Strategic Command: World War I

Strategic Command: World War I is a comprehensive turn-based strategy game that presents all stages of the First World War in a realistic way. The title is one of the many installments of the Strategic Command series, which was launched in 2002 and has since been developed by Fury Software and Slitherine. The devs' main target are fans of history and hardcore war strategies.

Mechanics

Strategic Command: World War I offers three big campaigns, which are its biggest attraction. Two of them start in 1914. In Call to Arms we play the role of a commander of one of the Entente countries, and in Triple Alliance we decide on the military actions of the Central States and Italy. In the Fate of Nations campaign, which begins in 1917, we can in turn command the American counter-attack in Europe, which ultimately led to the collapse of the German Empire. Interestingly, as usual, the possibility of changing the course of history is an extremely attractive element of the game. Planning and sensible strategy can lead us, for example, to a complete victory for the states and alliances that have lost in the global conflict.

Strategic Command: World War I offers a classic turn-based mode on a two-dimensional map covered with hexagon grid, shown from top-down perspective. All campaigns take place on the same large map representing all of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, as well as the Atlantic and Eastern coasts of Canada and the United States. Each hex represents a territory of 400 square miles. Areas not under our control are covered by fog of war, which hides the positions and actions of our opponents.

In addition to leding troops to successive battles on land, sea and in the air, we also deal with other extremely important aspects of armed conflict management in the course of the game. We also take care of the supply lines, work on improvements for individual units (each nation available in the game has a different range of them, reflecting its actual level of development at that time) and espionage. The creators also implemented mechanics specific to the First World War, such as the construction and maintenance of trenches and the development of new technologies and methods for construction of fortifications.

Game modes

Strategic Command: World War I not only enables us to play solo, but also to compete in online multiplayer or local "hot-seat" mode. Traditionally, the devs also provide us with an extensive editor that enables us to create our own fictional scenarios.

Technical aspects

The audiovisuals of Strategic Command: World War I have not changed significantly compared to the previous installments of the series. The maps, interface and appearance of the units are presented in a very minimalistic way, which is characteristic of the genre. The same applies to sound effects and music.

Last updated on June 18, 2020