Commander - Europe at War Gold

Slitherine and Matrix Games have just launched the Gold edition of Commander - Europe at War, and the best news is that it's available as a free upgrade to purchasers of the original game. The Gold edition includes a number of enhancements, including a fast-play mode and six additional campaigns.


For those who've not come across the game before, CEAW is a turn-based second World War game fought (surprisingly) in the European theatre. You can play as either Axis or Allies and you control basic land, sea and air units. These can be bought with production points which you are given each turn, the number depending upon the resources you control. Production points can also be invested in research, which will ultimately grant you upgrades to your units.

The game takes place on a hex-based map which stretches from the east coast of America in the west to central Russia in the east, and from the top of Norway in the north to north Africa in the south (got that?). Don't let the fact that this is a hex-based game put you off: CEAW is not just for nerdy wargaming-types. In fact, it abstracts warfare in favour of gameplay to such an extent that serious wargamers may be put off (they can always wait for Hearts of Iron III). This means that the game is easy to get into for newbies and the action is fast-paced.


In fact, now the action is even more fast-paced. The fast-play mode (essentially just with bigger hexes, so that your units can get across the map quicker) makes it quite possible to complete WW2 in one evening. Great for a quick strategy-fix. Watching your units push your borders across the map is extremely satisfying, although the AI is no slouch, so errors such as allowing units to get cut off will be punished.

Downsides? Well, the game does not have the high production values of titles from the big developers and this does show at times, particularly with the poor screen resolution. You also get the feeling that you're not really getting your money's worth with the content, particularly as this is pretty well a full-price game.

But I don't want to end on a low, because I like CEAW, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid, accessible strategy game.

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