Combat Command 2: Danger Forward Demo

The second World War has been revisited, documented, and reviewed countless times since it happened, whether for books, movies, or video games. There’s very little doubt about how and why did the greatest battles turn out the way they did, which is why games are now able to portray them in astounding detail. Not only that, but you are also free to pursue a different results while using the authentic conditions at the time of the battle.

Combat Command 2: Danger Forward is a turn-based wargame in which you get to simulate various scenarios from World War II and play with both sides of the conflict, in order to see whether you can change the outcome of the battles. The developers put a lot of effort into designing the missions as realistically as possible, by respecting history and tweaking the gameplay mechanics.

Speaking of which, the action takes place in turns, just like in every other wargame of this caliber. On the other hand, the gameplay is layered in different phases and there are multiple steps you have to go through in order to conclude a battle. Thus, the deployment phase is where you get to position yourself on the map and set up the reinforcements, while the actual strategic part follows later on.

Each unit on the map is actually an entire company and each grid cell represents half a kilometer in distance, which means that the maps are quite large and versatile. Every turn advances the clock by two hours, so you have more control over how your troops engage in skirmishes with the enemy. The rest is up to your tactical brilliance, because there is very little the game does not allow you to do.

Visually, the grid and a few geographical markers constitute almost all the graphics you get to see, beside the actual unit symbols on the map. On the other hand, not a lot is needed in order to have fun, since imagination can go a long way if you can picture the war in your mind. The visual simplicity allows for more tactical depth and it significantly reduces the system requirements.

In the end, Combat Command 2: Danger Forward can be a bit too scary for newcomers, even if the interface is quite accessible in some regards. However, the hardcore fans of the genre should appreciate it the most, especially thanks to the large array of tactical options put at their disposal.