Operation Barbarossa - The Struggle for Russia Demo

Wargames usually tackle the second World War as their main theme, because it is well documented and almost everyone is aware of who the bad guys were. The battles were pretty fierce too, so it makes for challenging gameplay as well. Hence, even the theme and the motifs might get a tad repetitive after a while, diehard fans of the genre should be able to enjoy them nonetheless.

Operation Barbarossa - The Struggle for Russia is much more newbie-friendly and it encourages everyone to give wargames a try, even if they never had any contact with the genre. In essence, the main idea is the same, but the mechanics and the interface are greatly simplified, in order to help newcomers find their way around and quickly learn the most important steps.

As it is probably quite obvious from the title, the game centers on the famous Nazi operation codenamed Barbarossa, which is still being classified as one of the largest military operations ever devised. Naturally, you get to play as both the Soviets and the Germans, depending on how you want to approach the conflict and what the scenarios ask of you.

To make movement easy and precise, the entire map is split into same-sized hexagons and each unit is capable of moving a certain number of cells at a time. Speaking of which, the action also takes place in turns, which means that each unit can only receive one order per turn, whether it’s to move and attack, or resupply with ammunition of fuel.

In case you happen to run out of either one of those, the units in question become pretty much useless, unless you happen to use them as living walls. Hence, tanks cannot move if they run out of fuel, while infantry corps cannot attack if they do not have ammunition. Logistics are important, in essence, so you’d better keep an eye on them as well along the way.

In the end, Operation Barbarossa - The Struggle for Russia is about as simple as it can get for a wargame, which is great if you intend on getting familiar with the genre. However, experienced players probably won’t be able to enjoy it too much, because it lacks depth and tactical options.