The proliferation of WWII computer games is fine with me.  I've been an amateur Second World War historian for a long time now.  I read and watch everything I can find.  Therefore, when a game arrives on the scene purporting to be a simulation of the WWII experience, I get very excited.

There have been only a few games that captured what I consider to be the essence of that time.  In the first person genre, Call of Duty did an admirable job.  They were the first to pay attention to weapons details and they modeled the MG42 perfectly.  Sadly, every tank and half-track also carried this gun, but in reality, most vehicles/tanks were equipped with the MG34.  It's easy to overlook this little mistake.

Combat Mission was the greatest wargame of all time.  The graphic engine proved to be its downfall.  However, for sheer historical accuracy, it is unparalleled.

Brothers in Arms hired a so called expert to make sure they got it all right.  Colonel Antel permitted them to model a panzerfaust that was so inept, it couldn't knock out the thinly skinned Sherman.

The next game on the horizon is Company of Heroes.  It looks astounding, but it is a caricature of reality.  The game is only in its Beta form, but it is already apparent the developers are more interested in the graphics aspect than a true simulation.

The game I anticipated more than any other was Wartime Command.  It looked like it would be the second coming of Combat Mission with graphics.  Sadly, Code Masters canceled the project.  I am hoping it will still be released later this year.

In conclusion, there are a number of WWII themes on the market, but I am still waiting for a game that will combine a modern graphics engine with a historically accurate simulation.  cheers, John