Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon

Many of the missions had me thinking back to moments in old-school RTS games, such as the "Starcraft" level in which you must fend off countless enemies in a wave of base attacks.

If pure tactics and the intense fighting that took place in Europe and North Africa in all those years is what you're craving for, then Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon is exactly what you need.

The absence of any multiplayer component is disappointing, sure, but I’d much rather have the option of picking up Burning Horizon for a reduced price, deciding if I like the game, and purchasing the online enabled original if I do.

Don't expect a "StarCraft"-style fragfest either because this is more of a thinking man's RTS, where reconnaissance and artillery placement is key.

With its accurate presentation of World War II, and difficult game play, Burning Horizon is a game that only the most skilled strategists will get the most out of.

A very well made game for World War II fans, but a bit too much for the average gamer.

All these features help build a very competent and well structured strategy title, which is a must for strategy purists. However it’s quite a heavy game to get into, and those Command and Conquer lovers will find the extra features, and lack of base building, works against them.

What keeps it from a more confident recommendation is the large number of units you'll be dealing with and the possibly intimidating strategic and tactical considerations that fall outside of what the mainstream run-n'-gun RTS gamer is generally used to.

Aside from its supply tedium (and lack of multiplay), the game's horribly wonky pathfinding AI remains the ultimate knock against an otherwise great title. [Sept 2004, p.61]

Don't have any illusions: this is simply more of the same. But then as they say, if it ain't broke, carpet bomb it with a Lancaster.

The Blitzkrieg series has some good points, but what historical RTS fans are waiting for is a game with Blitkrieg's graphics, "Airborne Assault's" A.I., and "War Times'" 3D terrain.

It does a lot to build on the tactics focused gameplay found in the original game with improvements in the enemy AI, this bundled with the difficulty and size of the missions should provide plenty of intense strategy action despite the complete absence of a multiplayer mode.

Split between difficulty in play and over complication, Burning Horizon ends up taking the bronze.

Save the strange decision to remove multiplayer modes, Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon is the ideal expansion pack. It amplifies the core concepts of the original game and ramps up both the AI and the difficulty without straying from the tactics-first philosophy that allows this series to stand apart from the RTS crowd.

One issue with Burning Horizon is the lack of online multiplayer. This severely limits the replay value of the game since once you have properly scouted a map and learned how to deal with a scenario there seems to be no reason to play it again. This is a crying shame as some of the greatest fun I had with the original was the online team combat.

Burning Horizon has found a way to appeal to a wider audience while not alienating hardcore strategy fans. There's a lot to do and learn.

Strategy war game buffs will find plenty to keep themselves entertained even though some may find the puzzle-like presentation off-putting. If you don’t mind a good strategy puzzle, however, this is your game.

The 2D graphics engine also allows resolutions of up to 1600x1200 and thus suits even the biggest screen.

A good all round game. If your games shelf were a loaf of bread, Blitzkrieg would be the 17th slice down. It may not be as fresh as the others, but it’s great for toast or frying.

If you played the original, expect more of the same real-time tactical gameplay with a few new units to use along wthe way. [Sept 2004, p.75]

While there’s a lot of action here, traditional real-time strategy gamers might be thrown off by its complexity.