Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far

Num tempo em que as unidade a controlar se multiplicam por dezenas, este jogo da Microsoft parece uma aposta fora de tom. Enganam-se os que assim pensam.

Microsoftin pelien toisen aallon etunenässä hyppää vanha veteraani, Close Combat. Se ottaa sotaa niskasta kiinni ja työntää sen onnistuneesti tietokoneeseen. Jos seuraavat pelit ovat samaa tasoa, operaatio Game Market on menestys.

Two years ago, Atomic Games scored a mixed success in the real-time gaming market with the release of Close Combat. Critics praised the sophisticated artificial intelligence but were disappointed by the interface and mainly by the poor graphics. Taking these drawbacks into accounts, the designers improved the interface and revamped the graphics to such an extent that the sequel, Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far (CC2) proves to be an exciting and addictive gaming experience.

"The first time we came under fire, the sergeant had to move around and personally tell each man that he was supposed to be firing back." That quote is from an unnamed Marine during the Korean War. Combat in real life is far different from the John Wayne movies of yesteryear. Studies have shown that only 20-30 percent of soldiers in combat actually do something effective. But one would never guess this by most computer wargames or real-time strategy games - especially when you're watching minigunners happily walking under the treads of Soviet tanks in Red Alert. Enter Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far, a tactical real-time World War II wargame with an emphasis on realism. With this follow-up to Close Combat, Atomic Games has managed to create the ideal sequel: It expands and adds many features while keeping everything that made the first game a joy to play.

Fans of turn-based wargames might be inclined to write off A BRIDGE TOO FAR as a simplistic real-time clickfest or yet another effort that sacrifices gameplay for eye candy. But they would be very wrong in that assessment, for A BRIDGE TOO FAR is an engrossing affair; one in which you can easily become immersed for hours. No other game can touch it for conveying the sights, sounds, and feel of combat at the butt-end of a rifle.

Also, the AI sometimes seems to be a bit too accurate. For example, you may expend all your ammo firing at an open target and never hitting it while the computer will unfairly score a hit almost immediately. Other than that, A Bridge Too Far is a highly entertaining, historically accurate war-simulation, It will fight bravely against you and the AI is on the ball, probing, scouting and waiting to ambush you at every turn. You will play it for weeks.

If I was unaware that Close Combat ever existed, I'd readily say that ABTF is the perfect strategic war game, but I know that sometime in the future it will be topped. However, for the most part this game is flawless, and it is one of the most entertaining games I've ever played. This game is not just for history-buffs, it is for anyone with an interest in military strategy. It even has an option to not show the dead bodies for the sake of children and pacifists.

In sum, the game is a winner and highly recommended. Difficult to master, CC2 will challenge you with its rock-scissors-paper complexities. To succeed, you will need to develop realistic plans and actually use infantry-school tactics. As a final note, CC2 brings home the horror of war, much as "Saving Private Ryan" does. In spite of the limited role-playing aspect, you will strive mightily to save your men while still winning the game. You will feel remorse as you send them in harm's way and lose them. Quite an achievement for a game.

Строго говоря, второй СС не так уж сильно отличается от первого. Несколько улучшенное оформление, расширенный арсенал, измененная организация миссий -- и сами миссии тоже другие. Но выглядит он иначе. Трудно сказать, почему так получилось - может быть, дело в упомянутых правках, а может быть - в самом изменении обстановки на игровом фронте. Сегодня мы говорим о wargame'ах, военных играх, в которые ИНТЕРЕСНО играть, и Close Combat 2, как нельзя лучше вписывается в эту подборку. На мой взгляд, игра удалась на славу, и я смело могу порекомендовать ее всем без исключения поклонникам тактических игр.

This game was very well done. I definitely recommend it to war strategy gamers, anyone who liked the first Close Combat, and anyone who feels tempted by the challenge of imperfect soldiers. Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far did not keep me up late: it is a solid game but lacks that addictive quality, at least for me. However, if you crave a realistic military combat simulator, you will not find a better one.

On n'expliquera jamais le timide succès de Close Combat en France, alors qu'il fut franc et massif partout ailleurs. Avec Close Combat 2 : un pont trop loin, vous ne résisterez pas. Un excellent jeu de stratégie en temps réel qui sort des sentiers battus...

Accessible sans être simpliste, immédiatement fun mais profond : une claque monstrueuse à l'époque, dont on peut mesurer le caractère précurseur dans le domaine du STR tactique aujourd'hui. Close Combat : Un Pont Trop Loin était une référence, et malgré le poids des ans, il n'a rien perdu de sa superbe et mérite toute votre attention.

Allen Fans historischer Strategiespiele mit einer besonderen Vorliebe für Taktik und einen Hauch Action ist Close Combat 2 absolut zu empfehlen. Trotz der einfachen und unkomplizierten Steuerung erreicht es spielerisch eine enorme strategische Tiefe, die andere Echtzeitstrategiespiele meist vermissen lassen. Technisch entspricht es dem heutigen Stand, was man ja leider von etlichen anderen Produkten in diesem Genre nicht gerade behaupten kann. Einzig und allein Freunde actiongeladener Echtzeitstrategie sollten von einem Kauf Abstand nehmen.

Highly recommended for all those who remember playing with toy soldiers when young.

From war-room strategy to gritty trench combat, battlefields come to life as you command Allied or Axis powers. It's a desperate fight--bridge after bridge--where every second counts. It takes guts to think in the heat of battle. Close Combat gives you the thrill of Combat, with the power of Command.

This game was an awful lot of fun to play and very addicting. It’s a very solid four star game and should get serious consideration for adding this to your game library. It was the type of game that I’d end up looking at the clock and realizing that three or four hours had just gone by without me noticing it. There are very few games of this type out on the market that kept my attention the way ABTF did. By the way, for those who never played the original, don’t confuse this game with real-time strategy games like C&C or Total Annihilation, because they are completely different games. ABTF is about tactical warfare and real combat simulation. For those that have played the original, this game offers a ton of improvements with very weak points. I think Atomic did a great job of making a good thing even better, without messing up what they had already established. This is definitely a sequel worth getting, and a great game for anyone looking to make an entrance into this genre.

Close Combat 2 schlägt gekonnt die Brücke zwischen Echtzeit-Thrill und Jagged Alliance-Komplexität: Ein einzigartiges, herausgeputztes Spiel mit realistischem Appeal, hohem Schwierigkeitsgrad und wenigen Schwächen, das die Nerven genauso kitzelt wie der gleichnamige Kriegsfilm mit Sean Connery und Robert Redford – ideal für Leute, deren taktisches Verständnis über Dark Reign & Co. hinausgeht.

Command troops in the landmark World War II battle Operation Market Garden. This real-time strategy war game boils down the complexity of battle into a fairly intuitive interface; it's a solid campaign game where reinforcements, supplies, and morale play a big part in achieving victory or defeat.

Close Combat 2 can't seem to make up its mind as to what genre it wants to be. It is promoted as a real-time strategy but acts more like a hex/turn-based strategy. I would recommend this one only for fans of the original. While there are many improvements, the overall game still has too many problems to make it fun for most fans of real-time strategy. At the same time, I think that fans of traditional turn-based wargames would be turned off by the lack of order customization and feature depth. For Close Combat 2, the bridge between real-time and turn-based strategy is still too far.

Eine gewisse Verbesserung läßt sich gegenüber dem Vorgänger zwar nicht abstreiten und auch die mit klassischer Musik, Sprachausgabe und stimmigen Soundeffekten bestückte Akustik gefällt. So richtig Spaß machen mir die Brückenkämpfe jedoch immer noch nicht.

Wat mij een beetje tegen de borst gestoten heeft, is het feit dat dit praktisch hetzelfde spel is als het eerste deel, maar dan met andere lokaties. Toch wordt voor dit spel de volle prijs gevraagd. Dit zou een datadisk moeten zijn. Close Combat 2 zal dus ongetwijfeld de liefhebbers van het eerste deel kunnen bekoren. Wat alle andere spelers betreft: er zijn veel betere spelen in dit genre!

Todesschreie hallen übers Schlachtfeld, getroffene Soldaten brüllen um Hilfe – muß das sein? Ich bin wahrlich kein Moralapostel, aber Close Combat 2 kommt der Grenze zur Geschmacklosigkeit sehr nahe. Davon abgesehen, finde ich zu viele Mankos des Vorgängers wieder. Da ergreifen meine Jungs ständig die Flucht. Wenn zwei Trupps in einer Stellung liegen, und einem geht die Munition aus, steckt keiner seinen Kameraden schnell ein neues Magazin zu. Infanteristen stürmen im engen Pulk auf Geschützstellungen zu, anstatt verteilt anzugreifen. Fehlt nur noch, daß sie sich dabei an den Händchen halten. Trotzdem finde ich auch Gutes: Die Kampagnen sind abwechslungsreich und spannend – etwa dann, wenn mein Stoßtrupp in letzter Sekunde die Sprengung einer wichtigen Brücke verhindert.