Gameplay
The gameplay of Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg is similar to its predecessor, Strategic Command: European Theater. The player can choose to control either the Axis or the Allied forces in a turn-based manner. Each turn represents one week of real time. The player can move, attack, reinforce, and research with their units on a hexagonal map that covers Europe, North Africa, and parts of North America and Asia. The player can also use diplomacy to influence neutral or enemy countries, or to form alliances with other factions.
The game has six major campaigns that start at different stages of the war: Poland (1939), Norway (1940), Russia (1941), Stalingrad (1942), Sicily (1943), and D-Day (1944). Each campaign has different objectives, events, and historical accuracy settings. The player can also play five mini-campaigns that focus on specific battles or operations: North Africa, Kursk, D-Day, Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. Additionally, the game has a global map campaign that covers the entire war from 1939 to 1945.
The game introduces several new features and improvements over the first game. For example, the game has weather effects that affect the movement and combat of units. Rain and snow can reduce visibility, slow down movement, and prevent air operations. The game also has new unit types such as paratroopers, engineers, partisans, and amphibious transports. Paratroopers can be dropped behind enemy lines to capture key objectives or disrupt supply lines. Engineers can build fortifications or clear mines. Partisans can harass enemy units or sabotage railways. Amphibious transports can carry land units across water.
The game also has a more complex diplomacy system that allows the player to use diplomatic points to influence other countries. The player can try to persuade neutral countries to join their side or prevent them from joining the enemy. The player can also use diplomacy to pressure enemy countries to surrender or negotiate peace terms. However, the player has to be careful not to provoke a backlash from other countries or factions.
Expansion Packs
Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg has two expansion packs that add more content and features to the game. The first expansion pack is Weapons and Warfare, which adds new units, combat rules, terrain types, resources, roads, railways, and a deeper weather model. The second expansion pack is Patton Drives East, which adds new campaigns and scenarios that explore alternative or hypothetical outcomes of the war. For example, one scenario depicts a war between the US and USSR after the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Reception
Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg received mixed reviews from critics and players. Some praised the game for its depth, replayability, historical accuracy, and moddability. Others criticized the game for its dated graphics, interface issues, bugs, and AI problems. The game has an average score of 62% on GameRankings and 64% on Metacritic. IGN gave the game a score of 5.9 out of 10, while PC Zone gave it a score of 74 out of 10.
Conclusion
Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg is a turn-based strategy game that simulates the European Theater of World War II. It offers six full-length campaigns, five mini-campaigns, and a game editor that allows players to create or modify scenarios, maps, units, and more. The game features weather effects, diplomatic pressure, new unit types, and a challenging AI. It also supports single player and multiplayer modes. The game has two expansion packs that add more content and features to the game. The game received mixed reviews from critics and players.
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