"The best turn based game since X-Com"

Introduction:
I guess you can call me a strategy game fan. My strategy game roots for PC started out in turn based games such as X-COM and Masters of Magic but eventually evolved into games like Age of Empires and Warcraft. Things didn't stop there though. Newer generations of games such as Age of Mythologies, Warcraft III, and Battle Realms came up. These strategy games were real time though. What ever happened to the good old turn based ones? You could mention games like Age of Wonders and Heroes of Might and Magic but what about ones with guns and tactical movements? Silent Storm addresses that by putting forth an awesome strategy game that is turn based. You control a small squad of soldiers armed and supplied like no other. You control them and the path they take to victory.

Gameplay:
You are in control of a small squad of World War II soldiers. There are a few classes of soldiers which consist of Engineers, Medics, Soldiers, Snipers, Scouts and Grenadiers. Each play a very important role on the battlefield and each are crucial to success. Each turn you have a certain amount of movement points which can be used up by moving, shooting, aiming, crouching, laying and other various actions. You have a list of objectives and you can go about your own way to complete the mission. The battle takes place on a small 3D map which includes buildings, trees, walls and other various objects which can be used for hiding, cover, and can sometimes even be destroyed! The units have a plethora of actions and there is no awkward movement issues. Units can look around, crawl, crouch, hide, strafe, attack, etc and can do stuff like climb walls, jump down from heights, throw grenades, and did I mention climb through holes in walls/floors? A lot of cool things can happen as well. Call me easily entertained but I think its very cool to riddle a person with machine gun bullets and send his body flying through a window. However, the game is realistic and things such as that are cool, but not common. You have to carefully move and shoot and not go in guns blazing into a room where the enemy outnumbers you. You have to be smart and move tactically. This is the true essence of the game.

Story:
The story is good and it follows both the Allies and the Axis powers, each with their own set of missions and story. There is a main character from each story which you create at the beginning of the campaign and he acts as the group leader.

Sound:
The sounds are good and I have no complaints on both the music and the sound effects. The guns sound realistic and defined. Each gun has its distinctive noise and when you hear a machine gun shooting at you, you cringe in fear as compared to a single shot revolver. The music is also moody and picks up whenever the enemy is nearby. The music fits the game well also which consists of your typical World War II music with drums and cymbals. The voices are somewhat repetitive but I have no problem with it. Different races have different accents but some have designated sayings for different actions. You will sometimes hear the same phrase said dozens of times a mission but I tend to ignore this as a major problem.

Graphics:
The graphics aren't ground breaking but they do look great. The buildings, characters, and environment looks amazing. The game takes place in a full 3D world and gives you a great feeling of scenery. You hid in bushes and crawl up to realistic houses as you peer inside the windows. You enter the building and move up stairs to the second floor. All looks great in the game and I have no issues with the graphics.

Flaws:
The only flaw I can honestly say is how time consuming the game can be. Since it is turn based, the computer can take a while (anywhere from 3 to 30 seconds) during its turn. Its not really a flaw of the game. I honestly would like to see the enemy's movement (you can't see it but you can see where noises are made) in order to have a better idea of where the enemy is. However, due to my impatience, this is the only problem I have of the game.

Replayability:
After beating the Allies and Axis campaigns (if you make it that far) you probably won't go through and play it again. However, the game still has dozens of dozens of hours of gameplay and you can spend a few hours on a single mission let alone the completion of the game.

Conclusion:
Although I find this to be a great game, I doubt everyone will agree. If turn based games tend to be tasteful to you, then this is a good buy, however, if you are not a fan of strategy games and prefer games alittle more fast paced, then this might not be for you. However, this is still a great game and makes me proud that turned based games aren't dead yet.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/22/04