World War II Online: Blitzkrieg

"v1.74 The ONLY virtual battlefield online"

Sure, you've heard about this game. Perhaps one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of online gaming; to create a virtual battlefield, whole armies fighting each other, in which every ship, every plane, every soldier is a real human being.

That's what this game is. Let me clarify something here; There are no 64-limit ''servers'' that you enter, no maps, etc. There is only ONE game world, ONE real-time map, and EVERYONE is playing in the same game world at the same time. The game world exists in a kind of virtual reality, 24/7, all day, every day.
Currently, the map covers the area of the Battle of France circa 1940, from Belgium into mid-France and even southern England; all at HALF-scale. Theoretically, it is possible to walk from the western border of Germany all the way to the port of Calais (although it would take days). In fact, a friend of mine swam the English channel in-game!! Seriously!! It took him 17 hours!

So this is NOT like any other online action game, where you enter a shoebox-sized map and fight with a dozen players.
Each side, the Allies and the Axis have a High Command which is comprised ONLY of players who have risen through the ranks. In turn, the Allies and Axis have a pretty tightly structured Order of Battle, with brigades, divisions, and companies, which are in turn made of player-formed Squads. Each squad is 100% made by players. Mine is Panzer Lehr (I play for Germany).
You start as a Private in each of the three military branches, the Army, Navy, and Airforce, and gain rank as you succeed in missions and kill enemy forces.

Now if you don't want to be part of the official army structure of your nation, you don't have to be. There are plenty of ''lone wolves'' and ''mercs'' who do well enough fighting on their own and occasionally fighting alongside squads.

So you can see, comparing this game to Battlefield 1942 is silly; they're apples and oranges.

The plan for the game is this: It will be a virtual war beginning in 1940 at the start of the Battle of France. Every 4-6 weeks will be considered one year within the game, so when 1 year passes, we will move into 1941, with new vehicles and new armies/theaters entering the war. It will go on like that straight into 1945. And because WE will control what happens, anything is possible! France may just repel the initial German invasion in 1940 and last for another year. The US and British high command may decide an invasion across the english channel is too risky in 1944. The fate and outcome of the battles and how the war progresses are TOTALLY 100% in the hands of players.

Graphics: 4/10 This is a big negative for WWIIOL. Because the game was initially pushed into an early release, the graphics are in fact dated by years. And because the game does not take place in shoe-box-sized maps, the graphics had to be toned down to decrease lag. Troopers and animations are quite poor, but NEW trooper models and animations are scheduled to come out in early 2003!!

Sound: 8/10 The sounds are pretty awesome. If you have a good subwoofer, it's a really immersive experience hearing distant AA fire as you approach a city, or MGs, explosions, bombs dropping, or rumbling tanks.

Gameplay: 8/10 One thing that I find cool about this game is that there is NO fake aiming reticule/cursor in front of your face!! You use the actual metal gun sights of whichever fire arm you're using, and each gun is totally historically accurate. The same for tanks and planes.

The BIG negative: Unfortunately, only the year 1940 and the Battle of France map are finished, and the only three armies available are the British, the French, and the Germans. The 1941 equipment set is almost done, but it may be over a YEAR before the dev team finishes work on new theaters and armies..........

All-in-all, if you buy this game and play for the FREE trial month they offer you, and SEE FOR YOURSELF, you'll understand why thousands of people are playing it and stand by it!! It is truly an addictive experience, but it may not be for impatient types who crave comic-book action. This is not a circus act; it's a VIRTUAL WAR, and you become a VIRTUAL SOLDIER in a VIRTUAL ARMY when you play this game.
Give it a try.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/03, Updated 01/04/03