New German Strategy Game Shows Horrors of War
All Quiet in the Trenches is a German strategy game in which we experience first-hand the nightmare of fighting in the trenches of World War I.
The two world wars have been a popular period for game creators for decades, who usually focus on the great battles of the second of these conflicts and the glorious fight against Nazi oppression. However, the creators of the "narrative" strategy of All Quiet in the Trenches chose to show the clashes of World War I from a more personal perspective.
The work of Totally Not Aliens studio was released on January 17th in Steam's Early Access and so far it hasn't broken the bank when it comes to popularity. Nevertheless, players who have familiarized themselves with this independent production speak about it with enthusiasm (92% positive opinions out of 128 reviews).
In All Quiet in the Trenches we are taken to 1915 and play the role of a German non-commissioned officer (Unteroffizier). Your task is simple: to ensure that our subordinates survive until the end of the war.
If you know anything about World War I, you probably realize that it is by no means an easy task. Trench warfare was a nightmare for soldiers, and even aside from battles, there were plenty of inconveniences. Irregular delivery of supplies, orders arriving late - these situations were reflected in the game.
Moreover, our soldiers are not passive executors of our will. As a commander, we only can issue general orders, and the soldiers carry them out to the best of their abilities and characters. Our decisions may affect their moods, and conflicts may arise between them. All of this makes each playthrough characterized by different events. The whole thing takes place in a turn-based system,
and it is precisely thanks to this non-linearity and the soldiers being the heroes of this story that the project (co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure) has gained recognition from players. Nevertheless, this is still quite a modest experience taking no more than 10 hours. However, the development plans published by the creators contain information about new content - from new weapons to new systems (including (the soldiers' skills) up to extending the duration of the campaign until the end of the war on December 11, 1918 (currently the story ends in the spring of 1916).
As usual, the developers expect All Quiet in the Trenches will remain in early access for a year or two.
