Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord

The Good
Attention to detail. A true grognard's dream. Big Time Software are wargamers, and very knowledgeable about WW2 history, and it shows.

Turn based WEGO system. I think CM is the first game to use this system. Both players (or one player and the AI) give their orders simultaneously, then watch the results play out in one minute "movies".

Three dimensions. IFAIK, this is the first wargame of it's kind to utilize a 3D battlefield. While giving orders and while watching the "movies", the player can move the camera all over the battlefield to see what is happening. One can watch from a bird's eye view right down to ground level with the grunts. The camera can also be locked onto a single unit to see the turn from that unit's perspective. Great idea, great fun.

The Bad
Very little. The out-of-the-box graphics seem a little dated by first person shooter standards, however the plethora of mods available on the net turn this game into a visual feast, without changing the gameplay at all.

The Bottom Line
First rate squad level tactical WW2 combat simulation. Nothing else even comes close (sorry Close Combat fans). Combat mission will be to wargames what Doom was to first person shooters.

The Good
This game has more attention to detail than any other game released to date. PERIOD. I have played well over 1,000 games in my lifetime and nothing even comes close to what this game offers.

Example: Factors Used To Calculate Armor Penetration
 - Armor Thickness (Front, Rear, Turret Front, Turret Rear, Sides)
 - Slope of the Armor (All Faces)
 - Side Angle (Obliquity)
 - Striking Velocity
 - Armor Quality (Was the vehicle well made?)
 - Hardened or Homogenous plate?
 - BHN (Brinnel Hardness Number)
 - Shote-to-plate Diameter ratios
 - Type of shell cap
 - Shot Shatter
 - Shot Traps
 - Armor Skirts

Okay, that covers attention to detail quite nicely.

The other great thing about this game is how it is played. You don't control your units. You simply give your troops orders to be carried out. You can take as long or as little time as you want doing this, but once you hit GO! then you have to wait for 60 LONG seconds before you can give your men new orders. Yes, your men adapt to the situation at hand, but you can't do anything until you have another chance to give orders 60 seconds from the last get-go. You'll scream at some of the mistakes you made and literally sweat when you set your men out on a risky endeavor that you don't directly control. It's GREAT!

The Bad
2D Sprites in an otherwise 3D game? ACK!

The Bottom Line
The most revolutionary wargame to hit the streets since the birth of the genre. Hands down, this game gets so much right that it really is nearly impossible to not enjoy.