Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815

America's history is riddled with war, even before it was a country of its own and the United States was formed. Due to the fact that the British Empire were the ones who established the colonies, they deemed it fair to impose their own policies on the American population, which obviously did not sit well with the natives. Hence, the two nations fought over supremacy on multiple occasions, with both sides suffering great losses.

Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815 is a turn-based strategy game that allows you to be a part of these conflicts and decide the fate of the great wars that shaped America. Starting from the middle of the 18th century and until the beginning of the 19th century, some of the most important battles can be accurately simulated inside the game, with the possibility to play as any of the two sides and preserve or change the history of the continent.

In case you are not familiar with the series, given the fact that this is the second entry in the franchise and it introduces many new improvements over the original release, you might find it a bit intimidating when you first get past the loading screen. The map is pretty big and there are a lot of things happening on it, with plenty of information readily available when it comes to the different states, armies and generals that happen to be part of the chosen scenario.

After you get used to the interface, you can start taking advantage of the many interesting features included with the game, since you are practically free to employ almost any kind of tactics. The troops can be ordered to perform a variety of actions, whether it's to attack a location, retreat, or various combinations that affect their ability to take advantage of certain bonuses during the battle.

Being a turn-based game, the orders you give do not have an immediate effect, which means that you have to thing a few moves ahead as well and try to anticipate the enemy's response as well. After you settle on a plan, the “End Turn” button can be used to advance the action a few days and witness the effect of your decisions. Naturally, there are many other things that can be adjusted or customized about the army and the way you coordinate the defense/attack, all of which await to be discovered and put into use.

In the end, Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815 is all about strategy, since the outcome of the battles resides with your ability to take the correct decisions, or to take the enemy by surprise. The rest of the elements are just there to complete the illusion, but if you really get into it, the graphics quality and the background music won't even register with you.