HPS Sims Announces Kursk '43, Tsushima, Campaign Wagram
PRESS RELEASE posted on 3 DEC 2002 by Scott Parrino
HPS announced the upcoming release of three brand new wargames from John Tiller: Panzer Campaigns 7: Kursk '43, Naval Campaigns 2: Tsushima, and Napoleonic Battles 3: Campaign Wagram. Read up on the games, check out new screenshots and learn about the history behind the three battles.
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 8 OCT 2002 by Scott Parrino
"Impressions Games hands the reigns to BreakAway Games this time in order to fashion yet another title in their City-Building series. So is Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom just another well-trod road through a new civilization, or does it manage to be something bigger, better, and greater than its predecessors?"
Dragon Throne: Battle of the Red Cliffs
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 17 SEP 2002 by Scott Parrino
"The game is based on Chinese history found in the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms...As such, I was genuinely excited about this title. Alas, primitive graphics, annoying sound effects, slow moving gameplay and a host of other poorly executed features slowly drained me of my enthusiasm."
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 16 AUG 2002 by Scott Parrino
"The Emperor game stands on the shoulders of giants and is the most sophisticated and elegant of its line. The teaming of Breakaway Games (Cleopatra expansion for Pharaoh), with the Impressions Games great city building game engine seems destined to result in a 'win-win' product."
Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban
BOOK REVIEW posted on 21 JUL 2002 by Scott Parrino
"...the best one-volume work on the subject this writer has ever read - and as someone who has written about Afghanistan as a ghostwriting journalist for 24 years, that says a lot."
Prince of Qin
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 25 JUN 2002 by Scott Parrino
"...the ancient Chinese motif is interesting for players attracted to this period in history. For players who have a passion for things Chinese, ancient or otherwise, this title may be worth a good look in a month or so."
War! Age of Imperialism
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 29 MAY 2002 by Scott Parrino
WAR! Age of Imperialism is a challenging game of world conquest with rules appropriate for the new gamer taking a first step or the experienced grongard looking for another challenge, all played upon beautifully apportioned gameboard with detailed plastic pieces.
Stronghold 2 Announced
PRESS RELEASE posted on 2 MAY 2002 by Scott Parrino
Firefly Studios and Gathering of Developers announced the sequel to Stronghold, Stronghold: Crusader. The title is set for a summer release.
Xenophon's March
BOOK REVIEW posted on 10 APR 2002 by Scott Parrino
Jim Cobb analyzes this retelling of Xenophon's Anabasis by John Prevas. Unfortunately, he finds this summarization woefully inadequate.
Warriors of the Steppe
BOOK REVIEW posted on 7 APR 2002 by Scott Parrino
Even to this day, the ancient names of Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, and Tamerlane are mentioned in tones of respect (won by fear). This book attempts to explain the power of these legendary warriors.
Empire Earth
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 25 MAR 2002 by Scott Parrino
While it may overwhelm casual RTS players, those who are willing to deal with the extra complexity will probably find a rewarding experience.
Dragon Throne: Battle of the Red Cliffs
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 20 MAR 2002 by Scott Parrino
Michael Spano previews this new RTS title from Strategy First which focuses on the ancient kingdoms of China, and is loosely based on the novel Three Kingdoms.
IL-2 Sturmovik
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 22 FEB 2002 by Scott Parrino
IL-2 Sturmovik is not for the faint-hearted. Playing it on full difficulty levels is an amazing challenge and something that has occupied me solidly for a couple of months … the shine has far from worn off. It is a refreshingly new game (although some may see this as a problem) offering a range of aircraft not usually encountered in World War II simulations. Its fantastic attention to detail across all areas, particularly flight modelling and graphics, have seen it become the new standard in its genre.
Europa Universalis II
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 6 FEB 2002 by Scott Parrino
Don't hate it for being great in spite of what are mostly cosmetic and game balance tweaks in this sterling sequel. If you're craving a truly deft, authentic historical strategy game, this version of Paradox's magnum opus is the one to own.
Sub Command
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 5 FEB 2002 by Scott Parrino
The real brilliance in game interface design lies in the fact that Sub Command is indeed three different submarine simulations rolled into one game, with essentially common control functionality.
Middle East '67
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 8 JAN 2002 by Scott Parrino
John Tiller's first entry with his new Modern Campaign series covers the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 1956, 1967 and 1973 using the updated Panzer Campaign series engine.
Achtung Panzer
MOVIE REVIEW posted on 29 DEC 2001 by Scott Parrino
Achtung Panzer is a video-box set documenting the German Panzer forces of World War II, covering this legendary force in detail, dissecting it into sections for close examination.
War! Age of Imperialism
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 26 OCT 2001 by Scott Parrino
War! Age of Imperialism can be setup and taught in minutes. The map board is exquisitely illustrated and seamlessly mounted, and the plastic units and game pieces are rich in detail. The method of setup and the location of natives and resources ensure each game will have a unique flavor. At once, the game recalls not only Risk but games such as Civilization and Diplomacy as well. War! Age of Imperialism is absolutely ideal for groups of casual or serious gamers, and will even make for a thoughtful family game.
SPEC OPS - Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice
BOOK REVIEW posted on 20 OCT 2001 by Scott Parrino
Given the increased interest in the topic of special operations, readers of The Wargamer should find William McRaven’s book, SPEC OPS, of interest. SPEC OPS reads like a textbook that might be used to teach a class on military science and the book's subtitle, Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice, sums up its content nicely. This training approach is not entirely a surprise however, when one considers that the author, at the time of the book’s publication, was an active duty member of the U.S. Navy SEALs, in command of SEAL Team Three.
Shogun: Total War Warlord Edition - Mongol Invasion
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 18 OCT 2001 by Scott Parrino
A quite brilliant game is taken to even greater heights by all the changes and new features. Those who already have Shogun: Total War will not want to miss the later stage campaigns or The Mongol Invasion, making the expansion package a very good buy. Those who don’t yet have the game don’t know what they are missing. It provides excellent tutorial guides to get into the game, offers even better value than its predecessor and in my book is one of the best wargames available.
