One of the greatest subjects for the classic video game is war, whether it is a projected war from somewhere in the future or a historical battle from the annals of history. People love games about war, where they can try their own armchair general minds on outmaneuvering the enemy in tactical combat or use grand micromangerial strategies to outlast the opponent and build a more powerful civilization in general. The American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox does a little bit of both.
One of the greatest subjects for the classic video game is war, whether it is a projected war from somewhere in the future or a historical battle from the annals of history. People love games about war, where they can try their own armchair general minds on outmaneuvering the enemy in tactical combat or use grand micromangerial strategies to outlast the opponent and build a more powerful civilization in general. The American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox does a little bit of both. It is a good civil war strategy game that realistically portrays the events of the U.S. civil war.
The American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox plays out from the third person, top down perspective.
This bird’s eye view is very user friendly and makes it easy to see battle fields, plan strategies and maneuver troops. It was created in the middle nineties especially for the Windows operating system by Adanac Command Systems and was published by Interactive Magic. It features graphics that were decent for its day, and has an overall good feel to it.
While there are some tactical facets to The American Civil War, most of the game involves strategy and the aforementioned micromanagement. The game encompasses the bigger picture of a war in general, not just battle after battle. The gamer will have to put some thought into the economy, the terrains that are breaking up his forces, and even some random occurrences that can really make a mess of plans.
The game spans the years 1861 to 1865. It is a historically accurate display of units from both sides of the battle field, including their looks, strengths and weaknesses. The morale of the country plays a huge role in the troops, and the user will have to contend with the opposing government, neutral governments, the struggling economy, as well as the military to keep the army morale high and keep the power of the people behind his cause. The people are the funds behind the war effort, and it is very important to keep them on your side.
Most of the play of this game can be learned in the tutorial that is included, along with an electronic manual that will discuss some tried and true strategies. Before tackling this complex game and leading the confederate troop into another Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, it is highly recommended that one attempt the tutorial, which will give the gamer a strong foundation in both military strategies, as well as the overall picture.
This is a good, complex strategy game, and users will quickly come to appreciate it. It offers great depth because of the many facets of play. It is recommended for download.
