Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 PC

Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 is a series of strategy games prepared to commemorate the outbreak of the World War I. This title was originally designed as a modification to the popular Men of War series by Best Way and produced by Great War Team, a studio founded by a group of talented modders from Russia, Ukraine, and Western Europe.

Plot

As the developers say, Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 was created in order to retell the story of one of the bloodiest armed conflicts in human history, commonly known as the Great War. The whole project consists of five separate parts, which recreate the greatest and weightiest battles of the years 1914-1918, from the perspective of nations enganged in the conflict. The individual episodes are actually five parallel campaigns, dedicated to France, Germany, Russia, and England. On top of that there is a series of bonus missions, in which you command armies of different countries.

Mechanics

The key asset of Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 is authenticity and high realism of gameplay. Each unit present in the game was created basing on actual pictures and drawings from the World War I period and got equipped with characteristic gear and weapons. Equal attention to detail accompanied the designing of battlefields, to which developers used archive maps from the period. In battles you can make use of a wide array of gear and units from early 20th century, including cavalry, shrapnel, poison gases as well as first tanks and flamethrowers. Also, note the realistic system of damage – the scale of damage taken by vehicles is based on the calculation of the thickness and endurance of their armor as well as the gage and type of ammo used against it.

The keys to success in battle are the skillful use of infantry units, their orderliness and cooperation, as well as the advantage provided by armored vehicles. Developers put special emphasis on tactics – more often than not you face a problem which requires you to modify your strategy on the fly. Fortunately, you can also take advantage of the environment. Mind that almost every object can be destroyed. Because of that, you can easily create alternative paths for your troops or use the environment to cover your units from enemy fire.

Game modes

You can play Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 alone or in the co-op mode for up to 4 players. The game also features online multiplayer with several modes for two teams of eight players. Interestingly, online modes feature all five nations from the start – besides those listed above there is also the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Technical aspects

When it comes to graphics, Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 uses the same engine that powered recent Men of War games. However, developers saw to it that the visuals matched the atmosphere of the period.

Last updated on 27 November 2014