Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon

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.