Blitzkrieg II E3 2004 Preshow First Look

CDV will be showing off Blitzkrieg II at this year's E3 in Los Angeles. Last year's Blitzkrieg distinguished itself as a fast-paced RTS that primarily focused on land battles. Blitzkrieg II will build on that formula by introducing naval units, coastal missions, and a partially controllable air force. Additionally, the game will feature a new graphics engine that renders terrain and units in full 3D. Players will control armies over a landscape that includes beaches, urban areas with buildings, forests, and varying elevations. You'll also have to worry about mines and other obstacles, as well as weather effects and night missions, which can limit visibility and the effectiveness of certain units.

As in its predecessor, Blitzkrieg II's missions are based on historical battles. The game will ship with a whopping 60 single-player missions, broken up into four different campaigns for the United States, Britain, Russia, and Germany. Aside from these four nations, forces from imperial Japan, France, and Italy will also be represented in the game. You'll be able to control more than 250 different, historically modeled vehicles and 60 different types of infantry. Superweapons and special abilities will add even more variety to the gameplay. These units can gain experience as they participate in and survive battles, and they can also benefit if you manage to control strategic buildings.

Multiplayer support is also planned for Blitzkrieg II, which is expected to ship for the PC in 2005. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more information on the game as it becomes available.