The "What Ifs" of World War II
Making History is more than a wargame; it's a grand strategic military, economic, and diplomatic simulation of the entire globe, starting in 1934, and going on until the end of the Second World War. If that happens, of course.
As such, it addresses one of the central failings of most WWII games; it doesn't lock you into a historical straightjacket, with Russia inevitably coming into the war even if the Nazis don't attack, and with the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor on inevitable schedule. Instead, you can play with all sorts of what-ifs: What if France had resisted the reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1934? Or if Italy had gotten pissy about the Anschluss? Or if the Western Allies and the Soviet Union had stood firm behind Czechoslovakia in 1938?
That's one area where Making History excels; another is in its multiplayer game. Although it's a turn-based game, it's not "I go, you go": Instead, each player decides what he's doing, and when everyone has hit "End Turn," the turn updates. That means you aren't sitting around forever waiting for others to take their turns; the game updates pretty quickly. In fact, this is, we believe, the best grand strategic WWII game for Internet play -- most others either don't give you the option, or are tedious in multiplayer mode.
Making History also ships with nice modding tools, and lots of fan-created scenarios are available on the developer's site for download. Altogether, the game feels to us a lot like a WWII-era Europa Universalis -- less military-focussed than Hearts of Iron, and more freeform in where you can take it and possible outcomes of the conflict. And that's high praise, we believe.
If you like this sort of game at all, give the demo a try; it's not time limited, and gives you the whole of the 1939 scenario (through the end of the war). We don't think you'll be sorry.
The developer says:
Making History: The Calm & the Storm is a turn-based strategy game where players apply their strategic skills to set policy and determine the fate of their nation in a time of looming crisis. Each of the over 80 playable nations presents unique challenges based on political character, economic power, military strength, and geography. Players use diplomacy to forge alliances, declare war and negotiate peace. A dynamic world market allows players to buy and sell vital resources, offer foreign aid, or embargo other nations to further their own strategy. Research investments produce military and technological advancements that can mean the difference between victory and defeat in battle. Robust artificial intelligence and sophisticated systems offer a challenge in single player gameplay. Up to eight players can compete against each other in multiplayer games.
The game experience of Making History falls somewhere between "Axis & Allies" and "Civilization", with a dash of "Risk" thrown in. The goal of the game is not to replay history as it happened, but to make your own. The historical starting points for each scenario set the scene; from there on players will experience completely open-ended, dynamic gameplay. Graphically, Making History is a "virtual board game", complete with hundreds of 3-D models instead of game pieces, and a beautiful, highly detailed map replacing the game board.
In addition to the six starting scenarios, the game comes complete with the Making History Editor, offering an array of tools to create modified scenarios. The editor is easy enough to use that players with no modding experience can try their hand at tweaking existing scenarios, and detailed enough that veteran modders can create complex new scenarios.
Players can join the Making History community at www.making-history.com to share their ideas, experiences, and mods.
Reviews
"This is a very well designed game, and one that offers the best of the turn-based genre and leaves out the worst. Players can take as much time as they wish during a turn. The menus are informative but not overly so, and are easily accessed by just a few clicks. There is also a handy option that reviews the plays made during a campaign, if players choose to save the turn history. This option is great! There are hours of gameplay involved, and while there are only a few scenarios, each scenario is different each time if players choose different countries and different tasks and philosophies.
Making History isn’t for casual gamers, but for those who enjoy taking a long time to think about their plays. Having a fondness for history and war games is also a factor, but isn’t necessary. This is a great game for any strategy enthusiast!"
- 8/10, GameZone
"I must admit, Making History: The Calm & The Storm was not overly complicated or time-consuming to learn, and it was actually incredibly fun to play. The uncluttered interface and visually pleasing design seems to help reduce the information overload that is often associated with this genre. If you are like me, and you don't normally consider playing turn-based strategy titles, give this one a try. I bet you will also be pleasantly surprised."
- WorthPlaying
"Making History is primarily focused on the broad canvas of national decision-making, and in this regard it feels very much like any of the classic world or city-building games but with a bit more depth. Economic policy decisions involve the good-natured distribution of foreign aid to allies and trade embargos for your foes (take that Germany and Japan). If need be, you can manhandle your economy back onto track, via World Trade Markets and infrastructure improvements."
- GamesRadar
"Immerses players in the political and military nuances of World War II."
- CBS News
Awards
One of Armchair General's Top Five Strategy Games 2006-2007
2006 Software Information Industry Association Finalist: Best Educational Software
Technology and Learning 2006 Outstanding Educational Technology Product