Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Scott Osborne
• Reviewed on: 12/02/2004
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 11/30/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder (PC) Review

Blitzkrieg might not have set the gaming world alight when it was released last year, but it was still a solid World War II real-time strategy game that put the focus squarely on tactics instead of base building or resource harvesting. Blitzkrieg received a stand-alone expansion earlier this year called Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon. It basically offered more of the same, but with some new units, artificial intelligence improvements, and a new subject: Rommel's campaigns. Now comes a second stand-alone follow-up, Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder. Like Burning Horizon, it's a modest addition to the Blitzkrieg series. It offers a solid new campaign, as well as some new units, textures, and AI upgrades, but it also neglects to address some old problems.

Rolling Thunder centers around a new campaign that follows the exploits of General Patton. Over the course of 18 missions, you'll guide Patton's troops through historically based battles in North Africa, Sicily, and Europe. You also get eight stand-alone missions set in New Guinea, Siberia, and Spain during its civil war in the 30s. Like Burning Horizon, this new game inexplicably lacks any multiplayer options or skirmish mode, seriously cutting down on replay value. At least the new solo missions are rather involved, with many that can last an hour or more.

Other problems from the first two games remain unaddressed. The tiny interface with its sometimes-obscure icons still needs improvement. The game also needs commands to easily group armor units into formations. Also, you frequently have to click a unit multiple times to get your selection to register, which wears thin in a hurry. You still can't rotate, zoom, or tilt the camera, which can be a bit of an obstacle at times.

While Rolling Thunder isn't the most user-friendly game, it still offers a fun focus on combined-arms tactics. You have to manage some close-range, short-term resupply of men and materiel, but otherwise there's no resource management or harvesting to worry about. Even though Rolling Thunder won't be mistaken for a hardcore tactical war game, its detail and realism are still uncommon in WWII RTS games. Armor units are rated for front, side, top, and rear armor, and the ammo for the main and secondary guns is tracked separately. Infantry gain defensive bonuses when in trenches or buildings, and antitank guns get offensive bonuses when firing down on vehicles from hills. Scout snipers can camouflage themselves so they can sneak up on enemy gun crews and pick them off. Don't get greedy, though, as upgraded AI can cause enemy troops to actively hunt down your snipers. Your engineers can repair bridges, erect antitank obstacles, and more. You can also call in air assets, including airborne troops.

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