Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far
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CNET Gamecenter Review
By Hugh Falk
(10/23/1997)

Game at a Glance
Recap: Significant improvement over original
Ups: Astounding AI; brilliant campaign mode; solid editing tool
Downs: Steep learning curve
Multiplayer: Very good
Single player: Excellent
Demo: Available
Patch: NA
Playing a World War II game always reminds me of the good old days. I'm not talking about the 1940s--I wasn't around then, and any era lacking video games couldn't be that great. I'm talking about the late 1970s, which not only had video games but also featured years-worth of Hogan's Heroes reruns. The classic World War II sitcom occupied many of my childhood hours, but the zany slapstick and dry wit hardly prepared me for the stunning realism and hard-core strategy offered by Microsoft's new World War II game, Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far. There's no doubt about it: this is the most realistic and challenging real-time strategy game I've ever played.
Let me postscript this claim with the fact that I've never fought in a war, and although I've casually studied military tactics, I am not a professional soldier or mercenary. However, even a civilian like myself can appreciate the attention to detail in A Bridge Too Far, and the game is certainly "realistic" compared to the competition. Most impressive is the artificial intelligence (AI) of individual units. Troops react realistically to orders and situations. They hide when under fire, crawl on their stomachs when necessary, and panic under pressure. Outrageous orders might be ignored, and soldiers even take matters into their own hands when left alone.
Similar features exist in other real-time strategy games...where they're called bugs. Fans of real-time strategy have likely seen units wander on their own because the AI isn't smart enough to know which way to go. Don't confuse A Bridge Too Far's advanced AI with this flaw. It's smart enough to follow orders and smart enough to know how the orders affect the troops. Unlike the buggy competition, A Bridge Too Far gives the player the ability to control a unit's disobedience. Take care of your troops, and they will take care of you.
The Eastern Front
Even more realistic is the need to use military tactics in order to survive. Success in A Bridge Too Far is not just about speed. Methodical capture of victory locations and vantage points requires a keen understanding of scouting and flanking strategies. An all-out rush, which works in many real-time strategy games, will get your troops slaughtered here. Unfortunately, the need for tactics and patience gives A Bridge Too Far a steep learning curve. Even using Colonel Hogan's wartime strategies don't help. For example, in episode 83, "War Takes a Holiday," Hogan convinces Kommandant Klink that the war has ended and to therefore release some prisoners. It seems that real-life German field marshall Gerd von Rundstedt was somewhat smarter than his television counterpart Wilhelm Klink, so rookies should plan to lose early. But like I always say: if you can't stand the taste of defeat, don't drink from the wading pool. Keep fighting, because mastering A Bridge Too Far is a fulfilling experience.

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