Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffOctober 13, 2013This 1999 sequel to Close Combat gives you command of Axis or Allied troops during WWII's Battle of the Bulge. The action takes place in real time, but with the intuitive controls, you'll be charging enemy lines and launching mortar strikes in no time. The game's most innovative feature is the way it makes you consider the psychology of your troops: if your soldiers think your order is ridiculous or if their stress level exceeds a certain threshold, they won t obey. The two-dimensional graphics still look passable, and the sounds effects are impressively realistic, though their sample quality is low by today s standards. The demo includes a boot-camp training mode and a sample battle with infantry and armor. Those with modern computers may find that the battlefield scrolls too fast, but you can get anywhere you need by clicking on a tactical overlay map. Fans of the Close Combat series should definitely give this installment a try.