Combat Mission: Shock Force gone gold @ Gaming Target

Written by Jason Cisarano on July 23, 2007

News: Desert combat RTS coming soon to your PC

RTS fans sit up and take noticeЧBattlefront.com has sent out the gold masters for their long-awaited Combat Mission: Shock Force.

Shock Force will keep up the series tradition of impressive fidelity to realistic detail that allows players to create complex strategies that reflect real-world conditions. According to the developer blog:

УModern conflicts are often categorized as "asymmetrical wars". Not only because the forces engaged in battle on both sides differ from each other in equipment and training, but also because they pursue entirely different goals. Few games, if any, are able to simulate this. Almost all wargames out there feature only symmetrical goals, such as when both sides fight to control a flag worth a certain amount of points. The early Combat Mission games worked like this as well, obviously. While adequate (but by far not optimal) for a World War Two simulation, this simplified approach is incompatible with the battlefields of today and tomorrow. Therefore Combat Mission: Shock Force was designed from the ground up to incorporate asymmetric objectives.Ф

The new game has been re-built from the ground up, meaning that in addition to the requisite visual improvements, it will include gameplay elements like deformable terrain, realistic window and door interactions, and unconventional warfare tactics. Non-traditional forces will have access to IEDs and will be able to infiltrate enemy locations in order to place these unconventional weapons. The game can be played in real-time mode as well as the turn-based WeGo mode that allows for play-by-email and hotseat multiplayer.

Battlefront.com is an award-winning studio known for wargames that stand out from the crowd for their realism and their refusal to bow to the conventions found in other RTSs. They've created or distributed games including the Combat Mission series, Theatre of War, and the tank sim T-72: Balkans on Fire. If you don't believe it, check out their website, where you'll find a bibliography of history books. A bit of homework to go along with your gaming.

Preorders are now being accepted at Battlefront.com and Paradox plans to ship to stores nationwide on July 27, 2007.