Introduction

There are many reasons why World War II captures the imagination of wargamers. It was a period in military history that brought about several evolutions as well as revolutions in military affairs – most notably the German Blitzkrieg, US amphibious warfare and Allied strategic bombing – and it produced some of the most remarkable fighting machines ever made and combat actions ever recorded. What sets this war further apart from others is the scale of the conflict, and not just in the numbers of combatants involved, but that it stretched across the entire globe.

Replicating this and the strategic options available to leaders during World War II has been a challenge that few game developers have accepted. That is, until recently. Emerging at one end of the spectrum is the poorly executed Axis and Allies; while at the other end is the realistic, but intensely complex Hearts of Iron series. What has yet to emerge is a game that falls somewhere between the two; a game that is challenging, realistic and above all, enjoyable to play. Looking to fill this void is 2by3 Game’s, Gary Grigsby’s World at War.

World at War is a turn-based game covering the period 1940 to 1946. It divides the world into 365 areas, has 15 types of combat units and allows up to five players to fight the war as the Western Allies (US, UK, France and Commonwealth), Germany (including Italy and minor allies), Japan, Russia, and China.

Like many, I’ve been following the development of World at War for some time, keenly reading the After Action Reports and other observations posted on the forums at Matrix Games. I know that this is a highly anticipated title. So when the opportunity to review the game arose, I jumped at it like a Fallschirmjäger over Crete. Having now spent many hours playing the game, I can confirm that World at War will meet the expectations of those seeking an enjoyable, but challenging mid-level game of grand strategy. Although the game falls short in some areas, it has the potential to become a classic.

Installation, Documentation, and Tutorials

The game installed without fault and consumed approximately 520 MB of hard disk space.

The manual is large – approximately 120 pages - and comprehensive. It’s logically laid out and makes ample use of screenshots to help explain the game’s features. It covers initial set up; game controls; tutorials; and provides thorough explanations of the units – how they move, attack, are researched and produced – as well as how supply works and offers some sound strategic advice for each of the playable powers. Having a detailed manual helps enormously. Although World at War may look like an easy game to play, it actually requires more cerebral input than expected to play the game to its full potential.

The game ships with two tutorials, covering the principal components of a game turn: movement/attack and production/research.