War Front: Turning Point
Encyclopedia
War Front: Turning Point is an alternate reality
real-time strategy
computer game set in World War II
. It was developed by Digital Reality
, and published by CDV
and released in the United States
on 19 February and Europe on 23 March 2007 for the PC
.
The game is set in an alternate World War II in which Adolf Hitler
is assassinated in the early days of the war and under the new chancellor, Germany
occupies Great Britain
. Eventually, Nazi Germany is defeated, but this allows the Soviet Union
to advance into Western Europe. The game features both real life and fictional "experimental" war machines and units. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=20248.
weaponry such as Messerschmitt Me 262
fighter aircraft
and M4 Sherman
and T-34
tanks, to real-life units that were not present during that war such as Northrop YB-49
jet bomber, to entirely science fiction
al units like Exoskeleton mechs, freeze rays and shield generators, while all can build a "Bridging" tank unit capable of building bridge
s over bodies of water. Each faction can also build three heroes, individual characters with unique abilities, both passive and active to benefit the player's own units and against the foe's. The longer heroes and units remain on the battlefield, destroying units and buildings in the process, they can rank up increasing their abilities yet lose them if they are killed and re-built. The player can also use aerial support such as calling in paratroopers reinforcements, scouting runs and bomb strikes.
War Front: Turning Point however has an unconventional RTS feature, being the abilities to manually control pill boxes and turrets to fire upon enemies, like that of a first person shooter. The camera can also be ordered to follow other units in a third person perspective where order can still be given but the units not directly controlled like the turrets.
Along with the time of day changing dynamically in each game, random weather can affect effectiveness of units and interference. Storms for example can damage airplanes and radars (mini-map view) can become distorted or even temporarily knocked out.
Allies
Like the real World War II Western Allies, they are a coalition of the United States of America, Great Britain
and French Resistance
. Because of this, their units are a mixture of each side such as the British Matilda tank
and American M26 Pershing
. They have a techological advantage over the other factions with their buildings being capable of power themselves, without the need for power plants. They also have a superior airforce that is larger, stronger and more versatile. These include aircraft such as the P-38 Lightning
bomber (the only bomber capable of defending itself against interceptors) P-51 Mustang
fighters and attack helicopters. The Allies also have the atomic bomb at their disposal, deployed by a Northrop YB-35
and an "earthquake bomb"
via a Halifax bomber. The Allied experimental unit is the O.R.B. (Omni-Repulsor-Barrier), which is an APC truck with a force field generator on the back capable of protecting units within its deflector shield range from low to medium attacks.
Germany
The German forces are that of the real life Wehrmacht
, but under new, more effective leadership following the death of Adolf Hitler
in the early stages of the war. Their army focuses more on firepower, with a wide range of ground armoured units. German tanks are particularly strong that include real life and upgraded versions such as the Panzer VIII Maus
, Elefant
"tank hunter" and Tiger tank
. They use ME-262 fighter aircraft and Junkers Ju 390
s and Horten Ho 229
s for bombing runs, with the ability to deploy V-1 flying bomb
s, which can be upgraded to a V-2 rocket
. The Germans also have more varied experimental units than the other two factions. These include jet pack
infantry equipped with flame throwers, heavy Exoskeleton mech like heavy infantry, Sonic tanks
that use blasts of sonic waves rather than conventional ammunition and the Giant Zeppelin
, which uses an aluminium
structure and large air-to-ground cannons.
Soviet Union
The Soviets are less developed than the Allies and Germans, yet however use sheer numbers to overwhelm their opposition to their advantage. They have an expanded and more effective selection of infantry. Along with the general Red Army
infantry
, the Soviets have Medic
s to heal nearby infantry, Commissar
s to boost morale (overall efficiency), Molotov infantry that uses Molotov cocktails rather than rockets, being a faster option and can be backed up by Vodka
Dealers who can make nearby infantry invulnerable to damage while they're alive. Their heavy armour is also small yet does include some powerful machines like the Kharkov Rampager that is slow yet equipped with multiple turrets. Their aircraft however is smaller and weaker, primarily using Tupolev TB-3
bombers, Il-2 Shturmovik ground-attack aircraft and Yakovlev Yak-1
interceptors. They do however have powerful experimental units like the Ice Spitter, capable of freezing other units along with a similar "freeze bomb" deployed by a Tupolev bomber. There is also Giant Moving Turret
that is slow with limited turret movement but has a long range and is very powerful and the APC Mole that can transport troops by tunnelling underground.
in which Adolf Hitler
is killed in the early days of the war. A new chancellor comes to power and under his rule, Operation Sea Lion succeeds and Nazi Germany
successfully conquers Britain. As a result, Germany, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union enter a technological cold war, resulting in various new advanced technologies on both sides.
. While pushing back Allied resistance north, Hardt reveals to be working with the German Resistance, an under cover wing of the Wehrmacht under Dietrich Preiss, however Hellmann is uninterested in their means of conduct. He is then sent to rescue Elsa Adler, a female German Spy behind Soviet lines of the Eastern war front. There it is revealed that the Soviets are using weapons to cool the environment to their advantage, with Adler being pursued by Aleksei Mikhalkov of the Red Army. Upon Adler’s rescue, she reveals Soviet plans to build a range of new super weapons and conquer Germany. To prevent this, they join up entirely to Preiss’ resistance and with the help of American Colonel John Lynch, they press on to take out the current Nazi leaders in order to make peace and ally with Britain and the rest of the Western Allies in hope of suppressing further conflict with the Soviets. This operation is successful; despite Nazi attempts to even destroy Berlin
in the process.
Back at Berlin, General Wells of Britain arrives to sign the peace treaty with Hardt, only to be interrupted by a surprise Soviet attack on the capital. While the Allies and Germans recover, it come apparent that the previous reports Adler obtained were fabricated by the Soviets themselves so the German Resistance would kill the Chancellor, thus bringing Germany into civil war while the Soviets benefit and conquer all of Eastern Europe. The Soviets are held off momentarily, in order for Hellmann to locate and secure a top-secret German weapon’s base that houses plans for experiment weapons. During another push against the Soviets, Preiss however is captured and later used to lure both the Germans and Allies into a trap, yet eventually is rescued.
As Hardt and Hellmann begin the assault on Moscow
, Mikhalkov disguised as a German exoskeleton troop kidnaps Adler via false transmission. Hardt order the final strike against the Kremlin
itself but stops just as the last remaining Soviets raise the white flag of surrender. Meanwhile Hellmann confronts Mikhalkov, firing on a transmission tower allowing it to destroy Mikhalkov’s suit. Instead of defeat Mikhalkov instead causes the remains to self-destruct yet Hellmann evades in time. Hardt and Lynch give their victory speeches and the final scene closes with Adler and Hellmann kissing.
, Germany
Weapon: Triple Barreled Panzerfaust
He was probably the most controversial cadet at the Military Academy at his time, earning the best results in sports and achieving a flawless scholastic record, but also spending the most time in detention. It was obvious for everyone in the military that Hellmann would become one of the finest officers of the Wehrmacht... although with the small flaw of having a soft spot for women and good times and a tendency to show less discipline when it comes down to these two things.
Having grown up in the German country, it is not very unusual that a handsome and athletic young man like Roland developed a liking for the other sex and beer, but he was still regarded as sort of a misfit and was looked down upon by the other cadets who had different backgrounds. Since he was neither from noble nor wealthy descent and never joined the Hitlerjugend, they all thought of Hellmann as a low-born, and of lesser blood. Although, his athletic build, blonde hair and blue eyes portrayed the Nazi ideal.
Hellmann being as proud as he was, took up the challenge and did everything to prove that he is more worthy to wear the uniform than any of them. While learning everything the academy could teach him, he slowly backed away from the strict and ceremonious behavior of the typical Wehrmacht
officer. He absolved the academy with outstanding honors, but felt that he still had much to learn. Being positioned under General Hardt's battalion, he knew it was the right place.
The general always kept a close eye on Hellmann, even in military school where he taught the young man at that time. He noticed that he and Hellmann are much in the same position, despite their different personalities, because they are both out of place characters among this new generation of Nazi officers. Hardt had a lot against the government but was clever enough to keep it to himself and a few selected fellow-officers only, who also preferred the pre-war Germany and its old ideals instead of the Nazi propaganda. Slowly they were forming a small resistance within the Wehrmacht, but it was Hellmann's appearance that gave Hardt the hope to make the first steps. Hardt found the new hero in him, the one the resistance
and Germany needed.
Not only did Hardt become Hellmann's superior, he became his mentor as well. During the long years they spent together on the battlefield, they also became friends.
Now its up to Hardt to make his final move and start the rebellion against Nazism. Sooner or later Hellmann will have to choose sides between Germany and the Nazis.
, Germany
. Life was not good to Preiss, even when he was a kid. He grew up in the Eichwald Institut, an orphanage infamous for its strict educational methods, where he learned a great deal of rigid discipline and endurance.
In the meantime, a dormant tendency for aggression began to awaken in him, which was yet to surface. When he was released from the orphanage years later to make his own path he had trouble finding his place in the world. History made the choice for everyone in his generation, and stacked the youth of Europe into the trenches of the bloody battlefields that became also the final resting place for most, but not for Preiss.
The war ended for him when he lost an eye during a bloody bayonet charge. Following his own ideals and knowing the true greatness of the old Germany, shortly before the outbreak of World War II he realized that the Nazis were driving the nation into a new war. Therefore he openly opposed the government. Preiss obviously underestimated the Nazis as they reacted to his outspoken criticism with harsh prosecution. He had to run for his life and go undercover, spent months hiding from the Gestapo
, fleeing from city to city. To give old Germany a chance, he founded the German Resistance
to fight against the Nazi terror by any means possible. Dietrich Preiss is a veteran hero of the German resistance. He is the master of the sabotage, trickery and reconnaissance operations.
, Germany
. Elsa grew up in an ordinary civilian family as the youngest, the fourth child, and the only girl after three boys. Her strict upbringing and the masculine environment didn't give much room for her to pursue any girly habits, so she grew up pretty much like her brothers to the great disappointment of her mother.
When the war broke out, her brothers were drafted into the German Wehrmacht. Just like in everything else, she wanted to do the same as they did and was dying to go and fight for the Reich, but of course this was impossible for a female in Germany. She tried to help her brothers as a patriot woman by working in factories and taking up civil service without having any real knowledge of the cause that she really served.
Her eyes were forced open by tragedies that changed her life forever. After just six months, all her brothers had been killed in action, on the front. She slowly realized what the Nazis were doing with her beloved country and to its people. Fueled by hate and anger as a lone freedom fighter, she started a lonely crusade against the Nazis.
When she eventually ran into a deadly trap set by the Gestapo, an unexpected rescuer, Dietrich Preiss, and his members of the newly forged German Resistance arrived and saved her from certain death. Realizing that all of them had a common goal, Elsa joined the Resistance and has served with them ever since. Elsa Adler is the heroine, a young, but talented spy of the German Resistance. She is quick, precise in operations, cautious and a real survivor.
, United States of America.
Weapon: Grenade Launcher
When the young John Lynch graduated as an engineer two years earlier than his schoolmates with a promising career ahead of him, few would have thought how adventurous and unconventional his life would become in just a few years.
He had no trouble getting a job at one of the country's most important aircraft manufacturers as he was regarded the new hotshot in engineering circles. He soon topped every expectation with his unorthodox and groundbreaking design ideas, and oversaw the production of the craziest airplane prototypes of his time. When the Japanese Empire launched its war machine against the United States, he knew where his place was, and joined the army to, as a real patriot, serve his country. Since he wasn't much of a sailor or a marine, he ended up again in the hangars where he was working for the military as a test pilot.
The fall of Great Britain brought a new era in his military career. By winning on the western front, the Nazis could put more effort into their weapons program and carry out their research in Western Europe without any hindrance. A secret commando
was formed, nicknamed the "Tech-Raiders", whose job was to infiltrate the continent, find secret Nazi research facilities and perform smaller raids on them to steal or sabotage enemy technology. Lynch joined this team as an engineering expert.
During the long assignments among the tech-raiders he gradually developed his fighting skills and after an unfortunate mission when the leader of the group died, he had to assume command. Eventually he ascended to the rank of a Colonel and became the top man in the technological war against the Third Reich. Colonel John Lynch is the main hero of the Allied Forces.
His grenade launcher is very effective against infantry, light vehicles and buildings.
, United Kingdom
.
Born to a British
mother working for the Ministry of Defence
and an Austria
n father who settled down in England between the two wars, she always had a more sophisticated view and a personal connection to the events on the continent that finally led to the annexation of Austria and the start of a World War II.
Her mother who gave much emphasis to a classical education, she was both fluent in German and French. This made her a vital asset to the British Secret Service at the beginning of the war and she was soon enlisted as a spy to be deployed in Nazi occupied France. She was only 23 at the time but soon proved to be a great agent and served an amazing four years undercover in France and Austria. This is something no one else could pull off as the Gestapo started a bloody and brutal manhunt for Allied agents. During these years, she forged a valuable alliance with local Maquis Groups
, especially with a daring freedom fighter, Vincent Sagnier.
She even earned certain esteem among them for fending off everyone's flirtation with a cold and devastating glance. Before she realized, she had become one of the most critical connections between the French resistance
and the British Intelligence
. Anna Herzog is a British undercover agent and the heroine of the Allied Forces. Her main weapons are charm and misdirection.
, France
. As an adopted son of Charles Cassel, the chief editor of a renowned Parisian newspaper, he spent most of his childhood as a brash and tough newsboy, who was famous for beating up the other kids working for the competing newspapers.
Although his stepfather rather enjoyed this devotion to his business, he knew where this bellicose nature was coming from and it always reminded him with a sad heart of Vincent's father, his best friend who lost his brave life in the First World War. Charles, always haunted by the death of his friend and the horrors of war, tried to bring up Vincent in a pacifist manner and did everything to hold him back from the military career the boy was dreaming of.
He employed him as a journalist when he became older, and when the war broke out, he pulled some strings and arranged for the young man to serve as a war correspondent instead of as an active combatant at the front. Vincent, who was eager to fight as his father did, was unable to go against the wishes of the man who loved him as a son, and accepted the job. When the Germans attacked Paris he had no thoughts of shooting pictures at all anymore, just shooting Nazis.
He finally stepped onto the path his father had trodden and became a fighter... something he felt he did too late, as the war was now lost for France. There was only one place where he could make up for his tardiness, the Maquis
. He joined them and soon proved to be a versatile member of the group given his experience in working for the intelligence and talent for moving on the battlefront undetected he had acquired during his time as a war correspondent. Vincent Sagnier is the French hero on the Allied side. He is a demolition expert and also able to defend his allies against explosions.
, Russia
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922).
Weapon: Vehicle class chaingun
Very little is known about the Soviet Lion, the Bloodhound of Stalin. His past is a mystery, even for the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army. There are many rumors about Comrade Aleksei Mikhalkov, and it is hard to tell, of course, which story is true and which not.
It is certain Aleksei has spent several years with priests as a child, having no one else to care for him, and it is also widely known that he is an avid and fanatic bear hunter. His time with the priests was very short as they tried to tame the young but already powerful Aleksei, who had regular outbreaks of anger and aggression that he either couldn't or didn't want to control.
At one point he became so fed up with being preached at all the time that he attacked one of his caretakers and broke his spine with a single devastating blow. He had to flee and he had been hiding for years. However, when Stalin came to power and religion was persecuted, Aleksei's sin was no longer a crime.
He finally found his place in the Red Army where his aggression and bloodlust were rewarded and could be lived out entirely. The mysterious Aleksei Mikhalkov is one of the greatest heroes of the Soviet Red Army. He is quite effective and deadly against everyone and everything with his handy vehicle-class machine gun.
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922). Nadia Amanova is second on the Soviets' cruelty list. She works in the ranks of the Red Army, where special tasks require a certain extent of anonymity. When Comrade Aleksei Mikhalkov's raw power is not enough for an assignment, Nadia's cruel intelligence will surely find a solution to accomplish it.
The few people who are aware of her real abilities and are still alive, remain silent rather than to risk her unwelcome visit in the night. Nadia is known by many names in the Red Army. Among those that stand out are the Black Widow or the Hellmaiden. Anyone who opposed her, or stood in the way of her career, regardless of that person's rank or background had either changed his opinion very quickly, or had no opinion about anything ever again.
This aggressive approach to careerism of course did not escape the attention of some members of the regime, who also gave voice to their fears about her. They shared the same fate as others in her way, which despite being a below the line way of operating even in the eyes of the political leaders, amused Stalin very much. Nadia Amanova is the first class special agent of the Soviet Red Army. She is quiet, lethal, effective and invisible.
, Russia
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922). Andrei Nazarov is a man of challenges so they say and a born leader. One memorable event during his early years was when he coxed his fellow pupils in his boarding school to break into the local liquor warehouse together on an extremely harsh Russian winter evening. One of Andrei's biggest passions, his unbounded affection for genuine Russian vodka can be traced to this past event.
Although this raid might not be absolutely free of pretense, as some say for a while the other kids drank themselves into delirious joy, the young Andrei was perched on a rooftop with a silent smile on his face knowing that the chaos they had aroused made him the temporary master of the small town of Novoritjenko. The locals still tell stories about the drunken youngsters singing ‘Polyushka, Polye’ all through the chilly night.
His determination and sense of purpose also defined his future. Being completely beyond control, he found himself in one of the toughest military schools of the Soviet Union. There he finally seemed to settle down and became serious. His precision and self-control best showed itself at the firing range as there was no one else who could shoot more accurately than he could, with or without the assistance of a "little" vodka. He not only won a number of bets with this skill but he also drew several followers to himself with it.
As he had been wearing a uniform literally since his childhood, he entered the war as the already renowned comrade-general Nazarov. His successful military career ran in parallel to his political advancement, both managed with the utmost care and guile, and so he soon rose to become Stalin's right hand. General Nazarov is a natural born leader of the Soviet Red Army. He is charismatic, a true mastermind and also known as an elite sniper
.
Upon release War Front: Turning Point received a fair yet generally positive reception with an average critic rating of 74% at Game Rankings
, based on 31 reviews. Most praise was directed at the game’s alternate history spin on World War II. X-Play
found that the “alternate history stuff keeps the stale setting interesting without getting completely wacky” while GameSpot
commented on the balance of real-life and fictional units, being a “good thing because battles remain grounded in real-world combat and don't go overboard with high-tech gadgetry”, going on to say “Digital Reality strikes an almost perfect balance here between real history and "what if?" ruminations.”
Many reviewers however felt the RTS gameplay was still too conventional, regardless of the subject matter. GamesRadar
, while still finding it a “highly polished iteration of a military-based RTS with balanced armies, relentless AI, and fun multiplayer matches”, felt it still “feels a little too like much the many other military-based RTS games that crowd the market”. IGN
found that “While War Front isn’t anything particularly new, it does traditional very solidly and creates a decent action atmosphere.” PC Gamer
similarly agreed by concluding “War Front is a solid and entertaining game, though far less original than it purports to be.” Because of the game’s traditional RTS formula, Eurogamer
reviewed the title while at the same time satires reviews in general by outlining the traditional conventions in most reviews, such as concluding “Lazy conclusion? Wrap things up with a witty line that leaves readers grinning. Or, just stop writing in the middl…” They gave War Front a final score of 7/10 still.
On the game’s campaign, GamesRadar cautioned that gamers should “expect a strong case of déjà vu” with the usual build up your base and destroy the enemy or take your squads from point A to point B mission objectives.” Yahoo Games called them “engaging” yet “goofy”. GameSpy
criticised the first-person shooter aspect for being “useless in a game that moves so fast” and even “may also cause lesser computers to slow to a crawl”. Graphically, GameSpot felt "The dark, gritty look of the game makes most levels a treat for the eyes when you're simply gawking at the scenery" yet at times can be "so dark and dense with detail that units are obscured".
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
computer game set in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was developed by Digital Reality
Digital Reality
Digital Reality is an Hungarian video game developer, located in Budapest, Hungary. The company is best known for developing the game Imperium Galactica series and Haegemonia: Legions of Iron.-History:...
, and published by CDV
CDV
cdv Software Entertainment AG is a German publisher of computer games, specializing in strategy titles for the PC. cdv was founded in 1989 in Karlsruhe, Germany by Wolfgang Gäbler and Christina Oppermann. In April 2000 cdv became listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange...
and released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 19 February and Europe on 23 March 2007 for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
The game is set in an alternate World War II in which Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
is assassinated in the early days of the war and under the new chancellor, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupies Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Eventually, Nazi Germany is defeated, but this allows the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to advance into Western Europe. The game features both real life and fictional "experimental" war machines and units. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=20248.
Gameplay
War Front: Turning Point is a real-time World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
weaponry such as Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
and M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
and T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
tanks, to real-life units that were not present during that war such as Northrop YB-49
Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop shortly after World War II. Intended for service with the U.S. Air Force, the YB-49 featured a flying wing design...
jet bomber, to entirely science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
al units like Exoskeleton mechs, freeze rays and shield generators, while all can build a "Bridging" tank unit capable of building bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s over bodies of water. Each faction can also build three heroes, individual characters with unique abilities, both passive and active to benefit the player's own units and against the foe's. The longer heroes and units remain on the battlefield, destroying units and buildings in the process, they can rank up increasing their abilities yet lose them if they are killed and re-built. The player can also use aerial support such as calling in paratroopers reinforcements, scouting runs and bomb strikes.
War Front: Turning Point however has an unconventional RTS feature, being the abilities to manually control pill boxes and turrets to fire upon enemies, like that of a first person shooter. The camera can also be ordered to follow other units in a third person perspective where order can still be given but the units not directly controlled like the turrets.
Along with the time of day changing dynamically in each game, random weather can affect effectiveness of units and interference. Storms for example can damage airplanes and radars (mini-map view) can become distorted or even temporarily knocked out.
AlliesWestern AlliesThe Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
Like the real World War II Western Allies, they are a coalition of the United States of America, Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
. Because of this, their units are a mixture of each side such as the British Matilda tank
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
and American M26 Pershing
M26 Pershing
The Heavy Tank M26 Pershing was an American heavy tank briefly used in World War II and in the Korean War. It was named after General John Pershing, who led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in World War I....
. They have a techological advantage over the other factions with their buildings being capable of power themselves, without the need for power plants. They also have a superior airforce that is larger, stronger and more versatile. These include aircraft such as the P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
bomber (the only bomber capable of defending itself against interceptors) P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters and attack helicopters. The Allies also have the atomic bomb at their disposal, deployed by a Northrop YB-35
Northrop YB-35
The Northrop XB-35 and YB-35 were experimental heavy bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Forces during and shortly after World War II by the Northrop Corporation. It used the radical and potentially very efficient flying wing design, in which the tail section and fuselage are...
and an "earthquake bomb"
Earth quake bomb
The earthquake bomb, or seismic bomb, was a concept that was invented by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis early in World War II and subsequently developed and used during the war against strategic targets in Europe.-Development:...
via a Halifax bomber. The Allied experimental unit is the O.R.B. (Omni-Repulsor-Barrier), which is an APC truck with a force field generator on the back capable of protecting units within its deflector shield range from low to medium attacks.
GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
The German forces are that of the real life WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, but under new, more effective leadership following the death of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in the early stages of the war. Their army focuses more on firepower, with a wide range of ground armoured units. German tanks are particularly strong that include real life and upgraded versions such as the Panzer VIII Maus
Panzer VIII Maus
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus was a German World War II super-heavy tank completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest fully enclosed armoured fighting vehicle ever built. Only two hulls and one turret were completed before the testing grounds were captured by the advancing Soviet forces.These two...
, Elefant
Elefant
The Elefant was a "schwerer Panzerjäger" of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche. In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant...
"tank hunter" and Tiger tank
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
. They use ME-262 fighter aircraft and Junkers Ju 390
Junkers Ju 390
The Junkers Ju 390 was a German aircraft intended to be used as a heavy transport, maritime patrol aircraft, and long-range bomber, a long-range derivative of the Ju 290...
s and Horten Ho 229
Horten Ho 229
The Horten H.IX, RLM designation Ho 229 was a late–World War II prototype fighter/bomber designed by Reimar and Walter Horten and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik...
s for bombing runs, with the ability to deploy V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
s, which can be upgraded to a V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
. The Germans also have more varied experimental units than the other two factions. These include jet pack
Jet pack
Jet pack, rocket belt, rocket pack, and similar names are various types of devices, usually worn on the back, that are propelled by jets of escaping gases so as to allow a single user to fly....
infantry equipped with flame throwers, heavy Exoskeleton mech like heavy infantry, Sonic tanks
Sonic weaponry
Sonic and ultrasonic weapons are weapons of various types that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill an opponent. Some sonic weapons are currently in limited use or in research and development by military and police forces. Others exist only in the realm of science fiction...
that use blasts of sonic waves rather than conventional ammunition and the Giant Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
, which uses an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
structure and large air-to-ground cannons.
Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
The Soviets are less developed than the Allies and Germans, yet however use sheer numbers to overwhelm their opposition to their advantage. They have an expanded and more effective selection of infantry. Along with the general Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, the Soviets have Medic
Medic
Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
s to heal nearby infantry, Commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
s to boost morale (overall efficiency), Molotov infantry that uses Molotov cocktails rather than rockets, being a faster option and can be backed up by Vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
Dealers who can make nearby infantry invulnerable to damage while they're alive. Their heavy armour is also small yet does include some powerful machines like the Kharkov Rampager that is slow yet equipped with multiple turrets. Their aircraft however is smaller and weaker, primarily using Tupolev TB-3
Tupolev TB-3
The Tupolev TB-3 was a heavy bomber aircraft which was deployed by the Soviet Air Force in the 1930s and during World War II. It was the world's first cantilever wing four-engine heavy bomber. Despite obsolescence and being officially withdrawn from service in 1939, TB-3 performed bomber and...
bombers, Il-2 Shturmovik ground-attack aircraft and Yakovlev Yak-1
Yakovlev Yak-1
The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. Produced from early 1940, it was a single-seat monoplane with a composite structure and wooden wings....
interceptors. They do however have powerful experimental units like the Ice Spitter, capable of freezing other units along with a similar "freeze bomb" deployed by a Tupolev bomber. There is also Giant Moving Turret
Supergun
A supergun is an extraordinarily large artillery piece. This size may be due to a large bore, barrel length or a combination of the two. While early examples tended to have a fairly short range more recent examples sometimes had an extremely high muzzle velocity resulting in a very long...
that is slow with limited turret movement but has a long range and is very powerful and the APC Mole that can transport troops by tunnelling underground.
Premise
War Front: Turning Point is set in an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in which Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
is killed in the early days of the war. A new chancellor comes to power and under his rule, Operation Sea Lion succeeds and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
successfully conquers Britain. As a result, Germany, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union enter a technological cold war, resulting in various new advanced technologies on both sides.
German Campaign
The campaign opens 1000 days after the German invasion of Great Britain, where Oberstleutnant Roland Hellmann, under General Hardt takes control of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. While pushing back Allied resistance north, Hardt reveals to be working with the German Resistance, an under cover wing of the Wehrmacht under Dietrich Preiss, however Hellmann is uninterested in their means of conduct. He is then sent to rescue Elsa Adler, a female German Spy behind Soviet lines of the Eastern war front. There it is revealed that the Soviets are using weapons to cool the environment to their advantage, with Adler being pursued by Aleksei Mikhalkov of the Red Army. Upon Adler’s rescue, she reveals Soviet plans to build a range of new super weapons and conquer Germany. To prevent this, they join up entirely to Preiss’ resistance and with the help of American Colonel John Lynch, they press on to take out the current Nazi leaders in order to make peace and ally with Britain and the rest of the Western Allies in hope of suppressing further conflict with the Soviets. This operation is successful; despite Nazi attempts to even destroy Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in the process.
Back at Berlin, General Wells of Britain arrives to sign the peace treaty with Hardt, only to be interrupted by a surprise Soviet attack on the capital. While the Allies and Germans recover, it come apparent that the previous reports Adler obtained were fabricated by the Soviets themselves so the German Resistance would kill the Chancellor, thus bringing Germany into civil war while the Soviets benefit and conquer all of Eastern Europe. The Soviets are held off momentarily, in order for Hellmann to locate and secure a top-secret German weapon’s base that houses plans for experiment weapons. During another push against the Soviets, Preiss however is captured and later used to lure both the Germans and Allies into a trap, yet eventually is rescued.
As Hardt and Hellmann begin the assault on Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Mikhalkov disguised as a German exoskeleton troop kidnaps Adler via false transmission. Hardt order the final strike against the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
itself but stops just as the last remaining Soviets raise the white flag of surrender. Meanwhile Hellmann confronts Mikhalkov, firing on a transmission tower allowing it to destroy Mikhalkov’s suit. Instead of defeat Mikhalkov instead causes the remains to self-destruct yet Hellmann evades in time. Hardt and Lynch give their victory speeches and the final scene closes with Adler and Hellmann kissing.
Characters
While playing the game player will control and get to know nine characters (three for each side). Everyone of those characters plays important role in the story and has special skills that will help player in combat. Those heroes are "immortal" (If one of the heroes dies player can revive him/her at the barracks). Each of the characters has his/her own history and his/her own special abilities that they can use during combat.Oberstleutnant Roland Hellmann
Born 21 October 1912. ErfurtErfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Weapon: Triple Barreled Panzerfaust
Panzerfaust
The Panzerfaust was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier...
He was probably the most controversial cadet at the Military Academy at his time, earning the best results in sports and achieving a flawless scholastic record, but also spending the most time in detention. It was obvious for everyone in the military that Hellmann would become one of the finest officers of the Wehrmacht... although with the small flaw of having a soft spot for women and good times and a tendency to show less discipline when it comes down to these two things.
Having grown up in the German country, it is not very unusual that a handsome and athletic young man like Roland developed a liking for the other sex and beer, but he was still regarded as sort of a misfit and was looked down upon by the other cadets who had different backgrounds. Since he was neither from noble nor wealthy descent and never joined the Hitlerjugend, they all thought of Hellmann as a low-born, and of lesser blood. Although, his athletic build, blonde hair and blue eyes portrayed the Nazi ideal.
Hellmann being as proud as he was, took up the challenge and did everything to prove that he is more worthy to wear the uniform than any of them. While learning everything the academy could teach him, he slowly backed away from the strict and ceremonious behavior of the typical Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
officer. He absolved the academy with outstanding honors, but felt that he still had much to learn. Being positioned under General Hardt's battalion, he knew it was the right place.
The general always kept a close eye on Hellmann, even in military school where he taught the young man at that time. He noticed that he and Hellmann are much in the same position, despite their different personalities, because they are both out of place characters among this new generation of Nazi officers. Hardt had a lot against the government but was clever enough to keep it to himself and a few selected fellow-officers only, who also preferred the pre-war Germany and its old ideals instead of the Nazi propaganda. Slowly they were forming a small resistance within the Wehrmacht, but it was Hellmann's appearance that gave Hardt the hope to make the first steps. Hardt found the new hero in him, the one the resistance
German Resistance
The German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
and Germany needed.
Not only did Hardt become Hellmann's superior, he became his mentor as well. During the long years they spent together on the battlefield, they also became friends.
Now its up to Hardt to make his final move and start the rebellion against Nazism. Sooner or later Hellmann will have to choose sides between Germany and the Nazis.
Dietrich Preiss
Born June 1889. KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Life was not good to Preiss, even when he was a kid. He grew up in the Eichwald Institut, an orphanage infamous for its strict educational methods, where he learned a great deal of rigid discipline and endurance.
In the meantime, a dormant tendency for aggression began to awaken in him, which was yet to surface. When he was released from the orphanage years later to make his own path he had trouble finding his place in the world. History made the choice for everyone in his generation, and stacked the youth of Europe into the trenches of the bloody battlefields that became also the final resting place for most, but not for Preiss.
The war ended for him when he lost an eye during a bloody bayonet charge. Following his own ideals and knowing the true greatness of the old Germany, shortly before the outbreak of World War II he realized that the Nazis were driving the nation into a new war. Therefore he openly opposed the government. Preiss obviously underestimated the Nazis as they reacted to his outspoken criticism with harsh prosecution. He had to run for his life and go undercover, spent months hiding from the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, fleeing from city to city. To give old Germany a chance, he founded the German Resistance
German Resistance
The German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
to fight against the Nazi terror by any means possible. Dietrich Preiss is a veteran hero of the German resistance. He is the master of the sabotage, trickery and reconnaissance operations.
Elsa Adler
Born May 1921. DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Elsa grew up in an ordinary civilian family as the youngest, the fourth child, and the only girl after three boys. Her strict upbringing and the masculine environment didn't give much room for her to pursue any girly habits, so she grew up pretty much like her brothers to the great disappointment of her mother.
When the war broke out, her brothers were drafted into the German Wehrmacht. Just like in everything else, she wanted to do the same as they did and was dying to go and fight for the Reich, but of course this was impossible for a female in Germany. She tried to help her brothers as a patriot woman by working in factories and taking up civil service without having any real knowledge of the cause that she really served.
Her eyes were forced open by tragedies that changed her life forever. After just six months, all her brothers had been killed in action, on the front. She slowly realized what the Nazis were doing with her beloved country and to its people. Fueled by hate and anger as a lone freedom fighter, she started a lonely crusade against the Nazis.
When she eventually ran into a deadly trap set by the Gestapo, an unexpected rescuer, Dietrich Preiss, and his members of the newly forged German Resistance arrived and saved her from certain death. Realizing that all of them had a common goal, Elsa joined the Resistance and has served with them ever since. Elsa Adler is the heroine, a young, but talented spy of the German Resistance. She is quick, precise in operations, cautious and a real survivor.
Colonel John Lynch
Born 1 February 1911. Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, United States of America.
Weapon: Grenade Launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
When the young John Lynch graduated as an engineer two years earlier than his schoolmates with a promising career ahead of him, few would have thought how adventurous and unconventional his life would become in just a few years.
He had no trouble getting a job at one of the country's most important aircraft manufacturers as he was regarded the new hotshot in engineering circles. He soon topped every expectation with his unorthodox and groundbreaking design ideas, and oversaw the production of the craziest airplane prototypes of his time. When the Japanese Empire launched its war machine against the United States, he knew where his place was, and joined the army to, as a real patriot, serve his country. Since he wasn't much of a sailor or a marine, he ended up again in the hangars where he was working for the military as a test pilot.
The fall of Great Britain brought a new era in his military career. By winning on the western front, the Nazis could put more effort into their weapons program and carry out their research in Western Europe without any hindrance. A secret commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
was formed, nicknamed the "Tech-Raiders", whose job was to infiltrate the continent, find secret Nazi research facilities and perform smaller raids on them to steal or sabotage enemy technology. Lynch joined this team as an engineering expert.
During the long assignments among the tech-raiders he gradually developed his fighting skills and after an unfortunate mission when the leader of the group died, he had to assume command. Eventually he ascended to the rank of a Colonel and became the top man in the technological war against the Third Reich. Colonel John Lynch is the main hero of the Allied Forces.
His grenade launcher is very effective against infantry, light vehicles and buildings.
Anna Herzog
Born 19 October 1917. CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Born to a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mother working for the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n father who settled down in England between the two wars, she always had a more sophisticated view and a personal connection to the events on the continent that finally led to the annexation of Austria and the start of a World War II.
Her mother who gave much emphasis to a classical education, she was both fluent in German and French. This made her a vital asset to the British Secret Service at the beginning of the war and she was soon enlisted as a spy to be deployed in Nazi occupied France. She was only 23 at the time but soon proved to be a great agent and served an amazing four years undercover in France and Austria. This is something no one else could pull off as the Gestapo started a bloody and brutal manhunt for Allied agents. During these years, she forged a valuable alliance with local Maquis Groups
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
, especially with a daring freedom fighter, Vincent Sagnier.
She even earned certain esteem among them for fending off everyone's flirtation with a cold and devastating glance. Before she realized, she had become one of the most critical connections between the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and the British Intelligence
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
. Anna Herzog is a British undercover agent and the heroine of the Allied Forces. Her main weapons are charm and misdirection.
Vincent Sagnier
Born 26 August 1913. ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. As an adopted son of Charles Cassel, the chief editor of a renowned Parisian newspaper, he spent most of his childhood as a brash and tough newsboy, who was famous for beating up the other kids working for the competing newspapers.
Although his stepfather rather enjoyed this devotion to his business, he knew where this bellicose nature was coming from and it always reminded him with a sad heart of Vincent's father, his best friend who lost his brave life in the First World War. Charles, always haunted by the death of his friend and the horrors of war, tried to bring up Vincent in a pacifist manner and did everything to hold him back from the military career the boy was dreaming of.
He employed him as a journalist when he became older, and when the war broke out, he pulled some strings and arranged for the young man to serve as a war correspondent instead of as an active combatant at the front. Vincent, who was eager to fight as his father did, was unable to go against the wishes of the man who loved him as a son, and accepted the job. When the Germans attacked Paris he had no thoughts of shooting pictures at all anymore, just shooting Nazis.
He finally stepped onto the path his father had trodden and became a fighter... something he felt he did too late, as the war was now lost for France. There was only one place where he could make up for his tardiness, the Maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
. He joined them and soon proved to be a versatile member of the group given his experience in working for the intelligence and talent for moving on the battlefront undetected he had acquired during his time as a war correspondent. Vincent Sagnier is the French hero on the Allied side. He is a demolition expert and also able to defend his allies against explosions.
Aleksei Mikhalkov
"Soviet Lion", "Bloodhound of Stalin", born Sometime between 1901–1905, unknown location in SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922).
Weapon: Vehicle class chaingun
Very little is known about the Soviet Lion, the Bloodhound of Stalin. His past is a mystery, even for the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army. There are many rumors about Comrade Aleksei Mikhalkov, and it is hard to tell, of course, which story is true and which not.
It is certain Aleksei has spent several years with priests as a child, having no one else to care for him, and it is also widely known that he is an avid and fanatic bear hunter. His time with the priests was very short as they tried to tame the young but already powerful Aleksei, who had regular outbreaks of anger and aggression that he either couldn't or didn't want to control.
At one point he became so fed up with being preached at all the time that he attacked one of his caretakers and broke his spine with a single devastating blow. He had to flee and he had been hiding for years. However, when Stalin came to power and religion was persecuted, Aleksei's sin was no longer a crime.
He finally found his place in the Red Army where his aggression and bloodlust were rewarded and could be lived out entirely. The mysterious Aleksei Mikhalkov is one of the greatest heroes of the Soviet Red Army. He is quite effective and deadly against everyone and everything with his handy vehicle-class machine gun.
Nadia Amanova
10 May 1916. Arhangelsk, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922). Nadia Amanova is second on the Soviets' cruelty list. She works in the ranks of the Red Army, where special tasks require a certain extent of anonymity. When Comrade Aleksei Mikhalkov's raw power is not enough for an assignment, Nadia's cruel intelligence will surely find a solution to accomplish it.
The few people who are aware of her real abilities and are still alive, remain silent rather than to risk her unwelcome visit in the night. Nadia is known by many names in the Red Army. Among those that stand out are the Black Widow or the Hellmaiden. Anyone who opposed her, or stood in the way of her career, regardless of that person's rank or background had either changed his opinion very quickly, or had no opinion about anything ever again.
This aggressive approach to careerism of course did not escape the attention of some members of the regime, who also gave voice to their fears about her. They shared the same fate as others in her way, which despite being a below the line way of operating even in the eyes of the political leaders, amused Stalin very much. Nadia Amanova is the first class special agent of the Soviet Red Army. She is quiet, lethal, effective and invisible.
General Andrei Nazarov
Born 3 January 1899. MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1922). Andrei Nazarov is a man of challenges so they say and a born leader. One memorable event during his early years was when he coxed his fellow pupils in his boarding school to break into the local liquor warehouse together on an extremely harsh Russian winter evening. One of Andrei's biggest passions, his unbounded affection for genuine Russian vodka can be traced to this past event.
Although this raid might not be absolutely free of pretense, as some say for a while the other kids drank themselves into delirious joy, the young Andrei was perched on a rooftop with a silent smile on his face knowing that the chaos they had aroused made him the temporary master of the small town of Novoritjenko. The locals still tell stories about the drunken youngsters singing ‘Polyushka, Polye’ all through the chilly night.
His determination and sense of purpose also defined his future. Being completely beyond control, he found himself in one of the toughest military schools of the Soviet Union. There he finally seemed to settle down and became serious. His precision and self-control best showed itself at the firing range as there was no one else who could shoot more accurately than he could, with or without the assistance of a "little" vodka. He not only won a number of bets with this skill but he also drew several followers to himself with it.
As he had been wearing a uniform literally since his childhood, he entered the war as the already renowned comrade-general Nazarov. His successful military career ran in parallel to his political advancement, both managed with the utmost care and guile, and so he soon rose to become Stalin's right hand. General Nazarov is a natural born leader of the Soviet Red Army. He is charismatic, a true mastermind and also known as an elite sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
7.8/10 |
| GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... |
3/5 |
| Eurogamer Eurogamer Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on... |
7/10 |
| GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... |
7.5/10 |
| X-Play X-Play X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits... |
4/5 |
| PC Gamer PC Gamer PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries... |
77% |
| GamesRadar GamesRadar GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing... |
7/10 |
| Yahoo Games | 4/5 |
Upon release War Front: Turning Point received a fair yet generally positive reception with an average critic rating of 74% at Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, based on 31 reviews. Most praise was directed at the game’s alternate history spin on World War II. X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
found that the “alternate history stuff keeps the stale setting interesting without getting completely wacky” while GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
commented on the balance of real-life and fictional units, being a “good thing because battles remain grounded in real-world combat and don't go overboard with high-tech gadgetry”, going on to say “Digital Reality strikes an almost perfect balance here between real history and "what if?" ruminations.”
Many reviewers however felt the RTS gameplay was still too conventional, regardless of the subject matter. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
, while still finding it a “highly polished iteration of a military-based RTS with balanced armies, relentless AI, and fun multiplayer matches”, felt it still “feels a little too like much the many other military-based RTS games that crowd the market”. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
found that “While War Front isn’t anything particularly new, it does traditional very solidly and creates a decent action atmosphere.” PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
similarly agreed by concluding “War Front is a solid and entertaining game, though far less original than it purports to be.” Because of the game’s traditional RTS formula, Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
reviewed the title while at the same time satires reviews in general by outlining the traditional conventions in most reviews, such as concluding “Lazy conclusion? Wrap things up with a witty line that leaves readers grinning. Or, just stop writing in the middl…” They gave War Front a final score of 7/10 still.
On the game’s campaign, GamesRadar cautioned that gamers should “expect a strong case of déjà vu” with the usual build up your base and destroy the enemy or take your squads from point A to point B mission objectives.” Yahoo Games called them “engaging” yet “goofy”. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
criticised the first-person shooter aspect for being “useless in a game that moves so fast” and even “may also cause lesser computers to slow to a crawl”. Graphically, GameSpot felt "The dark, gritty look of the game makes most levels a treat for the eyes when you're simply gawking at the scenery" yet at times can be "so dark and dense with detail that units are obscured".
External links
- http://pc.ign.com/articles/708/708188p1.html War Front: Turning Point at IGN
- http://www.fileplanet.com/103462/0/section/War-Front:-Turning-Point War Front: Turning Point SP & MP Demo