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Blitzkrieg 2: Sudden Strike 3

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 24 / 24
Date: October 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As much as people complain about the influx of World War II computer games, let's face it-there aren't many such games outside of the Turn-Based Strategy genre. For every *Medal of Honor* one can find ten *Doom* knock offs, and for every *Sudden Strike* one can buy ten *Starcraft* retreads.

And for as long as Real Time Combat games have been around, Microsoft and developer CDV were the only WWII game-makers that I knew of until about 2003. CDV still makes some of the more realistic and yet fast-paced RTCs to ever model the Second World War, and their latest title *Blitzkrieg 2* is no exception.

I'm not sure then if it's ironic or just fitting that *B2* in many ways takes a step back towards the primitive *Sudden Strike*. Those used to the first *Blitzkrieg* will quickly discover they can no longer transfer veteran units from battle to battle. Nor can they cherry-pick specific units before each battle. Players cannot even fight random battles in order to rack up rank and win special units. Instead, like *SS*, the game follows a series of varied, compulsory missions where the player depends upon a small number of pre-stationed units as well as reinforcements. Most units are weak and the player can quickly lose a squad to a single well-placed gun or mortar. The player often cannot call upon air or artillery support to complete a mission.

As bad as that sounds, *B2* fortunately isn't nearly as aggravating as *SS*. The latter game suffered serious balance issues, with the player usually in range of accurate enemy artillery fire with no friendly aircraft or counter battery units available. *SS* also had a tendency to give the player the wrong units for the job, such as providing towed anti-tank guns in a mission that required tanks. Then there were the infamous problems with weapon ranges, sight ranges, and fog-of-war. I never did finish Sudden Strike.

Blitzkrieg 2 corrects much of these problems with more logical and consistently executed weapon ranges-though the computer can still use spotters to shoot you before you can even see it, players don't have to worry about their sniper being outranged by submachine gunners. It also seems, even more than the first Blitzkrieg, to balance the unit types for each mission so the player rarely has to worry about being stuck with towed AT guns when they really needed self-propelled howitzers. Though the player consistently remains outnumbered, he or she can actually use tactics to out-maneuver the enemy and hit them in the rear or flanks; not even *B1* let this happen, no thanks to extensive and well-prepared enemy fortifications in every map.

The real winner in this area lies in *B2's* superior map and mission design. Gone are the repetitive handful of mission types from the first title. Mostly gone are the blatant choke points and the field works hidden every five meters. Though none of the maps feel particularly large, the player rarely comes under attack the instant he or she leaves their starting position (or even in their starting positions like some *SS* levels I could mention). Lots of hidden paths and bunkers dot the beautifully rendered 3D maps. Though no day-night cycle exists, and the climate effects are limited to snowfall, maps detail all four seasons and both day and night missions. Here the player and the enemy alike have hills and valleys to contend with, and even the cheating enemy can blunder through a grove of trees and into one of my own well-placed guns. Instead of being punished for exploring by running into another damn defense line, the player can find bonus units being held prisoner or they can find secret objectives.

CDV took as it gave. To streamline play they eliminated logistics features like bridge-building and medical support for the infantry. The missions, meanwhile, no longer seem to score the player on various feats, such as tactics and casualties. Fewer missions exist as well: aside from the lack of random missions, CDV reduced campaigns from 6 chapters to 4. This results in tremendous gaps in the otherwise historical campaigns; for example, Germany spends the first three chapters between 1940 and 1942, then skips clear to December 1944 for the climatic chapter. And as already mentioned, players cannot maintain an elite core of units, or win new units through rank upgrade.

Instead, CDV vastly improved the old reinforcement idea, wrapping it up with the streamlined rank system and campaign design. Each campaign--Allied, German, or Soviet-divides into chapters; each chapter allots reinforcement credits, with a limited number of credits allowed per mission. The game separates reinforcements by military branches, such as Assault Infantry and Elite Infantry, or Light Tanks and Heavy Tanks. Such branches can be upgraded, say from Panzer II to Panzer III light tanks. Players can call these reinforcements into battle as long as they have control of at least one supply point on a map. But they must earn both branches and branch upgrades by completing missions; players start at the very bottom of the toy pile with conscripts and light tanks.

Players also can't expect to have every discovered branch available in every mission. Much of the difficulty and balance adjustments in this game comes from carefully limiting the type as well as the number of reinforcements. This also figures into the story telling, such as it is. Each mission within a campaign chapter follows a loosely connected story leading towards a historical battle; those missions usually earn the branches and unit upgrades needed to fight in the chapter climax.

Missions also earn experience for the player and his commanders. That's right, Blitzkrieg 2. includes type commanders for each branch of military unit. While rank will no longer let players win that fancy Pershing tank, it will allow him or her to assign a commander to a branch of his or her choice. As the commander gains rank, the units gain extra abilities, such as increased firepower or the ability to target the treads of a tank. Rank is achieved simply by blowing the hell out of as many enemies as one can find, since this sequel does not penalize the player for poor tactics or high friendly casualties.

So overall the sequel plays more like a conventional story-driven RTC, than the more flexible and open-ended original. The rank system amounts to a level treadmill since rank can be gotten naturally through the course of the story missions; I'd like to see a return to the graded system of the first game to make rank more challenging and thus rewarding.

I'd also like to see many more chapters added in order to provide a more comprehensive game experience. Transfering core units should return as well, but to supplement rather than replace the reinforcements. Finally, I feel the environment should render more realistically: if tanks can knock down trees then they should be able to ram houses. And vehicles should have a much harder time trying to get through thick trees and sand and mud, if for no other reason than it reminds me I'm playing a game when I watch a tank single-handedly bulldoze an entire forest.

Otherwise, I enjoy *Blitzkrieg 2* more than previous CDV efforts and I look forward to expansion packs. It just kind of annoys me that it steps back as much as forward.

Beware of Star Force copy protection program

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 25 / 29
Date: December 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game installs Starforce Copy protection program, to make sure that you don't ilegally copy this game.

Be warned: Starforce CANNOT be unnistalled, even when you uninstall Bliztkrieg 2. I've tried to unnistall it several times but nothing works, not even Add/Remove programs.

I wouldn't mind, but Starfoce Copy Protection runs as a background program in your desktop sucking up all your machine's memory. It takes 15 min. to boot when you turn on your computer.

And if you have copying programs in your computer, even if they're legal, they will be disabled by Starforce Copy Protection Program.

If you want to risk so much for such a crappy game (In my opinion) then go ahead and buy it. I've told you.

Great game, but StarForce is a problem.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: May 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I love the game, but the Star Force copy protection (as mentioned in earlier reviews) is a problem. I don't know if Star Force caused any system problems on my computer, but it would not uninstall when the game was installed. Star Force does have an uninstaller but good luck finding it. Star Force does not ask to install itself and does not remove itself when the game is uninstalled. This is a big problem, as far as I'm concerned.

The game is wonderful. I love it! But I won't buy the sequel if it uses Star Force.

I am an adult. I play a couple of games a year -- and I BUY THE GAMES. Star Force's web site implies that anyone who complains about their shoddy product is a bootlegger of some sort. I just don't like software that secretly installs itself (like spyware) and then can't be removed easily.

The game is wonderful; the copy protection sucks.

Nice Try

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: October 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

While the AI has improved significantly, and the 3-d effects are nice, overall this isn't much of an improvement over the original. Instead of upgrading your core units, your sub-commanders gain experience which is far less satisfying. The heavy reliance on reinforcements throughout missions left me cold. Playing as the Americans is unbearable due to the pathetic voice acting. And the StarForce ultra-intrusive copy protection was the final blow, I want that thing off my computer but it can't be uninstalled.

Buggy and choppy

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 10 / 15
Date: December 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

NOTE: I've only played the demo of this game.

It sucked so much that it simply shocked me and I honestly doubt that a full version (The difference being a dozen or so more missions) can fix the problems it has.

Your units, specially vehicles, move in a tremendously sluggish and choppy way. They will get completely stuck in the middle of a wide road, and it will take half an hour of your time to click on every unit and send it in a different direction. Very frustrating specially in missions where you have to reach an objective before it gets reinforced.

Also, when you have a group of 4+ tanks/vehicles, if you assign them to go to a random point x, they will travel in a line. That's right. A line. So if there's only 1 anti-tank gun in the middle of the road, it will destroy all your tanks one by one as they move in line, instead of moving in a row, where they can fire all at the same time. Instead, the infantry charges in rows, like 18th century infantry, with obvious results.

The above is worsened by the units's AI. Apparently, your vehicles will not react, never, to any threat that comes nearby. You can have a large scale battle and in the middle of it a tank doing nothing, UNLESS you command it to do something, which will make it move and abandon it's dug-in bonus. The same with big formations. You can have a formation of 15 super heavy tanks but you need to drag them by the nose into doing anything. Result: All the 15 tanks will attack the same enemy tank while the rest of the enemy formation will attack different targets, destroying yours.

Apparently I can use different kinds of tanks. Heavy, Medium, light, you name it. I have different kinds of units as well, Early '40, Late '45, etc. I'm surprised I only noted this by pure chance, as it does not change anything AT ALL.

Your units move at a crawl like speed for some reason beyond me.

If you set your graphic settings too high (That's right) you will get a fosforecent green screen.

----

I only downloaded the demo for some free fun, as I usually do, but I sucked so much that I felt it was an obligation to come here and warn you in case you're thinking about buying it. There are better RTS strategy, WWII-themed, games out there.

blitzkreig 2

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: May 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Terrible graphics in my opinion. Blitzkreig had better graphics and really looked cool. Bought this game and am not happy with it at all.

Great for WWII buffs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: September 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Not buggy at all, others must have inadequate systems. Starforce shouldn't be an issue if you are really interested in game. Game is great fun, ideal for wwii buffs. Play is similar to old Micosoft CloseCombat but graphics and features are far superior.

Blitz II - Fun but needs help!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Ok I bought Blitz 2 as soon as it hit the market, I was practically drooling to get ahold of this game. And to be fair I have to say I REALLY like the game, played it more than I should - but it does need help!

CDV has done a very good job giving us old wargamers something good to chew on ever since EA bought out SSI and promptly killed them off. SSI was the "name" for wargames IMHO. Any one remember Steel Panthers? The original Blitzkrieg was like water to a man with cotton mouth, it was such a vast improvment over Sudden Strike. But it was not long before it was behind in the graphics and sound departments. But with all the MOD's out there it is still enjoying an extended life. I still have all of my Blitz 1 games on my HD and go back to it now and then.

And that is where the lack of things become appearant in Blitz 2. First of all being a long time vet of Steel Panthers, I even have scenarios out on the web for it, I was "Greatly" dissapointed to find that my "Core Units" had been taken away from me! Big - Big mistake CDV, old time wargamers prefer to have a cadre of core units that progress from scenario to scenario. Then there is the commander promoton thing, ok as far as I go that is fine promoting officers under your command, but like others have stated here - bring back the promotion system for the Player, I thought the system in Blitz 1 was very fair and I enjoyed it through every expansion.

Now for some final area's that I find lacking, the reinforcement idea going on in Blitz 2 is ok, but players really need to have more control over what is coming down the pike when you order it. And yes there are time frames when only certain types of units may be the only ones available and that is just fine. But not all the time, the game needs to be more flexiable in this area. And did I mention - "Bring Back The Core Units!" Next is the abilitly to build bridges - or actually the lack of it in Blitz 2. I love games with engineers, being able to build bridges and the such is such a fantastic area of play I just "Hate" to see it gone from the new games. And lets get the Medics back into play ok, I can not tell you how many times in the Blitz 1 games having an ambulance or moving my squads into a Hospital has saved my bacon in the over all picture of the scenario in play.

And I miss supply dumps! I like the few times that you can get new vehicles out of a factory, but it would be nice to be able to repair and rearm your units if you find such a supply dump or factory/storage building in a town. Now I know CDV is not the developer of the games - but they do have "strong" input into the games they produce. So CDV if you are reading any of these reviews at all - please take heed of what your customers are saying! Because like I stated at the top - I Really like Blitz 2, but it did slide backwards as others have said.

Why I'll never order from Amazon again

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 11
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I never actually recieved the game. I did get an email from Amazon saying that they had cancelled my order. No details in the email. When I followed a link to "Why was your order cancelled", I found a page of generic reasons Amazon cancels orders. Not details about my problem though.

I was able to find the game on another web site and ordered from there (though I had to pay for overnight shipping to get if for Xmas).

I will says the the person who received the gift stayed up 'til 3AM the first time he played it.

Great Game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: April 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I had a lot of fun with Blitzkrieg 2. It was very replayble, and decently historicly acurate. I would recomend this game to any RTS fan who loves tanks or wwii.

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