Realistic tactical combat delightfully free of the clickfest micromanagement that RTS games are notorious for.
This game is a delight because there is none of the monotonous resource gathering and base building that other RTS always have. You get your troops, tanks and support and make due. Instead of ye ole 'lasso and attack towards enemy base' mindlessness of usual games, you have to guide your material into combat with careful attention and enjoy the shootout that occurs cause you don't have to waste time clicking on a base thousands of times to build it. It's just tactical combat and nothing else. What could be better than that?
The graphics and effects are quite good. Many would argue that the game may look 'dated' but it actually looks good when compared to the generic glitz effect that 3D games seem to have. This game, though 2D, actually seems nicer to look at than Blitzkrieg 2 (which is also an excellent game, especially the add-ons).
The artifical intelligence is definitely better than other RTS games and it does clever stuff like counterattacking using attack and fade. The enemy will try to punish you for using nibbling or crumbling tactics by countering with a short but energetic attack and then pulling back to their positions to await your next nibble attempt. Both sides can take damage from this process. Doing an all-out attack without planning will likely result in a failure because the enemy tends to be better equipped than the player, and therein lies the challenge. Some British equipment is better than German equipment, especially the Matilda which requires the high-velocity, large bore rounds of an 88 to be brewed up. All this challenge makes you think and that is a good thing for keeping your brainpower tuned up because most RTS games actually lower your IQ with their highly repetitive gameplay.
Use your limited material to complete the mission with a good kill ratio. A well-planned attack rewards the player with plenty of enemy casualties lying about the cratered landscape and destroyed equipment littering the ground. The sight of the carnage is quite satisfying and helps to alleviate the pain you felt when your own troops were cut down by enfilade fire during the attack.
This excellent game only has two points that I don't like. One is you cannot use a left-handed mouse cause the game does not recognize a reversed mouse. The second thing is while your equipment has a core set of units that upgrade and get experience each mission and carry through the campaign, you cannot add infantry to your core. I would like to add any kind of infantry to my core. Minor quibbles aside, this game is a definite pleasure to play and gives your brain a tactical workout.