Axis and Allies (1998) (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Tahsin Shamma
• Reviewed on: 11/11/1998
• Updated on: 05/01/2000
• Released on: 09/30/1998
• Originally published on GameSpot: Axis and Allies (1998) (PC) Review

You would think that with all the excellent World War II strategy games that have come out for the PC, that Hasbro's release of the classic board game Axis & Allies would be met with lackluster praise. But the truth be told, if you're looking for a lasting, well-balanced strategic wargame of the Second World War, this game is a great choice.

Axis & Allies features a global view of the war beginning in the spring of 1942. In this situation, Germany and Japan are somewhat mediocre economically, but they are militarily strong. The Allies, on the other hand, have yet to bring the full force of their economic potential into production for wartime and as a result lack some adequate defenses. During the game, each player assumes the role of the commanding officer of one of the five major nations involved. You purchase and deploy units, give combat directives on a strategic scale, and even plan some research and development. As the game progresses, the tide of war can easily turn. In the standard game, the Allies' victory condition requires them to capture two Axis capitals: the nation of Germany and the island of Honshu. Meanwhile, the Axis powers have two options for victory. They can either establish an economic victory by achieving a certain production level or capture two of the three capitals of the main Allied powers (USA, UK, USSR).

In each turn, you decide what to purchase and research, initiate combat, move units, and deploy new units. The economic system of the game is governed by how you spend the IPCs (Industrial Production Certificates) between such units as infantry, tanks, submarines, battleships, bombers, and fighters. Each unit has a certain number of spaces it can move a turn whether before or after combat. The final outcome of battles is determined by electronic dice that are rolled for each unit to see if they score a hit against the defender. The combat values for each unit, which are usually different for attack and defense, are representative of how well the unit performs in that role. Bombers do well for offensive strikes, but against a blitz of tanks, they can hardly operate at full effectiveness. However, infantry, which do a meager job when attacking, perform much better when on defense due to their ability to entrench themselves. Overall, this formula has worked well, and Hasbro has done a tremendous job in making the PC version both true to the original and easy to learn.

Hasbro's faithfulness to the original is the most important factor in how well this game has turned out. In fact, the game is so true to the original, that this is one of those rare cases where the computer game is actually preferable to the board game. The game's standard rules are those of a newly revised third edition, allowing for some options not available when playing a board game. Although the new rules change the classic experience, the additions are actually impressively thought out. But, if you're a stickler for the traditional, you can turn those off. Surprisingly, other optional rules for the game that were mentioned in the board game rulebook are also available in the PC version. This simple detail provides a great deal more gameplay than could be asked for. Combine this with a full unit editor in which you can set the stats for each unit to your own desire, and you have the making of an endlessly replayable WWII strategic game.

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