Matrix Games

Winter 1944, the Last Blitzkrieg. This is Close Combat, You are in Command!

Based on Atomic Games’ award-winning Close Combat series, Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein brings together the classic top-down tactical gameplay from the original series and plenty of new features, expansions, and improvements!  This remake based on Close Combat: Battle of the Bulge gives newcomers and veterans to the series alike a vastly improved and expanded version of the original experience.  The Wacht am Rhein remake comes with a brand new Grand Campaign including a new strategic map with 64 gorgeous hand-drawn tactical maps, over 70 scenarios, tons of new interface and unit graphics, countless engine improvements, and much more!

In Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein, you take command of US or German forces and either retrace the last steps of Hitler’s army in one desperate attempt to turn the tide of the impending allied victory or ride to the rescue with General Patton and push back the German offensive to reclaim Bastogne. 

Also included is a bonus “classic” version of the original Close Combat IV.

See the feature list below for the new enhancements that come with the Mega Update.

Mega Update Improvements

• Noticeable improvements were made to the way vehicles and soldiers travel to way points and reach the end destination of both simple and highly complex, unhindered paths with a very high degree of success.
• Soldier pathfinding was improved so that when soldiers fall behind (heavy weapon or momentarily lost) they plot their own path to successfully rejoin their team.
• Vehicle driver and soldier decision making was improved to help them deal with unexpected obstacles (vehicle moving into their way , or wreck that was knocked out in the course of battle to block a path that was already determined), and get out of dead-end locations.
• AI improvements were made to be in concert with the re-designed pathfinder.
• The "Bee Dance" of CC2 that was related to conflicts between the AI for the vehicle driver and the AI that tried to keep the team moving along the team's path that would result in a conflict about which portion of the AI to follow or "which way to go."
• Many other minor improvements were made and reported bugs were fixed.

Game Features

• Vastly improved and expanded rebuild of the critically acclaimed Close Combat: Battle of Bulge title, originally developed by Atomic Games.
• New enhanced Grand Campaign with a new strategy level map as well as 64 gorgeous hand-drawn tactical level maps.
• 70+ scenarios based on real-world battles, operations and campaigns.
• New graphics for the user interface, aircraft, vehicles and other graphics.
• An easy-to-use but powerful Scenario Editor - Create your own "what if" Scenarios.
• Largely expanded moddability: all strategic layer features, all campaign details including weather, turns per day, scoring, support mission (artillery, airstrike) capabilities for both Germans and Americans, battlegroup recycling, battlegroup retreat/disband, supply and much more!
• Further improvements have been made to the AI to enhance most, if not all, performance issues: vehicle pathing, infantry tactics, team and unit morale, overall AI aggressiveness and decision-making in general.
• Accurately depicts World War II tactical warfare and its challenges
• Realistic soldier psychological profiles during combat.

Review on Out of Eight
6/8 - If you have at least a moderate interest in tactical strategy games, then Close Combat – Wacht am Rhein should fill your gaming quota.