Occasionally referred to as the Battle of Morgan, Death or Glory is a German-made video game that was developed by a small and obscure gaming company, First-Step and released by Software 2000-Germany. This is a military strategy game. All of the text in the game is in the German language, making it a bit tricky to catch onto for non speakers of the language. The help files and all of the actions within the game are in German, but it does not effect the play of the game once a user gets involved in it.
Death or Glory plays out very similar to other strategy games such as Medieval War and Rome Total War. Players familiar with this genre will not have too much trouble learning the game, despite any language barriers.
Death or Glory is a three dimensional game with the addition of some very cool moveable cameras. This allows the user to check out his or her troops and zoom in on them for a great view. The camera can pan the battlefields as well, so skirmishes can be well monitored. The addition of the camera angles and manageable cameras is a very fun way to add depth to this game.
The game play itself is much like a standard military strategy. The user can partake in a single battle
or can undertake an entire campaign for a longer and more complete play. The campaigns are historically significant and take place in some important European locations. The rulers and leaders of the various armies are also of historical significance, and they include Joan of Arc, Augustus Caesar and Phillip II. The user could play as any of the major powers in Europe, including France, Poland, Spain, England and Russia. As one could guess by the listed rulers, the majority of the battles are from the thirteenth century. The units reflect this, and the user will not have to worry about creating tanks or advanced stealth aircraft. Instead of units of that degree of technological advancement, the player will control artillery in the form of ballistae and catapults. There will be cavalry. The main units, however, will be foot soldiers or infantry, carrying swords, spears and shields.
The game plays as a real time strategy, and features passable graphics. The user will have to manage resources and produce units, expand his empire, and conquer the opposition. It was a good enough idea and featured good enough game play that the game is being reworked for 2008 release. One can’t go wrong checking out this classic that inspired a modern game.
