D-Day preview

D-Day, 6th June 1944, a day a momentous as it was monumental. The largest amphibious invasion in history, D-Day became the decisive turning point in World War II, as the Allied forces gained an essential foothold in occupied France. The next step was Nazi Germany.

Due to arrive just after the recent 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, D-Day - the game - seeks to recreate the key battles of the Normandy campaign. Whether this a is a fitting tribute to those who undertook the campaign or a opportunely timed cash-in is a matter for debate, although Monte Cristo’s collaboration with the "Normandie Mémoire" association goes some way to legitimising the game as an “educational” product.

Have I seen you somewhere before?

D-Day is actually the follow up to Monte Critso’s previous stab at WWII based real-time strategy, Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps, although the publishers aren’t marketing it as a sequel. This is strange as both games play almost identically, the main difference being a change in setting; the wooded green fields of Normandy replacing the yellowy-brown desert landscapes of Desert Rats. Indeed if I were to don my hat of cynicism, it could be said there’s more than a whiff of an expansion pack about D-Day (despite being a standalone game), especially considering only a single twelve level campaign is included.

For those unfamiliar with Desert Rats’ particular brand of WWII flavoured strategy shenanigans, this is real-time strategy stripped of resource management and unit construction. A cautious strategic approach is encouraged as reinforcements are few and far between, whilst uncoordinated strategy is quickly punished. If you send a group of riflemen against a tank expect them to last all of five seconds. Fail to spot that minefield ahead and you can wave goodbye to that convoy. This sense of relative realism (in game terms, some concessions have been made) prevails throughout the design. For example, whilst a solitary soldier can operate a tank, don’t expect a stunning solo performance. Add a few more men however and the unit gains added performance bonuses in speed, accuracy and secondary fire capabilities.

Stripped for parts

D-Day retains the same 3D engine and camera that served Desert Rats, which is hardly surprising considering their release dates come barely a few months apart. Although not at the graphical cutting edge, D-Day is still ascetically pleasing, even if the destructible scenery is rendered rudimentary in comparison to the recently released Soldiers. The camera could also do with some calibrating – not being able to tilt the viewing angle more towards the horizon is a neck aching annoyance.

The Longest Day

The campaign looks to be solid enough. Although I found the opening Pegasus Bridge mission to be slightly uninspiring, things become a lot more interesting by the fourth mission, which simulates the beach landing at Omaha. It’s an excellently implemented scenario, with arriving landing craft deploying new troops amid artillery bombardment, sappers trying to clear the beach of mines so your tanks can advance, and flamethrowers incinerating the occupants of a German bunker - all to the tune of constant gunfire. It’s not as visceral an experience as the Omaha section from Medal of Honour, but looking down from a godly perspective as your men fall to their deaths is certainly enough to provoke an emotional response. Later missions are of a similar quality, well paced and tactically intricate, keeping things interesting through changing mid-level objectives.

The Great Crusade?

A slower pace, combined with a nod towards semi-realism, helps D-Day stand out in a crowded genre; only thoughtful tactics will win the (D) day here. The ability to issue orders whilst the game is paused will also appeal to the more meditative digital general, making it easier to manage multiple objectives. However the game remains perfectly playable without using this option.

AI and path finding is still a bit shaky at this stage and could do with being tweaked before the game ships next month. Other than that the preview code we played seemed almost complete, with only the voice acting needing to be added and the occasional graphical glitch to be ironed out. The main issue of concern though is longevity; a single campaign seems a bit stingy for the proposed full price release. Tankfully (ho, ho – ed.) multiplayer gamers should be well catered for, as twelve multiplayer maps are included as well as a level editor. Both modes can be sampled in the demo, which includes the aforementioned Omaha beach mission.