Mind-blowing invasion of the Russian front

By Peter Eley

Close Combat 3: The Russian Front

PC Microsoft

$99.95

This is one for the thinking games player. That's the person who's a bit tired of mining some exotic mineral to build outlandish weapons and control some far-flung galaxy.

Close Combat is into its third episode based on historical Second World War campaigns - D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and now The Russian Front.

They are something of an acquired taste. Unlike most good strategy games, the graphics are low-key.

And the level of realism makes the Close Combat series much, much harder to get a handle on.

In, say, Age of Empires or Total Annihilation, a basic unit such as a peasant or trooper will quite cheerfully pull a kamikaze stunt and attack much stronger units.

But the Close Combat artificial intelligence tries to simulate the real psychological state of men under fire. Push them too hard and you run the risk of them disobeying you. Such men will not undertake risky jobs, such as ambushing a tank. And if demoralised men are attacked, they will simply cower or run away.

While Close Combat games are based around large-scale historical episodes, the actual missions tend to be small-scale - such as capturing a strategic bridge or wiping out a machinegun post.

These can be undertaken as single episodes or as part of a grander plan. And the beauty of this micro approach is that you can manage units on a personal basis.

The Russian Front is set against possibly the greatest struggle in history - Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

The scale was mind-blowing, as were the casualties. An estimated 20 million Russians died defending their country, while Germany effectively lost the war there.

Close Combat fans will find the game much as the previous two, although there have been some new features.

One complaint about the first two versions was that the user interface was too hard, and Microsoft has simplified this for The Russian Front.

Now there's an inset map, and single-click team and soldier monitor screens, while a zoom tool also makes unit management easier.

But it's still a game with a steep learning curve, and better suited to older players.

You'll find this reflected in online play, with many gamers from the science and education sectors.
* Send your e-mail comments: peter_eley@herald.co.nz