Much like the Close Combat titles before it, this installment focuses on only a certain portion of World War II. As the title of the game suggests the battles that the player takes part in were important conflicts during the Invasion of Normandy. The ability to take either side of the conflict is one of my favorite aspects of the Close Combat games. Although I have a general distaste for the German side during this war, the ability to play as them introduces a wealth of new challenges.

Close Combat: Invasion Normandy may take place in real-time, but a good amount of realistic limitations keep the title from becoming associated with the more frantic games like Command and Conquer, or Starcraft. Some of the games I had played lasted a full thirty minutes before a resolution was found, and this is the result of the many different factors SSI worked in to make the act of combat realistic.

Since each battle is played out with a limited amount of troops, each unit must be treated carefully and used to the full extent of its abilities. The ‘fear factor’ is still in effect as it has been in the past Close Combat games. If troops are getting beaten they start to panic and become frightened. When this happens it gets increasingly hard to order them around. I have always considered this a very nice touch but when things get tight it isn’t always a feature that is welcome.

As the war progresses the numbers in each individual battle take a toll on the total numbers available for the war. If the player wins a battle the troops leftover can be utilized in areas where they are needed. The player must allocate divisions where they are needed from where they can be spared.

The primary goal of each mission is to fight through enemy defenses or defend from attackers, this depending on which side the player takes. During the act of combat capturing (or holding) key area control points, which are usually made of up roads and structures, is vital and the best way to attain total victory.

What is needed during intense strategic gaming is a set of easily accessed commands, and the drop menu system used in Invasion Normandy is ingenious in its simplicity. Since units are for the most part basic in function but still specialized by their weapon type, a universal set of commands were gathered and put into a single drop menu that can be accessed by right clicking on a division or unit. This control scheme also includes the standard click and drag, but placement of units at a destination gets a bit out of control in larger numbers. They tend to spread out and sometimes move right into enemy fire. This makes demands on the players multi-tasking abilities since it is far more practical to simply order two divisions instead of seven.

Europe during World War II was not pretty, and neither is this game. The entire game is presented in 2D, but everything is so tiny. Units are still small and for the most part very hard to spot. In fact, during the more intense moments of a battle just clicking on them is a task. The audio performance is much more impressive. The sound of gunfire mixed with the commands, screams, and other random bits of chaos respectively represent this type of war environment.

Aside from looking old and worn around the edges the rest of this game is actually very solid. The waypoint system is not only vital but works very well. The line of sight systems as well as the many other gameplay elements are very well done. This is without a doubt one of the best World War II games I have played. Thanks to an aging but approachable interface it doesn’t come off as quite as frighteningly difficult as others in this genre.

The number of different factors that affect any engagement in Close Combat: Invasion Normandy is staggering. Over the years, through the development of the previous Close Combat titles, they have managed to get all of these elements to work so well together, and the result is a very realistic command experience.

If you liked the previous Close Combat titles you will like this one. If you are new to this series, it is definitely a game you need to research before you commit to a purchase. Close Combat: Invasion Normandy does a very good job accurately portraying a wartime environment even with the poor visual presentation, but much like the previous outings, it isn’t for everyone.