Reviewed by Michael Peck
The Military Book Review

Why is Australia such a powerhouse when it comes to designing computer war games? Kangaroos and shrimp on the barbie hardly explain why Oz has been exporting superb simulations since the 1980s. I played games from Strategic Studies Group on my 128k Commodore. Now I play them on my 512-meg Pentium.

Back then, it was SSG's Battlefront series that wowed players with the best AI around. Now it's their Decisive Battles of World War II series. They're now published by Matrix Games, a Yank company, but the games are unmistakably from down under. There is the same rock-solid computer opponent to keep you on your toes. The same emphasis on the soft factors, like supply and command, that force players to think like historical commanders rather than flinging their troops all over the battlefield.

The latest in the Decisive Battles series is Battles in Normandy, covering the epic D-Day landing in June 1944. BiN is a war gamer's war game, which is a polite way of saying that to the newbie, the interface looks like a complete mess. There are all sorts of buttons and strange symbols. But with the help of handy tool tips, the interface makes cumbersome sense.

BiN is regimental and battalion-level, with one-day turns. The map graphics are functional at best, but they adequately display the varied Norman terrain, from the bocage (8-foot-thick hedgerows that turned every farm into a miniature fortress) in the American sector, to open plains around the city of Caen in the British sector. As befitting the largest amphibious assault in history, the Allies have lots of warships to shell the German defenses. As befitting those awaiting the largest amphibious assault, the Germans have lots of coastal fortifications and minefields.

Victory in BiN comes to those who realize that commanding an army is more like being a symphony conductor than a rifleman. Both sides have multiple strengths that must be carefully meshed. The Allies have the edge in numbers, air power and supply. But they're fighting through some of the best defensive terrain on Earth. They're not strong enough to attack everywhere, so they must concentrate their power at key points. The Germans have terrain and the awesome strength of the SS panzer divisions to buttress their line of motley infantry and crack paratroopers. But lacking replacements, they must either throw the invaders into the sea or endure a grinding battle of attrition.

Battles in Normandy is not an easy game. It rewards the careful and punishes the sloppy. Is there a better definition of a good war game?