One thing Wargame European Escalation broke into my eyes with his neck, was the fact that there was no combat aircraft. Hello? Cold War without planes? Without any modern war planes? I do not know what Eugen Systems has time thinking, but it missed the otherwise but as realistic-inspired strategy game but a significant crack.
AirLand Battle is the successor to - as the title suggests, unequivocally - now happily learned. Meaning, You may finally lead warplanes into battle, which also fit in very well with the known from the previous gameplay. Terms of their management, there are a few differences to the remaining troop types. Because the planes are not always on the map, but pull back again when its fuel or its ammunition runs out. Then they need a little time to recharge or repair.
But unless they happen to be located in the application, you can assign them a goal after another. Different types of aircraft perform it as the ground units also have different tasks. Since there is about the most powerful A-10 Warthog, with their missiles and their Gatling gun pretty much any opponent can rock the house, no matter whether on the ground and in the air. There has to be a bit intimidating if the Warthog zuhält beeline towards her target, you will hear the loud roar of the cannon. In addition, the A-10 is more heavily armored than other jet fighters such as the F-16th Some of the aircraft can also strafe targets on the ground, others are used mainly to air combat.
Custom tactics
This also changes the tactical approach that you might know from the previous still. Because of the new air defense aircraft understandably plays a more important role and contribute something no longer serves alone to combat helicopters. And so powerful the Jets like a seem at first glance, with a well-placed air defense can defend themselves very well here and surprise the attacker uncomfortable. Incomprehensible way, is why the aircraft themselves can track any units. Even with fire you get delivered no clear objectives, but needs all reconnaissance units in the vicinity, in order to gain an accurate picture and not have to blindly attack positions.
Like its predecessor, the main focus of AirLand Battle is on the multiplayer mode. In particular here bring a new tactical aircraft component to the game that will force many players to rethink. Who wants to build a defensive ring, must be given greater consideration and bring along additional air defenses, which in turn costs more points about this specifically. But then you never really know what the enemy is now transported to the battlefield exactly.
This ensures the matches in which up to 20 players play on a map, for voltage and a slightly higher pace than before. AirLand Battle is also one of those games that you have to meet only once because of his consistently solid rock-paper-scissors principle. And it is not just on your fighting skills in, because without fuel and ammunition supplies the largest army itself is not much more than a costly target. Until you know all the nuances, all the possibilities of the different troop types, a lot of time goes by. As usual, each player can advance together his own deck or his own army. The possibilities are due to hundreds of units - some of which are unlocked by points and level rises - at least fairly large. In other words: It has a huge selection and can really try out completely different game styles - from a purely specialized in the aviation commander to someone who focuses solely on ground vehicles. Or something in between.
And as I said since you never know what your opponent so sends into battle, there is always an uncertain component. Do you trust your proven to setup? Is she a bit more risk? Or do you right down to the last detail with your teammates from? These are decisions that may well have a say before the actual start of the game a little bit about winning and losing. And at high points limits the matches draw then ultimately to talk about more than an hour back.
Little fun for soloists
A solo campaign brings AirLand Battle even with it, but as with European Escalation sprayed this is not really much fun. Here you can sit down in front of a map of the Nordic countries, which is somewhat reminiscent of Total War. Of its depth and interactivity but here it is very far away. Your pushes your troops back and forth, gets points for conquering sectors, which in turn can bring along their supply or use specials. The latter then block as the air forces of the enemy for a day in a specific sector or reduce its morality, which he has less starting points available.
The structure is the same for all four campaigns and the production is - to put it kindly - quite dry. A few texts here and there, you get your campaign goal called you and then you can pretty much alone. Voltage? Not available. Instead, it passed only gradually relatively identical running battles with sometimes more, sometimes less starting points. Where is the variation? The change? Since you can also play the same skirmish matches against the AI and not miss much.
The matches always take 20 minutes and there are different victory conditions. Either you reach a certain number of enemies destroyed at varying points, depending inter alia on the morale of your troops. Or you destroy all enemy command vehicles, which can conquer sectors. If a page without sectors, such as vehicles, it is game over for them. Otherwise there after reaching the time limit draw, and it will continue to fight the next day - in previous matches may already conquered sectors are, however, not taken into account. So everything to zero, as amended from start points and victory points apart.
In the long run this is quite simply quite monotonous and discouraging, if you felt the 50th Times a fight on the same card is discharged and the discharge is similar again. So even with AirLand Battle Again: Interested ye, be a good strategy for her campaign definitely wrong here. Compared to the European Escalation is a step back here even dar.
Technical teething
AirLand Battle has also technically still struggling with some teething problems that plagued European Escalation already. Cars boards ever awake by a bridge sides of houses or trees beyond - that really disturbs the otherwise successful impression of the many steps and purely rauszoombaren battlefield. Similarly, the bridges are still not destroyed itself. Incomprehensible, it would be a more tactical component and could also be extended to the construction of their own temporary river crossings.
Also, some line of sight appears not always traceable. Enemy soldiers in a house about to disappear immediately as the target of the map when a tank only a few inches before moving to another house and it no longer looks right. It's annoying especially for larger battles in villages, so if for example enemies suddenly appear once within fractions of a second and disappear before her then a few meters can again take aim. The same goes for goals that tracks a scout helicopter. He puts to land, it is as if you had never seen the enemy troops. That they are from the ground can no longer pursue, is logical, but at least the last known position could still show the game.
Graphically, AirLand Battle at the highest level of detail as was European Escalation very appealing, is packed with many details at ambient and units as well as send effects. All of this can turn down accordingly on slower machines, if need be.
All in all, sprayed the youngest part of the series but rather the charm of an add-on for which one requires the full price. No question, the planes are great and eliminate one of my biggest criticisms of the predecessor. At the same time they make the battles more tactical and force you to plan your strategy in more detail. In addition there are some other new units, minor improvements to the gameplay and multiplayer. But that's it then also already. The campaign would have been Eugen Systems, however, can give the same. Maybe you should set the basis for the possible next part to consider and the time you have invested in it, rather get stuck in other areas in order to perfect this.
So AirLand Battle leaves for owners of its predecessor given the price but a rather unpleasant aftertaste, taken alone, but it's still a good multiplayer oriented and very tactical strategy game - and the effect better than its predecessor. If you followed exactly in the mood, you'll certainly happy here, even though it definitely still is potential for improvement here and there.
