Allied General (PlayStation, 1996)

Allied General is a WWII strategy based game for the Playstation 1, and now PS2, gaming console. It is a turn based game where you command either the American, English, or Russian forces fighting against mainly the German, and occasionally, the Italian military. The gameplay is quite specific and extensive. Anytime a game comes with over a forty page instruction manual you know you've got a tough one on your hands. As the allied general you must choose landing points, areas of advance, key areas to secure, what troops to land, where to attack, etc. If you choose well the enemy will be defeated and you can move on to the next battle. If not, your troops will be annihilated or will retreat.

Allied General is the second in SSI's 5-Star Series Games; the first was Panzer General. SSI, probably one of the best known strategy gaming companies, also released the popular strategy based Warhammer Series games which included Shadow of the Horned Rat and Dark Omen. They stay true to their roots as the detail in this game is staggering. Each unit you command is painstakingly researched down to the smallest detail. The variety of units available to command is quite surprising considering the PS1's limitations. You will be commanding everything from Infantry Units, to tanks, to fighters, to warships, and even beachhead defensive cannons.

This is not a real time based game but is a slower turn based game and each battle can therefore last hours. The Advanced AI is pretty good and will react to your movements and unit positions. Adding to this are the detailed statistics which allow you to see how each unit is faring. Another nice touch to the game allows your units with combat experience to increase their rating and become better fighters as the game progresses. The battle clips are decent and some of the audio and video clips are quite good.

Make no mistake with Allied General - this is an old school style strategy game where strategy, and not the game play, is most important. This is not a shooter game like the Medal of Honor Series, which is excellent in a different way, but a slow paced strategy game. However, for fans of WWII games who love statistics and realistic strategy based gameplay, Allied General is a must.