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Silent Storm

	Author: Chris Abele Article Type: Screenshots Feature Publication Date: 11/24/2003 Developer: Nival Interactive Publisher: Encore/Navarre Publisher: Bigben Interactive Related Categories: World War II, Turn-based, Tactical

Introduction

Nival Interactive's Silent Storm has been closely compared to the classic tactical series Jagged Alliance.  Our own Jeff Vitous heralded it as a second-coming for Jagged Alliance fans after seeing it at E3 2003, saying: "Jagged Alliance fans rejoice, your ship is about to come in and it looks magnificent."  What is Silent Storm, then?  It is a 3D, squad-based, turn-based tactical game set during World War II.  Developed by the same Russians who created Blitzkrieg, Silent Storm allows players to control their squad of specialized soldiers, which can be either Allied or Axis soldiers.  Like other squad-based, special ops games set in the era -- like the declining Commandos franchise -- Silent Storm will offer the usual assortment of heavy firepower to complete the missions, but there are some interesting twists in the gameplay foundations which should make for a more free-form game.  For one, the turn-based nature of the game may register with more traditional wargamers looking for a 3D tactical game, but who've been unable to stomach other releases, let alone the maddening pace of real-time games such as Commandos or Frontline Command.  Second, Silent Storm boasts "fully deformable geometry, realistic object destruction" and "real bullet tracing", two features which Nival promises will result in free form gameplay: expect there to be a variety of ways to complete a mission.  As a final twist, the characters in the game will have an RPG-esque mode to them: not only will character classes be important for the squad, but the character's skills will also develop as they progress through missions.

Silent Storm is available now in most parts of Europe, and will be released by its North American publisher, Encore, in early 2004.  However, web retailer GoGamer has imported copies of the European-spec Silent Storm, and these are available for purchase by North American customers for $39.90.  To experience Silent Storm, a demo has been released: it includes two missions from the full game.  The 200 MB download is available from 3D Gamers.

Screenshots

About the Author

Chris Abele is The Wargamer's Director of Content, managing the entire publication process, from news stories to feature articles.  Originally a flight sim nut, Chris has turned to war and military gaming and now plays the odd mixture of squad-level wargames and first-person shooters, in search of the perfect hybrid.  Chris is currently playing Full Spectrum Warrior, Brothers in Arms, and SWAT 4.  When not managing his various responsibilities with The Wargamer, Chris works as a corporate financial analyst while pursuing his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.