Strategy and Wargaming

Lead the Big Red One on the road to victory

North Africa, Sicily, Normandy: Close Combat: The Bloody First is ready to storm over Axis’ positions. The new chapter that reinvents the classic series is now available on PC with three Campaigns divided into 11 Operations and 36 Battles. Players take the lead of the 1st US Infantry Division and fight their way through Tunisia, South Italy and the final assault on D-Day’s beaches.

The new 3D Archon engine powers Close Combat: The Bloody First battles with full three-dimensional maps where hills and woods can block the line of sight. Close Combat: The Bloody First, faithful to the heritage of the classic series, is a tactical RTS where strategy counts: players can’t blindly launch mindless attacks on enemy positions without losing their army in minutes.

Morale also plays a central part in battles: units under fire will be pinned, will panic and flee. Players need to carefully plan their attacks and use real-world infantry tactics as real commanding officers would do: flank enemy machine-guns nests, use smoke barrages to cover their advances, scout no man’s land to order artillery bombardments or air strikes on dug-in enemy positions.

Multiplayer: like in all previous Close Combat games, The Bloody First is a joy to play online. A serious simulation where players can fight with human opponents in real-time, or team up with them and play coop against the AI.

Close Combat: The Bloody First, the latest title in the famous Close Combat series, is now available for purchase on the Matrix Games Store, the Slitherine Store and on Steam.

Stop by the official Close Combat: The Bloody First webpage for more game information!

Less than two weeks to wait! Matrix Games & Slitherine today announced Close Combat: The Bloody First, the new chapter in the epic WW2 tactical RTS saga is coming to PC on October 3rd. Lead the mighty Big Red One, the 1st US infantry division from North Africa to Sicily and then in its final assault on the beaches of Normandy. Three full campaigns, 11 operations, 36 battles, in a detailed 3D world rendered in a completely new real-time strategy engine.

No mission too difficult. No Sacrifice too great. Duty First!

Watch the “What is CLOSE COMBAT: THE BLOODY FIRST in 2 minutes!” Trailer HERE.

And that’s not all. Three new gameplay trailers have also been released:

• Close Combat: The Bloody First – A First Look – Beta
• Close Combat: The Bloody First – First Look & Gameplay W/XTRG
• Close Combat – The Bloody First Beta: First Look

Close Combat: The Bloody First is not an ordinary RTS: the action is fast, but you can always pause the game and issue new orders to your troops. This will allow you to recreate complex historical actions; pin down enemy nests with machine guns, flank them with fast infantry, cover your advance with smoke barrages, target the vulnerable side armour of the German Panzers with armour piercing weapons, scout enemy positions and unleash artillery or mortar fire before they see you.

Beware of enemy fire: your troops are heroic US infantrymen but they will panic under enemy fire if caught in the open with no cover. Morale and pressure are deadly weapons.

Multiplayer at its best: despite the Close Combat saga is a classic from the 90s, thousands of gamers still play it for its unparalleled realism in multiplayer battles roday. The Bloody First keeps up with the tradition and adds a wide variety of new options.

Close Combat: The Bloody First, the upcoming title in the famous Close Combat series, will be released on October 3rd, on the Matrix Games Store, the Slitherine Store and on Steam.

SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced Creative Assembly’s thrilling new strategy title reconstructing one of the greatest stories ever told, A Total War Saga: TROY. Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, TROY will let you forge a heroic legacy in the late Bronze Age, the furthest back in time the critically acclaimed franchise has ever traveled.

In TROY, the fate of Aegean civilization will be in your hands; each choice you make will shape the lands from the mythical heights of Mount Olympus to the arid deserts of Lemnos. Experience history as it may have happened or shape the legend for yourself in this unique chapter of Total War.

Watch the announcement trailer HERE.

Homer’s Iliad is rich with myth, legends, gods and monsters. TROY casts these stories through a historical lens to consider what might have really happened but ultimately lets you decide which heroes will fall in battle and which will be immortalized in legend.

The battlefields will tremble under the feet of renowned warriors like Achilles and Hector but it will take more than brute force alone to lay claim to the legendary city of Troy. You will need to deftly manage a barter economy, conduct diplomacy among friends and foes, and curry the very favor of the Gods themselves before etching your name in the annals of history.

Total War Saga titles channel the grand strategy and real-time battles of a core Total War game into an intense flashpoint in time, letting you determine the outcome of pivotal moments in history. This change in scope and perspective makes Total War Saga the perfect home for innovation, often leading to new ideas that go on to influence future tentpole titles.

A Total War Saga: TROY will release on Steam for PC in 2020.

The second Nation Pack DLC will be out on 31st October; on the same day, all of the existing Armored Brigade content will be made available on Steam.

Saint-Hubert, 18th September 1985. The Red Tide smashed NATO force and conquered West Germany in a matter of weeks. T-72s and Hind 24s are now heading to Paris: will France be the next Nation to fall under the Soviet invasion?

With the new Nation Pack: France – Belgium DLC, Armored Brigade, the tactical RTS set in the Cold War era, will receive two new armies (200+ new units) and a vast new map set around Bastogne.

French formations tactics in the 70s were similar to the US Armored Cavalry Regiments: they were not intended for holding ground, but to operate like the earlier dragons portes, locating the enemy, delaying their forces and setting up the situation for a deadly counter strike by the heavy tank regiments. During the 1980s the French forces saw the addition of VAB-equipped units to the infantry divisions, and an increased number of mechanized regiments. The France Army is perfect for seek-and-destroy mobile tactics.

On the contrary, Belgian forces were getting old and tired at the time: the main battle tank, the Leopard 1(BE) was a vintage vehicle from the 60s and its M75 and AMX-13 Mod 56 APCs, as well as its Alouette II helicopters were almost museum-pieces from the 1950s. However, the Army went through a modest re-equipment program through the 80s, and was supplemented by a regiment of elite para/commandos. The Belgian Army of the Cold War is an extremely interesting and challenging faction, due to its weakness and old-style tactics.

Get more information about Armored Brigade Second Nation Pack: France and Belgium from its official webpage.

1C Entertainment and developer Digitalmindsoft are excited to announce that Men of War: Assault Squad 2 – Cold War is out today! Available as a standalone expansion for $24,99 / €21,99 / £19,99, the latest iteration in its long-running Men of War RTS series marks its first foray into this iconic era. The title places itself against the backdrop of the heated conflict between the United States and Soviet Union and brings all the tense, military tactics players have come to expect from the series.

Building upon the framework of Men of War: Assault Squad 2, Cold War introduces a brand new feature to the series: dynamic campaign creation. Mirroring the ever-present feeling of dread that permeated the era, dynamic campaign creation ensures no two campaign experiences play out the same in single player and co-op. From randomized skirmishes to custom army compositions, players will be forced to think on their feet in the heat of battle.

Men of War: Assault Squad 2 – Cold War also marks the return of the series’ genre-defining RTS combat. Players take control of vast armies of U.S. or Soviet soldiers, tanks, helicopters and more as they take this historic struggle to series-first locales. From sleepy winter villages to fortified border zones, Direct Control mode returns, giving players unprecedented control over their forces, allowing them to control single units in a bid to out-maneuver their enemies. Couple this with online multiplayer to match the game’s dynamic single player and co-op campaigns, and Men of War fans have a lot to be excited about!

Men of War: Assault Squad 2 – Cold War launches today on Steam for $24,99 / €21,99 / £19,99.

Key Features:

• Pick your side: The United States of America versus the Soviet Union
• Dynamic campaign creation makes singleplayer and cooperative campaign play extremely replayable with randomized skirmish battles and custom army compositions
• Competitive online multiplayer modes
• Assault Zones game mode: Capture and hold flag points using all military means possible
• Annihilation game mode: Dominate the enemy or capture their base, as valuable resources can be secured on the battlefield
• Command large armies or control single units with the series-defining direct control mode

For more information, follow Digitalmindsoft and 1C Entertainment on Twitter.

Strategy gaming specialist Kalypso Media has today released Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection on PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection is now available from digital and retail stores for all platforms.

Since its original launch, Sudden Strike 4 has improved and expanded greatly, with 11 updates and 5 DLCs bringing significant new features and improvements to the game. This new release of the World War II strategy hit bundles all of these expansive content updates together in one high-value package.

Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection offers fans the ultimate World War II strategy experience, containing the main Sudden Strike 4 game plus all five previously released DLCs: Battle of Kursk, Road to Dunkirk, Finland – Winter Storm, Africa – Desert War and The Pacific War.

Sudden Strike 4 sends you off on three extensive campaigns set amongst the battlefields of World War II. Command the British and American, German or Soviet troops in the most iconic conflicts of the war, leading over 100 different units into battle. Prove your strategic expertise in over 20 demanding singleplayer scenarios, the challenge-focused skirmish mode and the ultra-competitive multiplayer mode.

Features:

• Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection offers realistic real-time strategy gameplay with tactical depth and a historical setting across 11 campaigns with over 45 missions and more than 200 different units in a complete package.
• Contains all free content updates available, with over 10 new maps and gameplay refinements.
• Command German and Soviet forces in the Battle of Kursk – one of the largest tank battles of World War II!
• Road to Dunkirk features 4 new missions, 2 new commanders and 10 all-new units, as well as additional buildings and ships.
• Finland – Winter Storm features 6 new missions, 3 new commanders, and 19 all-new vehicles, along with additional buildings and units.
• Africa – Desert Storm features 6 new missions, 5 new commanders, and 30 new vehicles, including a medical truck.
• The Pacific War features 10 new missions, 6 new commanders, and over 50 new vehicles, including aircraft carriers.
• Adapt and refine the military doctrines of more than 20 renowned commanders, such as Heinz Guderian, George S. Patton or Charles de Gaulle for a different strategic and tactical approach to each scenario.
• Pit yourself against other commanders or challenging enemy AI enemies in competitive multiplayer modes.

Watch the Sudden Strike 4 – Complete Collection Trailer HERE.

The King is Back

You thought lightning strikes just once? Think again! Command: Modern Operations, the sequel to 2013’s Wargame of The Year “Command – Modern Air/Naval Operations” is coming soon.

The first release of Command rocked the foundations of modern PC wargaming, steamrolled its way into the Pentagon and won numerous “Wargame Of The Year” awards. Now, the restless rascals at WarfareSims are back at it with a vengeance! The already legendary game of modern cross-domain operations returns with an all-new UI, even more refined simulation mechanics and a host of new features and content to engross you into the challenges of warfare post-WW2 and in the 21st century. Are you ready? Are you up to it?

• A dark UI for our dark times: Command’s user interface has been radically overhauled with a dark, sleek theme that emphasizes usability and style. In addition, Command can now be played either as a standard desktop windowed application or as a more traditional full-screen game.
• Command in comfort: Hundreds of tweaks, changes and improvements on the user interface and gameplay experience directly based on player feedback. Minimaps? Check. Quickly load recent scenarios or saves? Yup. Real-time dynamic ORBATs of both friendly forces and known contacts? Yessir. Time-step sim execution to prevent “runaway sim”? Can do. Glorious victories or crushing defeats have never felt so easy to experience.
• Treat your eyes while punishing your foes: Feast your vision on Command’s new smooth-flowing global map, complete with new high-resolution map layers that must be seen to be believed. More than half a terabyte’s worth of imagery & terrain information at your fingertips to exploit in combat or just wander around. Optionally link up with Tacview for real-time 3D visualization of the battlefield.
• The war just got more ruthless: Don’t spend too long gawking at the pretty UI and maps, because the battlefield is even more alive and ready to crush you! Expanded ground ops let you take advantage of distinct terrain types (desert, forest, urban, swamps etc.) for mobility, weapon effects and visibility. Enhanced AI routines for dogfights and even more technical factors make your grip on air superiority more tenuous. The groundbreaking features of the “Chains Of War” campaign are now standard: Disrupt your enemy’s communications to isolate his units (but watch out for your own), perform scriptless amphibious, airdrop or pickup operations, watch as aircraft limber back shot almost to pieces and marvel at exotic new weaponry.
• Jump quickly into battle, or build your own war: The new “Quick Battle Generator” lets you quickly get into the action without worrying about wider strategic or political complexities. Or use the scenario editor to put together your own dream battle just the way you want it. Enhanced scripting capabilities through the built-in Lua engine mean you can even create your own combat AIs. Think you can create your own WOPR/Joshua? Prove it!
• Six years on and still the best: All the original Command official scenarios remastered from the ground up by professional scenario designer Rory Noonan (author of the “Silent Service” DLC), plus brand-new official and community scenarios to quench your mayhem appetite. Updated cold-war and modern-day databases with the latest in hardware and systems mean you’ll never run out of setups to try out. Seamlessly import and use your existing Command scenarios, saves, .inst files and more!

Watch the Command: Modern Operations Announcement Trailer HERE. Find out more about Command: Modern Operations at the games official website.

Kneel before your Sovereign!

THQ Nordic, by the grace of all gaming goodness, comes forth as herald to all journalists and content creators, streamers and media partners. Bare witness and receive our greetings!

Know that before the good people of gaming, for the richness of all that we hold true and dear, and in exaltation of the genre Grand Strategy, we hereby announce to thee: Knights of Honor II: Sovereign! The second of its name, combiner of depth and accessibility, to become the shining light in the grand strategy realm when it draws swords on PCs all over the world in 2020.

Witness the first trailer HERE.

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is THQ Nordic’s first step into the Grand Strategy genre. In cooperation with the veteran game developers at Black Sea Games, the goal is to craft a medieval strategy experience that maintains all the depth players expect while breaking new grounds on approachability. Choose your medieval kingdom and lead it to glory or ruins – the fate of your subjects lies in your hands. Manage your economy, guide your people’s religion, be the master diplomat and a fearless general: become the ruler your people love, and establish a legacy that will live across the generations.

About Knights of Honor II: Sovereign

Choose your kingdom and be the king as you wrestle over control of Europe in this fresh take on medieval real-time grand strategy. Knights of Honor II: Sovereign includes all the depth players desire while being the gate-way game to the grand strategy genre, presenting the world as a living, breathing miniature, alive and ripe for the taking. Choose your royal court carefully and determine the destiny of your people, be it riches, conquest, intrigue, trade, or defeat! Raise armies to defend your lands or take war to the enemy – even jump into battle directly in action-packed RTS combat. The path is open: become the true Sovereign of your people.

Features

• Accessible Grand Strategy – From religion to city development, experience exciting depth with better approachability than ever
• Real-Time Gameplay – Medieval Europe comes alive, no turns needed
• Royal Court – Appoint Marshalls, Clerics, Merchants, Diplomats, and Spies to exert your will across the land
• RTS Battles – Directly lead your armies in riveting RTS combat
• Robust Multiplayer – Join with multiple friends to take on the challenges of medieval Europe

Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is scheduled for release in 2020. Screenshots are available on the Knights of Honor II: Sovereign Steam page.

Matrix Games today announced that their latest Strategic Command title, Strategic Command: World War I has opened its gate to beta testers!

Relive this momentous conflict from the opening shots of 1914 to the final offensives. From the bloody fields of Flanders to the sweeping advances in the east, the fighting in Italy, the Balkans and Middle East, Strategic Command: World War I covers all the main aspects and theaters of the war.

Join the beta now and help us in finishing to polish the game!

Get all the details about Strategic Command: World War I on its official product page.

Source: Blue’s News

Creative Assembly announces Total War: SHOGUN II – Fall of the Samurai is now part of their Total War Saga series under the new title of A Total War Saga: FALL OF THE SAMURAI. This is now available on Steam, and all existing owners are receiving all of the game’s faction pack DLCs except the Blood Pack for free. For everyone else, the Windows, macOS, and Linux game is now available for 75% off. There are more details on the change on the Total War Blog, and here’s an overview:

FALL OF THE SAMURAI has always encapsulated what Creative Assembly believe a Saga title should aspire to in terms of their size and scope. These titles take the grand strategy and real-time battles of a core Total War game and channel them into an intense flashpoint of history, letting you experience and ultimately determine the outcome of pivotal moments in history when the future of entire nations hung in the balance.

FALL OF THE SAMURAI depicts the dramatic clash of traditional Samurai culture with the explosive power of modern weaponry, and now includes all DLC faction packs. Set 400 years after the events of Total War: SHOGUN 2, you must guide ancient Japan into the modern age as the arrival of America, Britain and France incites a ferocious civil war which will decide the future of a nation.