Reviewed by Michael Peck
The Military Book Review

The first question to ask about The First Blitzkrieg is: Why was this game even produced? It certainly doesn't lack pedigree. It was developed by John Tiller, one of the most prolific designers in computer war gaming. The game bears a strong visual resemblance to Tiller's Panzer Campaigns series of battalion-level World War II games, which cover specific battles such as Normandy and Kursk.

But The First Blitzkrieg, which covers the initial German victories in Poland, Scandinavia and France, is the beginning of an entirely new series of division-level World War II games that will ultimately span the entire conflict from 1939 to 1945. The Total War in Europe series will form a giant map of Europe with more than a quarter-million hexagons that presumably will allow players to fight giant campaigns across the length of Europe.

If The First Blitzkrieg is the prototype, then the series has problems. It's "war gaming lite," with too much emphasis on the lite. Units are rated for strength, combat power and troop quality. Some formations, such as tanks, have additional ratings for armor, anti-tank and anti-aircraft capabilities. There are simple logistics rules, some engineering provisions for attacking forts and repairing railroads, and a menu of air options that include ground support, interdiction and air superiority.

And that's it. There are no command and control rules that would force players to maneuver their divisions as part of coherent corps and armies, though such rules have long been a staple of computer and paper war games. There are no detailed rules for airborne assaults, though paratroopers played a key role in the initial German victories. Nor are there special rules to reflect the unique characteristics of each campaign, such as the appallingly bad French strategy in 1940 (the closest it comes is an admonition that players should use house rules to reflect French stupidity).

Basically, all decisions are limited to move and fight. That might have been fine for war gamers in the days of the Commodore 64 and Apple II, but the hobby has come a long way, baby.

Not that simple, quick war games aren't fine for gamers who have little time to play. But The First Blitzkrieg isn't quick. There are hundreds of units to move — mostly divisions, but also artillery, flak and engineer battalions. The graphics aren't bad for a 2-D strategy game, but the interface is the same time-consuming, click-and-declick system used in Panzer Campaigns. The thought of this system applied to a gigantic European theater campaign is frightening.

This game might appeal to World War II buffs. Others should try to dig up copies of older games, such as The Operational Art of War.