Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg Review

[admin]

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary has two definitions of the compound word 'tone-deaf'. The first is related to an inability to tell differences in musical pitch.

http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/strateg ... litzkrieg/

[Rino]

I've followed this website for years and I can honestly say this is one of, maybe THE, worst article I've ever read here. If the writer is so upset about playing the Germans in a Wwii game, he shouldn't have been assigned to this particular game. Not to mention the last paragraph about the current political climate. If he was really upset about it's the other side, the communists, that should really worry him. I wonder if he would have been also uncomfortable if he had to play Soviet troops with similar lines.

All in all very disappointed. If this is the sort of new writers we're going to read from, I am afraid I'll get my gaming news somewhere else, except from a couple of writers from here I enjoyed.

[Kommissar Hedgehog]

I'd encourage you to read the article a bit closer. He doesn't complain about playing the Germans only the Wehrmacht's portrayal as fighting a clean and honourable war.

And how is your fear of commies any different to his remarks on reactionary politics? Look in the mirror.

[SDS]

If the writer is so upset about playing the Germans in a Wwii game, he shouldn't have been assigned to this particular game.

I mean, the article literally states that Panzer General is a great game worth emulating...you know, that game where you can only play as the Germans? You seem overly defensive.

[Rino]

I'd encourage you to read the article a bit closer. He doesn't complain about playing the Germans only the Wehrmacht's portrayal as fighting a clean and honourable war.

And how is your fear of commies any different to his remarks on reactionary politics? Look in the mirror.

Yeah, you're correct that he said that about the panzer general series, but more about this sentence 'Any game where you play as the Germans during World War 2 can already be a potentially controversial affair'.


And if I ever had to write a review of a game where you play as the soviets I wouldn't bring my opinion of communism or real world politics into the game review.

[EICJoe]

Welcome to the forums Rino, but I think you are slightly missing Jack's point here. It's not about playing the Germans in general, it's about this game's seemingly deliberate portrayal of the already debunked myth of the "clean" Wehrmacht.

It is known that wargaming in general does have this problem when it comes to the fetishization of the Nazi-era German military. We should and will call this out where we see it, but that doesn't mean we're launching on a crusade on every game that features WW2-era german forces.

Panzer Corps 2, for example, is rather light on narrative material and rather ignores most of the contentious issues entirely. Not ideal, but at least they're not pretending the Wehrmacht were noble warriors led by the wrong people, or whatever other fantasies people have about the Wehrmacht.

[Rino]

EICJOE,while I agree with what you are saying about the wehrmacht and I see your point, my main gripe with the article was mainly this paragraph :

'I could continue to talk about how uncomfortable this game makes me for some time. As someone who watches the news and sees political upheaval in almost every Western democracy, it is troubling to see a game continue to feed reactionary rhetoric.'

Aside from the absurd idea that a game about WW2 that portray in a good light, even in a non historical fashion, the Wehrmacht would have anything to do with a far left incited political upheavel in some Western countries ( Agree or disagree this is beside the point), I find it of poor taste the whining reference to real life politics in the article.

Having been a reader of the website for years I think ( I cannot be 100% sure ) that this has never been the case in any review.

[Rino]

I actually wanted to edit the point about the Germans out, but I don't think there is a way to edit a post. Or am I missing something?

[AndrewYS]

I generally enjoy Panzer General type games but I've never had any desire to play any of the Sarni titles. They seem broken in many ways and I doubt I'd find much of value in them. My time and money will be spent elsewhere.

[smoothestjazz]

Hi RINO, Jack here, the author of the review. It is my firm belief that nothing exists in a vacuum, as we can see media contributing to and being influenced by real-life events all the time throughout history. I believe that pushing the narrative of a clean Wehrmacht is similar to people who believe in the "Lost Cause" of the Confederacy, and it is directly relevant to active wounds in society that have not had the chance to heal. It is damaging to use historical revisionism in this manner, even if that was not the intent of Starni Games.

I have no issue playing as the Germans during World War 2, as I've played Company of Heroes, Hearts of Iron 4, Panzer Corps, and other wargames as the Germans extensively. None of these games lionize the Wehrmacht and make them appear to be morally righteous and good as this game does. That specifically is what my issue is. Appreciate your feedback!