Boo-ya!

Close Combat -- Invasion: Normandy

$34.99

Gunfire erupts as the troops hit the beach. The enemy is well-fortified behind cement bunkers and hidden in the thick hedgerows beyond that crisscross and divide the Normandy landscape. On the beach, the soldiers are pinned down. Angry shouts in German can be heard in the distance; as always, the Americans need a strong leader to carry them to victory and rid the French countryside of the Nazi plague.

In Close Combat -- Invasion: Normandy, you are that leader -- and it's D-Day, baby! At least, it's D-Day with the Americans and Germans (if you wanted Canadians, British, etc., you're out of luck). This is the fifth installment in the Close Combat series, and those familiar with the first four "Atomic" installments will feel right at home in this new presentation. The 2D bird's-eye perspective remains, as well as the simple control of troops with the mouse. The biggest change with this installment is that, as troops move across the peninsula of Normandy, Close Combat maintains a board game feeling.

The original Close Combat and its follow-ups remain by far the most historically accurate and playable real-time strategy war games available. Now being published by Mattel/SSI, CCV remains true to form. Due to the game's popularity, there are support pages, clubs, tournaments, patches, and an online community for the summertime shut-in gaming season. All this equals playability. However, this is not a high-speed game. It takes many hours to complete the Grand Campaign. 3D shoot-'em-up gamers may have trouble staying awake. Regardless, I highly recommend this game for all those who have spent hours at the kitchen table with friends trying to take over the world playing Axis and Allies, Squad Leader, or Risk.