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 Weeks of April 9th and 16th

With just a few releases over the past couple weeks and only a couple more planned in the next month, it may seem as if the game industry is distracted with other, more pressing matters.  In fact, they are: E3 is nearly upon us, and this Mecca of the gaming world will draw the majority of game publishers to Los Angeles in the second week of May.  Included in this throng of...well, geeks...will be The Wargamer's editorial staff, lost in the loud noises of the show.

In the meantime, there a few wargames with which we can entertain ourselves, ranging from Distant Guns to Strategic Command 2, as well as three releases from the past two weeks.  They are Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday, Take Command: Second Manassas, and (not really a wargame, but...) SWAT 4: Gold. 

Last week Paradox released their latest grand strategic wargame, the standalone Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday.  The game builds on last year's Award for Excellence winner, expanding the timeline of the possible World War II campaign into the beginnings of the Cold War.  Other changes include the addition of a new "Intelligence" tab, tweaked combat, and more that's covered in Sean Drummy's detailed preview.  The game retails for $29.99 and those unsure can be convinced by the demo, linked below.

Also released last week was SWAT 4: Gold, which includes 2005's SWAT 4 and its 2006 expansion pack, The Stetchkov Syndicate.  The game is a tactical simulation of police special weapons and tactics operations; unlike other first-person shooters, the SWAT 4 series focuses on the preservation of life, in keeping with the policy of SWAT.  The game does this by emphasizing arrests over kills, and all enemies are referred to as "suspects" rather than terrorists or criminals.  While it may seem excessive, the details of the series have always been its strong point, whether it be the game's random, unpredictable suspect AI or the highly realistic ballistics system or the proper police tactics.  SWAT 4: Gold is available today for $39.99 from most U.S. retailers.

Considering the price of a used copy of MadMinute's original game, Civil War: Bull Run, climbed to triple or even quadruple its original price over the past year, wargamers will be pleased to know that their next release, Take Command: Second Manassas has been released to retail stores across North American (and most of Europe next week) this week of April 16th.  Priced at $39.99, this 3D real-time tactical wargame is the successor to The Wargamer's 2005 Game of the Year.  The game recreates the famed Battle of Second Manassas from 1862 with a faithful attention to historical detail in 48 scenarios featuring the battle's most famous historical leaders.  We recommend all readers try out the game demo to get a better sense of the game.

The Volunteer Recruits

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

• Birth of America [143 MB] - One of the most unique wargames in years covers America's 18th century of war.
• Galactic Civilizations II [174 MB] - Stardock's popular 4X strategy series is now available for trial play.
• Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday [314 MB] - Beat back the Germans (or the Allies) all over again.
• Heroes of Might & Magic V [669 MB] - New World Computing's well-loved fantasy strategy series is back.
• Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers [416 MB] - Tactical, squad-based combat is back in this military title.
• Rise of Legends [620 MB] - Try Big Huge Games' unique new RTS will be coming to stores this summer.
• Strategic Command 2 [93 MB] - The beer and pretzel grand strategic wargame.
• Take Command: Second Manassas [178 MB] - MadMinute's second title almost here, but a demo is now.

About the Author