Blitzkrieg: Anthology

The Blitzkrieg Anthology is the ultimate way to experience one of the most incredible WWII real time strategy games ever created. In checking this bundle out I was actually pretty amazed that we had an over a decade wait between Blitzkrieg II and 3 which is kind of crazy when you consider how popular the second game in the series was.

Two For One

As the name suggests, you are getting a more complete experience with this package. The two games that are on offer here are both great games in their own right. You literally have hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay at your disposal here in this Blitzkrieg Anthology so you better be in this for the long haul.

Blitzkrieg II

Let’s start with the second game in the series. What I really like about this is the way that while this is a real time strategy game, it is heavily focused on the actual battles and organizing your units on the actual battlefield. Taking away elements like base building and resource gathering is something that I actually really do like. Although, I am sure for some losing this element may be a bit of a downgrade.

The campaign is fantastic and you actually have different campaigns that you can play through which allows you to experience the war from different points of view. The AI can be quite ruthless so you do have to pay attention at all times to what is going on. With six factions in the game overall, it is quite impressive how much content is packed into this game. I do think that the pathfinding can be a bit on the frustrating side, but once you get the hang of it, you will find it straightforward.

Blitzkrieg 3

The version of Blitzkrieg 3 that is part of the Blitzkrieg Anthology is the standard edition so you do not get all of the bells and whistles that were added to the game. Still, there is a ton of content for you to sink your teeth into here. The campaign is one of the most spectacular WWII campaigns I have had the pleasure to play through and goes right from the invasion of Poland all the way to the capture of Berlin. As well as the campaign, you have many different game modes to enjoy such as 1x1, 2x2 and 3x3 and skirmish. It features the same kind of action-heavy RTS gameplay that the second game features, but the overall presentation is much slicker and easier on the eyes. I would also say that the gameplay overall here is smoother and easier to get to grips with.

I think that the Blitzkrieg Anthology is a great collection. This is a really cool RTS series and one that I feel does right by putting all of the attention on the actual battle. If you want an RTS that is all about what is going down on the actual battlefield and managing your troops that way. You are in for a great time with this right here.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• You get two awesome RTS games in one package
• Plenty of units to use in both games
• Both games feature fantastic campaigns
• Hours of gameplay to keep you entertained
• I like the focus on combat

Cons:

• The way your units move can sometimes be frustrating
• Blitzkrieg 3 is just the standard version

Managing To Cram in the original Blitzkrieg, plus the Burning Horizon, Rolling Thunder and Iron Division expansions - as well as some extra fan materials for good measure -this anthology features as much strategic WWII gaming as any one person could need. In fact coming in at a total of nearly 150 missions, we're sure it should come with some kind of health warning on the side.

Nival's excellent title and its expansions are getting on a bit now though, with the sequel and its own expansions now doing the rounds. But if the sheer thought of ordering around a unit of Panzer tanks makes you shiver with excitement, you'll be hard pushed to find so much value for your money anywhere else.