Blitzkrieg (video game)


Blitzkrieg is a real-time tactics video game based on the events of World War II and is the first title in the Blitzkrieg series. The game allows players to assume the role of commanding officer during the battles of World War II that occurred in Europe and North Africa. Each country has its respective historically correct military units. Similar to the Sudden Strike games Blitzkrieg focuses on battles rather than real-time strategy aspects like base building.
Virtual Programming published a Mac OS X version of the game on the Mac App Store on April 20, 2011.
Certain versions of the original game, and several sequels, use the StarForce copy protection system. Blitzkrieg Anthology does not appear to use Starforce.
Graphics deliver realistic 3-D rendered isometric terrain and details include seasons, climatic zones and weather conditions which can affect game play. Blood is present although it can be deactivated. The game features over 350 different units and objects. The player has the ability to build pontoon bridges, dig trenches, lay mines, resupply and repair units or call in air support but there are no resources. Virtually everything can be destroyed including buildings and bridges. Forests can be flattened by tanks or artillery. Each unit of a respective nation speaks its own language, adding immensely to the immersion.
The game shipped with a mission and resource editors for users to create their own units and maps.

Gameplay

The game is split into three modes: campaign, multiplayer and custom game. Blitzkrieg centers on 3 distinctive campaigns which features some of the major factions battling it out in World War II. They feature the Allies, the Germans, and the Soviets. Each of those attempt to chronologically re-enact the time periods of the war by devising Chapters into each of the campaigns.
Each player starts with 'core units'. These named units would be the same personnel accompanying the player throughout the chosen Campaign and may gain rank and experience as the player progresses from one Chapter to the other. As they fight, units will expend their ammunition, forcing the player to pay attention. Each of the individual units can be used separately or in groups, and by highlighting vehicles or humans, groups can be created and then called by a button at any time. Because of the dismissal of base-building and unit spawning, strategy is a key ingredient of overall gameplay.

Add-ons

There are three official expansions of the original Blitzkrieg to date, all three were developed by La Plata Studios in collaboration with Nival Interactive, the developer of the original Blitzkrieg game. They are published and distributed by CDV Interactive. The base game Blitzkrieg was released together with its three expansions as Blitzkrieg Anthology.
In October 2007 Hamburg-based announced that would be released during 2008. Initial details are few and far between but, as the project is being produced in conjunction with the head of the original Blitzkrieg team, it is likely to be more than a standard expansion or stand-alone title.
By the end of October 2008 the game was released in Germany where it was very successful and sold more copies than any Blitzkrieg 2 extension.

In popular culture

By April 2005, global sales of Blitzkrieg had surpassed 1 million units.