Combat Elite: World War II Paratroopers

The world recently observed the 60th Anniversary of D-Day and gamers will soon be able to experience this battle and many more in Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers, a game that delivers an upfront and unforgettable history lesson through World War II. So, why is this game so unforgettable when there's already a crowd of WWII games? Simply because it lets players peer at all of the action from an overhead viewpoint instead of the sometimes limiting first-person perspective seen in countless other games. This came as a complete surprise to me when I first saw and played Combat Elite at E3. It reminded me of a war-themed version of Baldur's Gate and for good reason. I soon found out that the game uses the same engine as BG: Dark Alliance and that there are some faint RPG elements in the otherwise action-oriented title.

Combat Elite consists of three paratroopers that begin as Privates and earn ranking promotions to increase their different skills. While there doesn't seem to be a great deal of difference between the three, each has a weapon specialty. Patrick Harper of the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles" Division does well with rifles and pistols. John Howe of the 82nd Airborne "All American" Division hits Сem hard with heavy and sub-machine guns. Stephen Frost of the British 1st Airborne "Red Devils" Division seals the deal with small arms and hand-to-hand combat. As players rise through the ranks, upgrades in areas such as stealth, health and weaponry will help overcome the Nazi and eventually win the war.

Although Combat Elite involves a small range of RPG elements, it's more action than action-RPG. There are over 40 missions that span from D-Day to VE Day with intense battles including Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, The Siege of Bastogne and, of course, D-Day itself. Killing Nazis isn't the only objective, though. Missions call for straightforward objectives along the lines of detonating German structures, saving POWs and stealing Nazi secrets. So far, it seems like the finished levels deliver on variety among mission types, an important part of keeping the later missions of Combat Elite as fresh as the first.

The top-down perspective also initiates a lot of the game's variety with a range of impressive scenery instilled. There are country locations with thick vegetation to take cover behind, European city streets containing buildings torn apart by the ravages of war, colder regions complete with snow-covered hills and hideouts, and elegant Nazi mansions filled with grand pianos, expensive statues and marble staircases. All of this recreates the illusion of Eastern Europe during wartime and shows how beautiful it is aside from the many young bodies of soldiers on both sides. It accurately depicts the events of World War II as well as any other game on the market, all a bit surprising and more inspiring from a game in the overhead perspective.