A fun throwback to classic hex-based wargaming.
User Rating: 9.5 | Strategic Command: European Theater PC
For those looking for a wargame that sports cutting-edge graphics, high-quality videos, or other such bells and whistles, read no further -- Strategic Command: European Theater is not for you. But if you're like me, and were raised on old-school, hex-and-counter board wargames, welcome to gaming gold. SC is a solid simulation of World War II in Europe, and includes all the features that one would expect from an Avalon Hill or SPI game: zones of control, breakthroughs, supply, diplomacy, research and development, partisans, and invasions, to name a few. Yet, to SC's credit, the game is nowhere near the complexity of such hoary old favorites like AH's Third Reich; instead, it is an accessible, easily digested game that inspires the wonderful "just one more turn" syndrome that only the best games do. While the AI is not perfect, it does a credible job as either side, and the game is fully supported by designer Hubert Cater and the folks at the game's publisher, Battlefront. In fact, SC has inspired a host of sequel games that have built on the original's foundation. However, while the later games have improved graphics and interface, the first SC remains true to its wargame roots. For that, I am quite satisfied; I spent as much time with SC as I did with the old SSI classic, Clash of Steel. As I said above, this game makes up for its lack of chrome with a solid gameplay experience, and to pass it up for that alone would be denying yourself an addicting treat.
