Wars and Battles: Normandy Reviews

I decided to give this game a thumbs down, not because it is bad, but because it is too expensive for what you get. What you get is a map representing Normandy and the surrounding areas. It is big enough to play out the landings, the subsequent expansion of the beachheads, the capture of Cherbourg, the bocage battles, the breakout, the liberation of Caen, and the Falaise pocket. You can fight a campaign on the whole map or in small battles on parts of that same map. That is it. The entire system is too basic. The units have no hierarchy or relation; you can mix them up regardless of what division, corps, or army they belong to. Lines of communication and logistics do not exist. Bocage has little impact. You can't dig in or cut off supplies. The widespread interdiction campaign and strategic bombardment lacks representation. Allied airpower is a shot in the dark. Artillery is supreme(and perhaps rightly so). You can't regulate the behavior of your troops(like a retreat or standing fast when there are overwhelming odds). You can bypass troops and drive in deep inland as no supply lines are needed. It is a basic game that might be amusing for a short while, but only for a few dollars or euros, nothing more.