Steel Division: Normandy 44: Video Game Overview

The end of the spring and the beginning of the summer – the period, as it is impossible to be better suitable for the release of various games dedicated to the subject of World War I9. Here and the Victory Day beside, and the anniversary of the opening of the “second front”, which, of course, adds a certain number of potential buyers. I did not exception and passed May – exactly in the middle of these significant dates Eugean Systems I decided to release my next tactical strategy dedicated to this time hot battles of 1944 in Normandy. French developers, like their new publishers in the face Paradox interactive, In the view do not need – Studio is well known for its RTS series Wargame (and someone remembers and R.W.FROM.E. or Act of War).

At first sight Steel Division: Normandy 44 Not much different from the previous products of the company: it may even seem that the developers just changed the setting of the same Wargame. But if you look at, then there are enough differences – before us is still a separate game that deserves a separate conversation.In the confusion of the battle, no wonder forget to hide the arriving reinforcement in the near forest or building. Excellent goal for enemy aviation and artillery.

The longest day

To play about the second world war, it is difficult to find a more beaten topic than the Overlord operation – the opening of the “second front” allies in Western Europe. With light hands Stephen Spielberg (Steven Spielberg) and Tom Hanksa (Tom Hanks), who were creating in the “save ordinary Ryan” and “Brothers in Arms”, heavy battles for the coast of Normandy, “Day d” as lucky to developers that fighting on the landing zone “Omaha” or storm the coastal town of Saint-Lo had to be barelywhether not in every militant dedicated to the Second World War. However, the strategy also did not lag behind.

Steel Division Fully devoted to battles in the northwest coast of France. Unlike Wargame, where the number of nations available for witch to the output of the third part has grown to decent sizes (if you consider DLC), there will be much less. It is clear, considering the framework that were set by the choice of setting. But here, the developers were able to diversify a little: if only German troops are only on the side of the axis, then the allies are available not only the American army, but also the British, French, Canadians, and even Poles.

As in Wargame (from comparisons with previous projects Eugean Systems not going anywhere), preparation for battle begins long before the first shots will be performed. First you need to collect your squad (the word “deck”, or Deck), belonging to one or another really fought in Normandy Division. There are famous “screaming eagles” – the 101st airborne, there is a 12th Tank Division of the SS “HitlerGirth” and many others, right up to exotics like mentioned Poles.

“Units” entering the squad can belong only to one division. This imposes a certain imprint to the choice of the coming strategy in battle – divisions are airborne, infantry, mechanized and tank. Developers unobtrusively make it clear that it is necessary to collect highly specialized “decks” – if the mechanized and infantry divisions still give some kind of maneuvers, then the tank and landing such flexibility can not afford. Therefore, they are more convenient to play in a bundle with other divisions, and the outcome of the battles one to one will mostly depend on whether you are “lucky” with your opponent.Circuit with the optimal “deck” can be clock, without ceasing to make adjustments after each fight.
In turn, each detachment is divided into several kinds of troops: intelligence, infantry, tanks, support, antiquanki, air defense, artillery and aviation. When drawing up a “deck” should be remembered by one of the important features Steel Division: The fight here is divided into three phases – military intelligence, skirmish and battle. The first two last ten minutes each, and the latter goes until the end of the battle. Communicable gain of points for which reinforcements can be caused depends on the division under the control of the player, and on what kind of battle phase now occurs. In addition, all combat units are also divided into three subgroups – A, B and C. If the “units” with the icon can be called at any time (there would be enough points), then reinforcements of the type B – starting from the second phase, and C – already during the final stage of the battle.

Finally, reinforcement glasses are dripped by themselves, regardless of whether the player controls a certain area or not, – Bottoms for pre-markedly marked zones, unlike Wargame, There will be no. For victory it is necessary to control most of the whole card, and not some abstract areas. All this leads to the fact that the enemy swept over the original frontier has every chance to turn the course of events in their favor – would have enough time.

On Unnamed Height

During the first battle on the network, you notice that the fights for key areas of the card, in fact, have not been going anywhere, but now the location of these “special attention zones” is due to the decision of the developers, but the tactical situation and the actions of the parties in a particular case. In the past battle, these two houses in a clean field were left unnoticed, and now the whole line of the front is holding – it was there that the machine-gun calculation fell, without letting the enemy infantry to the guns disguised in the top. The broken runway has always been shot through cannons and tanks, but now the enemy was suddenly able to spend significant forces through it, hiding behind the smoke curtain ..

Never know why you have to fight this time, having a comfortable position for defense or attack. A small tightness or intersection, primer in the forest or famous French shrubs planted with long lines – any object can have the most important effect on the course of the scratch.

All this is not enough that increases the variety of battles, it also contributes to greater immersion in the atmosphere of persistent June battles of 1944. For lovers to present themselves one of the commanders of allies or Wehrmacht’s troops, undoubtedly, much more pleasant to realize that the enemy is unsuccessfully trying to assign to take a small town that is because. What did you decide to make it a reference point, and not at all because of the desire of the cardboard, which decided that the very place for a zone bringing victory glasses.As a rule, it is better to look at the battle with bird’s height even in such small fights two for two.
Another difference from Wargame – This appearance on the front line map. The area is divided into two depending on the location of your and enemy troops. If you control most of the card, you are accrued to winning glasses, otherwise the enemy adds in the score. But this is not the only purpose of it. Surrounded Infantry Division, which turned out for the front line, can make “Hitler Caput!”And in full compliance, if a combat-ready enemy detachment is nearby. However, the presence of a nearby commander “units” does not give up, but the latter is usually not so much as I would like.

It’s nice that it is now easy to understand where the enemy is located – even if the enemy is not visible directly, the bend of the front line is clearly hinting on the fact that here exactly someone is. Not without exceptions – units related to intelligence can be unhindered in the rear of the enemy, remaining unnoticed and without affecting the ill-fated curve, which divides the map into two parts.

Fights of local significance

It is worth understanding that Steel Division Oriented primarily on the multiplayer. No, there are single campaigns in the number of three pieces, but they need no more than for a calm entry into the game of beginners and are quite different from network battles. In the mission of the task campaign, as a rule, in the course of the battle, there is an opportunity to slow down the time (which is very useful to beginners), but in the player’s multiplayer immediately cast into battle, giving just a couple of minutes to the arrangement of “units” and thinking tactics.

The scale of battles for every taste – from fast battles one one to the epic ten to ten. However, we have already seen Wargame, and these avid strategists, familiar with the series, do not surprise exactly. Thanks to the division on the phases, the gameplay became somewhat unpredictable: for example, playing the infantry division against tank, it is possible in the debut literally throwing the enemy cheap “meat”, but if he lasts before the third phase, where his main trump card will go to the move, then lovers”Migrasha” will definitely not last. Similar sharp change of the situation, transitions from attack to defense is the usual thing, given the variety of “decks” and the possibilities of their use.“If we were surrounded, then we can adopt in any direction!”The paratroopers in SD, apparently, know this military joke well – the airborne divisions are not fine to morality while being behind the front line.
Beach of all such strategies – excessive microcontrol in Steel Division Also present. Having fucked by strategic planning, it is easy to peck out some lonely tanker who breakdown to artillery positions, or raising enemy aviation. On the other hand, to pay attention to each “unit” separately also will not come out – you have to sacrifice something. If Eugean Systems And I wanted to find a golden middle, then it did not have it yet: fights, especially at first, wash out no on a joke.

Aggravates the situation and not the most friendly interface. With a different kind of alerts at all trouble: they seem to eat, but are made to rarity stupid. For example, it is possible to understand that you are destroyed by an important “unit”. It remains only to hope for your own memory. What it leads to large battles, it is clear without unnecessary words: the head will flock including and from constant attempts to keep the information in the head like “I definitely sent a couple of guns here? If so, where are they? Someone destroyed? How?”. While you disassemble with these ill-fated guns, the enemy is already breaking through another flank. And pause, unlike a single game, will not turn on.

It is clear that these inconveniences will seem funny veterans of the series, but if you are new to similar strategies, then fight with a living opponent will be like not easy. Admire the colorful landscapes of Normandy have almost no time, although, if you look closely, the beauty is no longer so impressive as in times European escation. The Iriszoom engine still allows one movement to descend from heaven to the ground, going from the review of the entire card to appear at the surface itself, but what dignified five years ago, is unlikely to surprise some1.

Do not help in poorly angry commanders and technical problems without which it also did not cost. Permanent distance, sudden shutdowns of players during the battle (which is clearly affected by its outcome), very annoying sound problems … It remains to hope that these are typical “children’s diseases” of fresh release, which will be promptly cured. Even the presence of a small, but faithful cohort of fans does not justify the halmatic attitude to some details of the development. The human interface in the series is waiting for its o’clock to this pores – and not the fact that it will raind.Send tanks on the road without a infantry cover was a big mistake.***
Steel Division, Despite the “popsiness” of the subject, after all, created “for continuing”. Sooner or later, the bulk of fans will be moving here Red Dragon, Therefore, newcomers will still have to feel not in their plate – it is difficult to fight on equals with those who have been doing something like that with heels. Nevertheless, as was said at the very beginning, it is far from that Wargame, To which the veterans of the series are accustomed – the French were not afraid to make a new game, not limited to banal cosmetic changes.