One thing I always wanted in Command and Conquer, specifically the older games, Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert, was a greater sense of taking care of my troops in between battles. In my head I might have grown attached to a particular infantry army or tank battalion, but as far as the game was concerned, the only thing that mattered was combat, and they were all disposable. A new WW2 strategy game, with elements from Company of Heroes 3, XCOM 2, and World of Tanks, blends tense and realistic battles with downtime and people management. Available to play as part of Steam Next Fest, it’s already proven so popular that the demo has been extended.
Welcome to Headquarters: World War 2, a turn-based strategy game set during the invasion of Normandy. You choose from one of three armies – the British, the Germans, or the Americans – and follow their campaign across nine missions each. Combat is ‘position specific.’ Each tank has different vulnerabilities depending on whether they’re hit in the front, back, side, or on top.
Likewise, you need to be extremely mindful of where you tell your units to take cover. Different terrain types offer different levels of protection, and enemies positioned higher than you have a natural advantage during combat. Environments are also highly destructible, so taking cover behind a wall might only provide temporary shelter.
Every unit in Headquarters: World War 2 is composed of a crew, and if a vital member is killed, it can seriously impact their overall effectiveness. Between battles, however, you can take steps to mitigate the horrors of war. Upgrade your units, swap them out, assign them stat-boosting heroes, or level them up to keep them full of morale before the next mission. There’s a skirmish editor and you can also play 2v2 multiplayer battles.
Originally available until Monday, February 12, as part of Steam Next Fest, developer Starni Games says Headquarters has proven so popular it is extending the free demo until Tuesday, February 20. If you want to try one of the most promising new WW2 games of the year, you can sample Headquarters: World War 2 right now.
Alternatively, you might want to try some great RTS games, or maybe the best 4X games available on PC.
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