Close Combat IV: Battle of Bulge

DEVELOPER : Atomic Games
PUBLISHER : SSI (Mindscape)
RELEASE DATE : November '99

Thus was born the Close Combat series.  Close Combat (1) was set roughly during the Normandy invasions, but was extremely narrow in scope as it was basically a tactical engine.  More importantly, it exhibited an impressive set of technologies (and in fact was pushing the limits of the computers of the day - unheard of for a "serious" wargame).  Effectively, it introduced a niche between the RTS genre and realistic simulations, using detailed weapons, statistics, and an individual-unit AI system that allowed every entity on the field to exhibit certain more realistic behaviors than the previous binary standard (where units were either gung-ho and obedient, or broken and running).

Listening to their customers (and the cash registers ringing) Atomic developed CC2, which was set in the Market Garden Operation.  CC2 added a large element to the CC series, that of a strategic map.  Units could move at an operational level on a larger field, giving the players more of a sense of being "part of something". 

But gamers are never universally happy, are we?  There was a lot of USENET traffic about the scope of Market Garden being a bit too overwhelming, demanding (in real time) a little too much management from the overwhelmed player.

Therefore, for CCIII Atomic moved the focus to the East Front (a long time favorite of WWII gamers) and tried to mix the operational and tactical levels more effectively by designing linked campaigns and (shades of its Squad Leader origins) emphasizing the development of a single leader which represented the player on the battlefield.  CCIII was basically a success (in fact we gave it an Editor's Choice award), but gamers were beginning to take it more seriously as a simulation and therefore subject it more intense criticism.  The limited number of units per side was a burdensome restriction in the East Front theater, as (at least in caricature) the battles were typically one of "quality" (German) vs. "quantity" (Russian).  Quickly, the German player would max out in force points and formation spaces, and the Russian would match it ending up in a "quality" vs. "quality" battle where infantry played little role.

Atomic has once more gone to the well and developed the newest title in the series, the appropriately-named Close Combat IV.  A lot of changes - mostly in the philosophy and systemic levels, leaving the mature and stable engine beneath it all largely unaltered - suggest that CC4 is once again a notable step forward for the game.

First, they've returned to the West Front, namely the Ardennes Offensive (more commonly known to Americans as the "Battle of the Bulge").  Historically, this was the late-war gambit by the Germans to split the western allies by driving between them for the port of Antwerp.  Some consider it to be the largest land battle of the war, with 29 German divisions attacking a quiet sector of the American front, eventually enmeshing 31 American divisions and a combined total of over a million men. 

After consideration, I think Atomic realized that the west front - where the quality/quantity discrepancy between the sides wasn't so extreme - was a better area to simulate.  In sheer numbers, the sides were much closer and a small battle between representative groups would be more "realistic" in terms of extrapolating the results to the overall course of the battle than on the eastern front.

Further, the Battle of the Bulge offers a good mix of battles for set piece scenarios - meeting engagements, holding actions on both sides, encirclements, a good mix of late war weaponry, and (very important in simulation of 1944-45 actions) an event in which Allied airpower was limited, allowing actions on the ground to be decisive.

As I mentioned above, the essence of the game is unchanged from CC3; combat takes place in real time.  Tanks roll and rumble down the streets while infantry scuttles from cover to cover seeking to engage the enemy at close quarters.   Graphically the game seems to be slightly improved, with unit animations looking smoother (more frames?), while explosions, smoke and map damage (rubble, etc) looks more realistic.  The sound archive has been expanded with differing sounds for different caliber shot striking armor and other ear-candy.

The biggest difference is in the operational level of detail.  Falling between the monster-scale Market Garden strategic map and the micro-strategic CC3 linked campaigns, the "strategic" map in CC4 represents the entire Ardennes theater.  Both sides move icons of their forces (feeling very much like the Bulge board wargames) around on this map.  When two sides' forces occupy the same zone, combat is resolved by moving to a tactical map representative of the area - a critical town, junction, or geographic feature.  The "icons" of the various force structures are then resolved into their actual tactical elements - individual squads, vehicles, and guns. 

Finally (blatantly missing in CC3) you have control over your artillery and aircraft assets.  Allocated at the strategic level, this gives a great "feel" to the game: the player really is managing their assets as best they can, trying to concentrate the divisional- and army-level support where it's desperately needed.

Importantly for the Bulge battles, movement is critical. Tactical maps have exit points that have to be controlled to allow movement into or out of a map in that direction.  This is a very welcome addition, making strategic flanking movements not only possible but likely if your units concentrate excessively.   Another great addition is strategic fuel management - making it possible that the devastating Tiger unit which you've been using to freely crush American resistance suddenly begins the next scenario immobilized - not a good thing for you.

The game includes a lot of single map scenarios, as well as mini campaigns detailing only subsectors of the whole operation.  Of course, there is the monster campaign allowing the player to game either the German or Allied (American) sides of the entire Ardennes offensive.  Be warned - I highly recommend playing the mini campaigns to get a feel for the higher-level operations.  As in the historical Bulge, the Americans start the general campaign rocked back on their heels and have to fight slowly backwards making the Wehrmacht pay as dearly as possible for every map gained.  The German player has to make the most of this early potent advantage as eventually and inevitably the US reinforcements and airpower will prove telling.

Atomic has, once again, gone to the well with the Close Combat series.  As before, they've made significant improvements to the game while keeping the successful bits intact.  Some may call it "only" an evolutionary title, but I think that's praiseworthy.  Change for the sake of change is pointless; changing (only) the things that need changing while improving everything else - well, I call that a darn good philosophy.  CC4 will advance the already-successful reputation of the CC series and Atomic Games.  This one's a winner.

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Previewed by Steve Lieb