divided into 3 campaigns, each composed of a series of strategic battles that must be completed successfully. The units you have available for each individual battle is based on your performance in the previous scenario, a feature that adds greatly to the overall realism of the game.
The artificial intelligence used in AG is adjustable, so you can control just how magnificent Rommel really is. Unfortunately, I found that once you have mastered a particular scenario, the same strategy seems to work time and time again. This is not as serious as it might sound, however, as there are enough individual scenarios to keep even George Patton busy for weeks.
Graphics and sound are adequate for a game of this genre, but fall short of the newer benchmarks set by Steel Panthers. Units are represented by icons that occupy spaces on the grid, and when combat erupts, small animated windows pop open to depict the action. AG also contains some of the most authentic looking cutscenes (in the form of pseudo 1940's propaganda films) ever included in a wargame. In the sound department, AG also performs adequately with sound effects that are crisp and well done, if a bit spartan.
In all, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Allied General. The point and click interface and adjustable difficulty settings allow beginners to jump right in, while still providing a challenge to the experienced armchair warrior. The gameplay is surprisingly addictive when compared to other games of this genre, and should appeal to both wargamers and non-wargamers alike. Recommended.
