Combat Mission Anthology

Combat Mission Anthology (CS-015)--a PC game set in the popular and well-established Combat Mission series, the game has shipped to retailers in North America. While the title has been out in Europe for some time, it has been seen in Japan and Australia for several months, but, like the original C&C games, the 3D-accelerated title has yet to make its way to Europe. The PC version of the game will contain the full single-player game as well as three multiplayer modes, but it will also be available as a stand-alone game. The retail version of the game will include the Fire Strike add-on, but the World War II-themed pack was released in Japan and not on its original retail release.

As far as details on the game's gameplay, the US version will focus on combat missions in battles set during the days of the German and the Soviet Union. Unlike the original C&C games, Fire Strike is set in World War II, and it will include multiple campaigns that can be played in either the first- or third-person perspective. These campaigns feature seven objectives to complete, as well as a variety of different Allied and Axis infantry unit types. There are 10 different multiplayer maps in the game. For more information about Fire Strike, check out our previous coverage of the game.

Release Date: November 3, 2000 Developer: Strategic Studies Group Publisher: Strategy First Game Read our preview >>

While the American campaign seems to be the most ambitious of the three (but is it even any good?), World War II-themed war games are usually a little more focused on fun and tactical gameplay. The six campaigns in this particular game will be used in conjunction with the ability to play as both the US and the Soviet forces in single-player mode. In these new campaigns, you'll also be able to choose from a wide range of other game-altering abilities, as well as an impressive range of weapons, vehicles, and aircraft. The single-player campaign will also have you working through the terrorist campaign, which is essentially an escort mission to capture and hold a number of targets.

There will be three different multiplayer game types in World War II-themed strategy games, which are capture-the-flag, tug-of-war, and, in some cases, team-based modes. The capture-the-flag, a variation on the traditional capture-the-flag, will let you and a squad of two or three other teams defend a series of flags over a number of maps. Each map in World War II-themed strategy games will have its own objectives, and you'll be expected to use both the primary and secondary objectives to prevent the opposing team from reaching the flag. One of the major differences between the games is that capture-the-flag, as it's more of a team-based game, lets you and three other teams start with all the bases and capture points on the map. In the tug-of-war game, one side will be tasked with capturing and holding control points, while the other team will try to destroy them. The one difference between tug-of-war and team-based games is that you can also have teammates spawn on your side of the map and take direct control of the action.

The game will let you play with up to 32 players on a single map at once.

Because the game's maps are so large, it's easy to get lost in the action on one side and find yourself scrambling to get into certain portions of the map. This is where the parachute-jump mechanic comes into play, because it lets you double jump and safely move around the map to get to hard-to-reach places that might be easily overlooked. Instead, you'll need to be aware of the height of your jump as you make your descent from your hover tank. Once you reach a rock, you'll start flying across it, only to fall to the ground where your jetpack still manages to soar off the cliff. You'll then have to drop down to your jetpack, which can be used as a kind of jetpack, and then glide down to one of the lower levels of the map, where you'll be given the opportunity to grab the parachute and hang from the top of a rock. When you're not engaged in the ground combat, you'll find yourself taking on enemy soldiers. The objectives will vary from objective to objective, and while you'll only have a few objectives per mission, you'll be rewarded for your efforts by earning credits that you can use to upgrade your jetpack. For example, you can upgrade your jetpack, speed, and armor to increase its capabilities, while you can also try to clear out large-scale enemy fire while flying through a mountain area with sniper rifle fire.

Though the game will require you to be in first-person view, you'll also have to be as observant as possible.