Introduction

Welcome to The Wargamer's feature article series, "The Raw Recruit." This weekly feature offers release dates for upcoming computer and board games. The list doesn't include every computer or board game being released, however it does include almost all of the games we believe The Wargamer's audience will enjoy. The release dates presented in this article are for North American releases only and indicate "shipping" dates, not necessarily guaranteed in-store dates. Most major PC titles are released on Tuesday or Wednesday and are widely available across the country by Friday. These release dates are provided in association with The Wargamer's affiliate merchant partner, GoGamer.  Please send any new game release announcements to news@wargamer.com.

The Raw Recruits for the Week of September 25th

Hurricanes have become big news here in the United States.  Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast, leaving my collegiate town of New Orleans underwater and all but destroyed, while Hurricane Rita provoked a massed exodus of millions of Houstonians who drove 23 hours (!) to safety in Dallas.  Rita wasn't nearly as tumultuous as Katrina, but it did cause considerable damage to parts of the Gulf Coast and shocked oil and gas prices for at least a few days.  What does this have to do with gaming?  Schwerpunkt is the small development company headed by Ron Dockal; it was in the process of finishing the manufacturing of its long-awaited wargame, Anglo-German War, when Rita came barreling through the Gulf of Mexico, forcing Dockal to pick up his small company and move it elsewhere for a few days.  While the delay in the game's release will end up being minor, examples like the plight of Schwerpunkt over the past weekend highlight the fragile balance so many small developers like Dockal rely on in order to successfully release a game.  

Hurricane Rita marks not only a challenge for a small wargame developer, but also the start of the crazed fall release schedule in which gamers are inundated with more terrific titles than they could possibly begin to play.  This week is an excellent example, with the following games hitting the marketplace: Anglo-German War, Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion, Blitzkrieg 2, Day of Defeat: Source, and Bet on Soldier.  I'll cover these in order of interest to our core audience, beginning with Schwerpunkt's Anglo-German War.

Marking the end of years of development and a slight hiccup from Hurricane Rita, Anglo-German War should ship out to customers who pre-ordered this World War II wargame this week. Anglo-German War is the sequel to Russo-German War, both of which are classically-designed wargames which feature turn-based play and operational-level gameplay across hex maps.  As with many classic wargames, Dockal's Anglo-German War will not be for the faint of heart or those lacking a serious interest in World War II.  The game contains some 43 scenarios from the Western Front, all of which have been lovingly detailed by Dockal.  The game can be ordered from the official web site or from e-tailers like NWS.

While Rome: Total War stirred quite the controversy on The Wargamer forums last year, its sales in North America made it one of the most popular strategy games of the year, bar none.  Not surprisingly, Creative Assembly and its new publishing partner, SEGA, will release this week an expansion pack for that historical strategy game entitled Barbarian Invasion.  The formula for this expansion pack follows other previous Total War efforts, introducing tribal nations which brought down the Roman Empire.  In addition to the accompanying new units, the game has also been enhanced with new nighttime effects and other upgrades detailed in Sean Drummy's excellent preview or found in the freely-available single player demo (linked below).  Barbarian Invasion will hit stores with a $30 price tag.

CDV will attempt to rekindle the RTS flame with Blitzkrieg 2, the latest World War II game to try the strategy bent.  While more tactical than strategic, Blitzkrieg 2 will be able to rely on its historical focus, which manifests itself in the game with appropriate units, realistic scenarios, and period-specific commanders.  While not as accurate as the Combat Mission series, Blitzkrieg 2 is also a lot less "clicky" and "actiony" than counterparts like Panzers and more common RTS fare.  Players can judge for themselves with the new single player demo or by checking out our dedicated microsite before purchasing the game for $40 when it's released on the 28th.

As I write this, Valve Software has just released its new version of Day of Defeat, the long-running and highly successful World War II FPS based on the Half-Life engine.  Released through Steam for $20 (or through retail stores for a little bit more), Day of Defeat: Source is powered by the same 3D engine which powered Half-Life 2, and offers significant improvements over the original game.  We reviewed the game when it was first released, but to summarize, Day of Defeat is a fairly challenging first-person shooter in which two teams battle for control of a small World War II map.  That map is controlled by a series of checkpoints, which are held by teams based on their ability to capture the surrounding area.  The back-and-forth, team-based play that results is as good as, or even better, than its counterpart mod, Counter-Strike.

Finally this week, Digital Jesters will release Bet on Soldier here in the U.S., marking their U.S. debut with this gory, action-oriented FPS.  While Bet on Soldier will struggle to gain traction with gamers looking for a familiar name or brand, the game is innovative.  Players battle in a futuristic "blood sport" in which gambling on soldiers' lives is part of everyday TV.  It's an interesting concept, and it's worth trying out the demo (linked below) to see if strikes your fancy.

The Volunteer Recruits

Here's the current crop of game demos released in the past few weeks (some links may expire over time):

• Age of Empires III [345 MB] - It's here, download and play it!
• Bet on Soldier [541 MB] - Shooting and betting: a predictable FPS?  Find out for yourself.
• Blitzkrieg II [276 MB] - The original was a solid game, and we expect much from the same from this new title.
• Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood [575 MB] - This pseudo sequel takes up where the WW2 FPS original left off.
• Call of Duty 2 [655 MB] - Hollywood-meets-video games, scene: World War II.  Take 2!
• Codename Panzers: Phase Two [518 MB] - Play it again, strategy fans!
• F.E.A.R. [647 MB] - 2005's DOOM 3, in demo form.
• Heroes of the Pacific [313 MB] - Certainly not F-16, but definitely a World War II arcade flight sim.
• Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion [220 MB] - RTW's expected expansion pack is nearly upon us: try it now!
• Serious Sam II [250 MB] - This game has a simple concept: shoot stuff!
• Vietcong 2 [440 MB] - Relive the Tet Offensive in 1968 in this FPS sequel.

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