At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PC	Paradox Interactive	Nival Interactive	1-8 (LAN, Online)	Here
Requirements					Buy from Amazon.co.uk
2GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 128MB Video Card, DirectX 9.0, 4GB HDD space					Click here to buy Frontline: Fields of Thunder.

Frontline: Fields of Thunder review

You have to wonder if there is an upper limit to the number of WW2 RTS titles that get released on the PC. Will there be a day when no one wants to make them any more? At the moment it would seem nothing short of the return of the Third Reich would stop the flow of games, and certainly not if either Paradox Interactive or Nival Interactive have anything to do with it. The publisher is known for the likes of Hearts of Iron II (which we rather liked, and is interestingly included for free in the European package of this), while the developer will be most known for its Blitzkrieg series of, you guessed it, WW2 RTS titles.

So, what is Nival doing to make Frontline: Fields of Thunder significantly different? Well, it's not, really - the company even proclaims that this title "follows in the footsteps of the original Blitzkrieg". Maybe they weren't too happy with their own Blitzkrieg 2? Anyway, Frontline is a new series for the company, and while this title may not be straying far from the formula, it does make a very welcome move in taking the action out of the European arena, and instead placing us into the Kursk region of Russia. The events of Operation Citadel, which took place over 17 days in July 1943, provide the foundation for the game.

Like the Blitzkrieg series, Frontline prides itself on being historically accurate. Thus the battles that take place in the game were part of the Battle of Kursk, and so were the participants - Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Nival also claims to have the correct units in place, too, allowing you to take part in the events in a similar manner to how they played out. Having said this, though, due to the nature of you playing the game, battles unfold in your own way, and the ultimate victor may not match history, depending on who you're playing as.

So, an interesting set of events, but as we've already established, Frontline isn't pushing any boundaries in the gameplay department. Though the 'back-to-basics' approach worked to some extend for the recent Command & Conquer 3, that succeeded because it came from a rich background with plenty of character, and carried this with cheesy - but excellent - cut-scenes. Frontline simply relies on the Blitzkrieg formula; a good, but not exceptional, approach that leaves this game barely punching above the flood of titles currently arriving in this genre. Compared to the likes of Supreme Commander, or even WW2 RTS Company of Heroes this is simply a step back, and while providing alternatives for those progressive titles might be nice for some, C&C3 and the like already have that pretty well covered.

The game is pushing no graphical boundaries either. The lack of a state-of-the-art engine does push the minimum specs down considerably from something like Supreme Commander, which will come as a relief to some RTS fans who are still holding out for Vista to settle (i.e. work properly) before upgrading. On the other hand, despite a good level of detail, they don't help distract from the dated gameplay, leaving the game to feel somewhat stale.

But that doesn't make it a bad game. While it may not be pushing any boundaries, it's certainly not a poor title. It's been well put together by people who know how to make RTS titles, and will provide enjoyment to many fans of the genre - particularly those seeking historical accuracy. However, for everyone else it's just another just-above-average title in an increasingly overcrowded genre. There are plenty of missions to be engaged in - 10 for each side - which should keep those interested going for a fair amount of time, but the online multiplayer may not be particularly useful. While setting up an account and hosting a game might be straightforward enough, the game is currently lacking in online competition. What's particularly worrying is that the game has only been out a month, and already it's hard to find anyone to play.

Ratings

Graphics	A good amount of detail and some nice surroundings, but nothing spectacular.	7/10
Gameplay	Enjoyable, yet feels dated in comparison to the new generation of RTS titles. Not really very different from Nival's own Blitzkrieg series.	6/10
Value	There's quite a good selection of missions, but at full price you could always seek out Nival's own cheaper Blitzkrieg 2 for similar gameplay, or even the similarly priced, but superior, Company of Heroes instead.	6/10
Lifespan	There are 20 missions which should keep you occupied for a while, though they're not particularly varied. There is online multiplayer, but you'll have a hard time finding opponents making it mostly useless, unfortunately.	6/10
Audio	Voice acting in the native languages of the forces you command is a nice touch, and away from the Americanisation of all war titles. The music is quite good, but the sound effects could be better.	7/10
Overall	There's nothing really wrong about Frontline: Fields of Thunder, and in fact, it's rather good to play. It just doesn't do anything particularly knew, and thus leaves it being a competent but somewhat dull addition to the increasingly crowded genre.	6/10

Click here to buy Frontline: Fields of Thunder from Amazon.co.uk.

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